Girl of Their Dreams
By: Kelly M.
Chapter 3- The Fall Festival Fiasco
Sunday Night:
Sanae collapsed in an easy-chair, sighing contentedly. After two days of painting nonstop, she had finally finished. Now she could take the night off. She sighed again happily. She had just taken a shower and felt completely refreshed.
She sat in the chair, blow-drying her hair. Long locks hung over her eyes as she stared out of the picture window. It was eight o'clock and already dark. The moon had hidden itself behind the clouds and the only light was the unnatural glow cast by the orange streetlights. She stared down the empty street, glad to be done.
Though she should have been completely happy, one thought nagged at the back of her mind. 'Touya hasn't called yet. Does he think Monday is a date? How am I going to tell him I just want to go as friends?' She couldn't handle another boyfriend yet. She thought of Nao and, opening her Rayshon orb, began to store her thoughts.
______________________
Throwing his apron on a hook, Touya turned to his colleagues, "Ah . . . we're done for another night. If the tips weren't so good, I'd hate being a waiter."
A boy in the group laughed, "Tips or not, I do hate being a waiter. But I kind of like having a place to live and rent's not cheap."
"And neither is tuition," chimed in a girl who'd just started working there.
"Truer words were never spoken, my friends," said the last in the group, a boy named Zen who had trained Touya when he'd first started, "In fact the only one of us who's got it easy is Touya," he said in a friendly, teasing way, "Living at home, still in high school, he's so lucky."
"Lucky? Ha . . . you try working like ten jobs to help support your family and see how lucky you feel." Touya joked back, laughing.
"The boy's got a point." Zen replied back, a little mystified. Touya hardly ever joked at all, "And may I ask why you're so happy?"
"Thirty dollars says he's got a date for the Fall Festival," said the girl.
"Judging by the way he's turning red, I'd say you're right," laughed Zen. "So, what's she like?"
"She's nice, and funny, and smart, and . . ." replied Touya
Zen interrupted, "And look-wise?"
Touya smiled, "A goddess."
"Atta boy!" he slapped Touya on the back. "Why don't I close up for you so you can go talk to this goddess? You've been working so much that you've been practically living here the past two days and she's probably waiting for you to call. That or she's found a new date."
Touya made a noise of displeasure and laughed, saying, "She probably has. But if you do close up for me, maybe I can appease her. Thank you so much."
"No problem. Now go before I change my mind."
Touya grabbed his coat and rushed out the door, yelling one more thank-you as he went. The real reason he was glad to leave early wasn't Sanae, however. His father was going away on a business trip for a week, and if he hurried home he'd get to say good-bye before the van from the airport came to pick him up. He wanted to ask him a few more things before he left, this was his first time looking after the house and his sister for such a long time, and to be quite honest, he was a little scared. He would probably call Sanae after though, or maybe he'd go visit her. He hopped on his motorcycle and turned out of the parking lot of the restaurant. He had a twenty minute ride home, so he had to hurry.
________________
'It reeks in here,' thought Syaoran to himself, staring at the freshly painted green walls of his room. He crossed the room and opened the window. Turning, he noticed his math book opened on his desk. He'd finished about half an hour ago but hadn't packed up his work yet. His thoughts had been drifting and he was trying to make sense of them. But how can you make sense of something that just doesn't? Like Sakura. He'd tried to be distant to her, aloof, mean even. And she still was nice to him. He'd seen her on Saturday at the mall while he was shopping with Meilin. She was picking out material with Tomoyo, and waved immediately when she saw him. She was so friendly, so open, so perfect. No wonder he was falling for her, no wonder it hurt him so much when she said she was going with Yukito tomorrow, no wonder his world didn't make sense anymore. He sighed and rested his forehead on the desk.
"Come on Syaoran, life can't be all that bad. Then again, I'm not the one who's engaged to Meilin. What's the matter?" said Sanae, standing in his doorway.
Syaoran lifted his head and laughed a little, "Nothing really," he said quietly.
"Syaoran . . . I'm Sanae, remember? I can tell when something's bothering you. I'm one of the few in our whole family who can."
"You're the only one, actually," he said, quieter still, "But I don't really want to talk about it."
"Too bad," she produced his coat from behind her back and handed it to him, "I was just going out to drown my sorrows in a bowl of chocolate ice-cream and since you obviously have more sorrows than me, you're coming."
He hesitated for a moment and then grabbed his coat. He remembered why he liked Sanae so much: she was easy to talk to, and always had a way to help solve his problems, even if it was just with chocolate. "Sure," he replied. It would be nice to sit down and talk it through with her.
"Besides, I'm gonna need you to give me directions."
Syaoran laughed, something he thought was impossible to do just minutes ago, "I knew there had to be a catch. And may I ask what sorrows you could possibly have?"
"Oh, I have my sorrows."
"Sure you do."
"Do you want ice-cream or not?"
___________________
"The health and hospital cards are on top of the fridge, so is the money for groceries, the keys to my car, and the number of the hotel I'm staying at," said Fujitaka, putting on his coat, "If there are any major problems, call me and I'll come home, otherwise call a neighbour. And be good you two" He ran out the door, a suitcase in hand.
"Bye dad," called Sakura and Touya, "Have fun!"
"Bye," he said, climbing into the taxi-van. "I'll call you as soon as I get there." The door shut and the van drove off, leaving Touya and Sakura standing on the front porch.
Touya turned to his sister, "Well, I guess it's just you and me, eh squirt?"
"Yeah. Why did dad leave you the car?"
"Because I don't really have any place to put groceries on my motorcycle and it's kind of useful to have something to eat when the food we have at home runs out. "
Sakura laughed, "Yeah, I guess it is. Anyway, I've got some homework to do."
"Have fun." said Touya teasingly.
"I always do." said Sakura sarcastically.
"I'll be downstairs typing a biology lab if you need me."
"Okay."
____________
Sakura scribbled the last solution into her note book and breathed a sigh of relief, she was finally done. She collapsed on her bed and glanced at the clock. It read 7:53 p.m. By this time tomorrow she would be at the Fall Festival, in the gorgeous blush pink dress Tomoyo had made her, with her hair piled up, whirling around the dance floor to soft music with Syaoran . . . Yukito, not Syaoran, she corrected herself. Why had she said Syaoran just now? Because she wanted to be going with him. She'd only asked Yukito because she'd heard Meilin was going to ask Li-kun. It was weird, she was so sure what she felt for Yukito was love, and, even though she felt something entirely different toward Syaoran, it felt like love too. How could she love two people? She sighed, maybe she'd go talk to Touya to get her mind off it.
As though he'd read her mind, Touya knocked at the door. "Sakura . . . ?" he said, gingerly pushing the door open.
"Come in," said Sakura. Kero froze on her bed, "What would you like?"
"I was just coming to tell you that I'm going to go over to . . . " the sound of a doorbell interrupted Touya in mid sentence. The siblings clattered down the stairs to see who it was. Two sparkling amber eyes met them at the door.
Sanae smiled brightly. After discussing their problems over a chocolate fudge sundae, she and Syaoran had decided that the best way to solve her problem was for her to be honest and tell Touya she didn't want to date him. They also came up with a plan to get Sakura to dance with Syaoran, but that had to wait until tomorrow. "I was wondering if you two would like to join us for a walk. It's kind of cold, but actually very nice for this time of year."
"Did you just say 'join us'? I think you've miscounted." said Touya.
"Nope, Syaoran just preferred to wait on the sidewalk," replied Sanae. As Sanae said this, Touya noticed a small figure standing in the shadows. "So, are you going to come or not?"
Sakura looked at Touya hopefully. As much as he detested the kid, his sister seemed to have befriended him . . . and it *would* be nice to talk to Sanae. "Yeah, we'll come," he said, "let us just get our coats and the keys, we'll be out in a second."
"Okay." The heavy oak door closed and Sanae joined her cousin on the sidewalk.
"You only said that he liked you," said Syaoran.
"Yeah . . ."
"You never said that you liked him back."
"I don't," she protested, "he's just . . . "
"Sanae . . . I'm Syaoran, remember? ," He said, mimicking her from earlier, "You obviously like him, I can tell be the way you talk to him."
"Well, maybe a little."
"You're head over heels."
"But . . ." The door opened and out walked Touya and Sakura. Sanae quickly changed subjects, "Sakura, I really like your coat."
"Thanks."
The group started down the street, Sakura and Syaoran walking beside each other, and Touya falling into step with Sanae. Touya and Sanae lingered about 10 steps behind Sakura and Syaoran, preferring to talk privately. Sanae figured this was for best, as it was a delicate subject. (AN: don't say you haven't been warned the convo here is a little confusing. But how do you write two conversations at once. HOW? *Kelly has a nervous breakdown and collapses on her keyboard* dsgfdasfdsfskvcbndsju)
"So, are you ready for the math test tomorrow?" asked Syaoran, casting Sakura a furtive glance which she caught.
"As ready as I can be," replied Sakura, glancing back nervously, "How about you?"
"I think I'm good." said Syaoran.
"That's good." replied Sakura. Silence.
". . ."
". . ."
"So . . ."
"So . . ."
"So, you're going with Yukito to the Fall Festival tomorrow night?" asked Syaoran shyly, trying desperately to sound casual.
"Yes," replied Sakura, 'But I want to go with you,' she thought. "And you're going with Meilin?"
"Yeah. She asked me so . . ." he said, trailing off. 'So I said yes because I knew I didn't stand a chance with you,' he finished in his head. He looked at her, then quickly looked down. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks and secretly hoped she couldn't see the deep crimson blush in the dark.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Oh yeah, I'm okay with that," replied Touya, "I have no problems with us just going as friends." Inside though, he was stung by her words, but, come to think of it, not surprised. Why would a beautiful, smart, witty girl like Sanae want to date a guy like him?
He looked so hurt. She had hurt this wonderful, intelligent, kind, perfect man. How could she live with herself? "There are just some things in my past you couldn't understand. I mean, you're a wonderful guy, I'm just not ready for a relationship right now."
'Oh great,' thought Touya, 'the old "it's not you, it's me" speech. Things in her past . . . yeah right. She just didn't want to date him. She never did. He had just tricked himself into thinking that.' He sighed, "It's okay, I understand. It'll be great to go as friends."
"I'm so glad," she smiled, "We're going to walk right? The hall's only about five minutes away, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. Are you sure you don't want me to take the car?"
"Positive. We'll just walk from my house."
"You know, only fools are positive."
"Are you positive about that?"
"Yes." They laughed. The joke, as bad as it was, broke the earlier tension. "Do you mind if my sister and Yukito walk with us?"
"As long as you don't mind Meilin and Syaoran walking with us too."
"I don't." By this time, they had circled the block and were standing in front of the Kinomoto's house. Sakura and Syaoran were already standing on the front walkway, saying goodnight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well, I guess I'll see you in home room tomorrow."
"Yeah," Syaoran blushed and looked down at the ground, "good luck on the math test."
"You too. Bye Syaoran."
"Bye Sakura."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'll see you tomorrow, Sanae," said Touya.
"Until tomorrow then," she said, giving him a quick, friendly peck of the cheek. "Sleep well Touya."
Touya stood wide-eyed on his front porch. She had just said she didn't want to date him, but she kissed him! He was overcome with joy and confusion but in essence, wasn't that what love felt like? He didn't know, and didn't care! He felt crazy around her, thoughts racing this way and that but he loved every minute of it. She was such a magnificent creature, how could he help but love her? Did she honestly try to make him go insane? By the time he looked up, Sanae and her cousin had already started walking down the street. He sighed, he'd probably never know.
~*~*~*~
Sanae was sitting in a garden, the sun warm on her face. She could smell the sweet grass, and the wind was billowing her dress. Birds sang sweet melodies, twittering with the joy of spring, and Sanae listened with quiet reverence. She felt as though could stay here forever.
Suddenly she was not alone. An older man was approaching her and in the bright sunlight she strained to see who it was. She'd never met him before, but he seemed to know her.
As he drew nearer, she surveyed his features. He was certainly attractive, long brown hair pulled back, tall, thin but still muscular, and the glasses gave him an intelligent look. With him he carried a staff, similar to her own.
He spoke, his voice kind, "My child, how good to see you."
"Child?" Sanae didn't follow. He wasn't her father, "Who are you?" she asked timidly.
"Clow Reed," he replied, "There is something I must tell you Sanae," he said seriously.
"*The* Clow Reed?" she asked, truly shocked. She caught herself before she continued, she'd forgotten to be polite, "What did I do, great master of the cards?" She bowed deeply, not looking up.
He laughed, "No need to be so formal, dear one. I will not be the master of the cards for much longer anyway." He grasped her hand and pulled her up gently, "Stand, let me see you. It's been such a long time."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"It's all right. I've come to warn you not let yourself fall in love again."
"With all due respect sir, I've never been in love before."
"But you were. You learned to love him, didn't you?"
"Who?" This didn't make sense.
"Nao. You did love him before he. . .," Clow paused. "Just don't let your heart be taken again. It can only lead to . . . " His voice was cut off as a cold wind whipped across the field. Heavy fog closed around her and she could no longer see Clow. The grayness choked her, lungs tightening. She was falling, mist becoming denser with every passing second.
She hit the ground hard, gasping. She heard a voice, one she recognized, wishing she didn't. It was as cold as the air, "Sanae, aren't you glad to see me?" his lips pulled back into a sneer.
"Stay away from me! You can't hurt me anymore!" she was crying. "What are you doing here?"
He stared at her with cold, roan red eyes, ignoring her cries, "I will find you. You can't hide forever, my love."
"NO!"
She awoke, cold perspiration on her forehead. In the darkness nearby hovered Syaoran, "Sanae, are you okay? You were screaming, I couldn't get you to wake up." His face was filled with worry.
She took deep breaths, 'It's just a dream, he won't find me, it's just a dream.' she repeated in her head. "Yeah, only a bad dream."
"Are you sure?" he looked concerned, "It. . . it wasn't prophetic, was it?"
"No," she lied, "I'm fine, go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up."
Syaoran didn't look convinced, but did as he was told.
_________
Monday:
(4:45 p.m.)
"No, Syaoran, you should go tonight," said Meilin, "I'll only be sleeping anyway. Have fun." On one hand, she wanted him to stay with her, but on the other, there *was* only one fall festival a year and she really didn't want to make him miss it because she had to go and catch the flu. And what if he got sick from being around her? She'd hate herself afterwards. Though she was kind of militant about it, she truly did love Syaoran.
Syaoran shifted uncomfortably in the easy chair. He was sitting in the Li living room, talking to Meilin. After she didn't show up at school, he went over to see if she was okay. He found her lying on the couch in her pyjamas, sick, which eventually brought them to the inevitable question: Would he go tonight without her? He was fairly certain she was going ask him to stay, but she didn't, "Are you sure?" he asked. It just didn't seem like Meilin to let him go like that.
"Sure I'm sure," she smiled weakly, "You better go home and start getting ready." She noticed the still unsure look on his face. "Please go tonight. It's okay, I promise."
"All right," he said uncertainly, "Feel better."
"I'll try. Bye Syaoran, have fun."
"I'll try."
___________
(7:05)
"Tomoyo, thank you so much. I'm going to have the prettiest dress at the dance," said Sakura, twirling around.
Tomoyo was over at Sakura's house, getting ready for the fall festival, and both her dress and the one she designed for Sakura were gorgeous. Sakura's was a blush pink ball style gown, which touched the floor. The skirt was full, supported by crinoline, and had a metallic shimmer. The bodice was embroidered with delicate burgundy roses and had spaghetti straps. Tomoyo had also made her a matching shawl, which draped just right. It suited Sakura to perfection. Tomoyo's was a sky blue dress, short sleeved with a lightly patterned translucent material over a thicker, plain blue satin.
"I was no problem. I can't believe the dance starts in less than half an hour," said Tomoyo, excitedly.
"I know," replied Sakura, "And we'll probably be leaving here in about ten minutes because we have to pick up Yukito and Sanae. I can't wait."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Syaoran stared at himself critically in the mirror, scrutinizing his looks. His tie wasn't quite straight, and his dark chestnut hair hung over his eyes more than usual. He needed a haircut . . . hell, what he really needed was a lobotomy. Why did he care what he looked like? It wasn't as though *his* date was going to be there. He just couldn't count on his brain these days, always going off on wild tangents. It was because of her, dammit! 'I can't get her off my mind . . . and she doesn't even care.' He sighed and the amber eyes turned to a sullen brown. "She doesn't even care," he repeated in a whisper.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Touya adjusted his tie and straightened his hair for the eighth time. It wasn't a date, so why did he feel like it was? He looked into the mirror and sighed. He'd never felt this way about a girl before.
*~*~*~*~*~
"For goodness sakes Syaoran, straighten your tie," said Sanae, glancing at her cousin, "And can you do up my zipper?"
"Uh . . . yeah, sure," he pulled at the tie until it was straight and zipped her dress up, "So when is Touya coming?"
"In five minutes, maybe less" she said, moving a piece of his hair, "There, that's better." She smiled approvingly. "You clean up well."
"You're not so bad yourself," he replied, laughing. "Are you bringing the house keys?"
"Yeah, they're in my purse." The doorbell rang, "That's probably Touya."
She and Syaoran met Touya, Yukito, Tomoyo, and Sakura at the door.
*~*~*~*~*
'Wow, look at Syaoran,' thought Sakura. He was wearing a dark, charcoal grey suit with a white dress shirt, and matching metallic gray vest and tie. Sakura had never seen him look so . . . wow. And with Meilin gone . . . 'No, Yukito's my date,' she scolded herself, 'Syaoran's just . . .'
*~*~*~*~*
'Insane, it's official. I must be.' Thought Touya, looking at Sanae, 'Otherwise she couldn't become more perfect every time I see her. UGH. . . . What is wrong with me? One look at her and I melt.' He shook his head in frustration. How could he help but melt? She was wearing a fitted dress of steel-blue that had a slit just up past her knee. It had a high, Chinese-style neck with a keyhole below it, which was trimmed with gold, as were the sleeves and the bottom of the dress. Her hair was curly and down, with delicate pale yellow roses inserted everywhere. She looked . . .
*~*~*~*~*
'Really handsome,' thought Sanae, 'I mean, they say every guy looks good in a suit, but Touya's definitely no exception.' Why couldn't she date him, again? Oh yeah, she didn't want to be hurt. But, it certainly couldn't hurt to look. Could it? She didn't know anymore. She was so . . .
*~*~*~*~*
' . . .different it in a dress. I've never seen Sakura look this beautiful before,' thought Syaoran. Why did she have to be going tonight with Yukito? He was sure he liked her . . . no, loved her, but she would never feel anything more toward him but friendship. Why was it so hard to be in love?
*~*~*~*~*
"Touya, you look really handsome," said Sanae, breaking the gaping silence of the group.
"Thanks," replied Touya, blushing slightly, "You look beautiful."
Syaoran eyed him suspiciously. He wasn't sure he liked Touya looking at Sanae in that light. He hadn't said anything before to Sakura because he'd promised Sanae he wouldn't fight with Touya and that's what made Sakura's brother mad, but if Touya was going to start it . . . "So do you Sakura. I've never seen you look this nice." It was the truth, but as soon as he said it he felt embarrassed.
He thought she looked beautiful! So what if he was a little awkward in saying it, that didn't make it any less special to her. "Thank you Syaoran. You look really handsome, too."
Way to go Syaoran! She was so happy for her cousin, but a little confused. Syaoran had said he was almost completely sure Sakura had a crush on Yukito, but from what she could see, it looked like Sakura had a crush on him. She wasn't even walking with Yukito. She was beside her cousin. Oh well, all the better for Syaoran! He deserved some happiness. He'd certainly earned it.
Did his sister just say that she thought that kid was handsome? Any other person, fine. He really didn't even mind Sakura's crush on Yukito, but why the brat? It was a good thing Yukito was Sakura's date or he'd have to keep an eye on those two all night
"Hey kid," asked Touya, a little caustically, "Where's your fiancé? Don't tell me you're going alone."
~*~*~*~*~*
'Fiancé? Does Touya mean Meilin? All those times I thought Syaoran . . . but he doesn't. He was enga . . . God, why didn't he just tell me?' Sakura felt an awful void in the pit of her stomach, mixed with fury and sadness bubbling up from deep inside. 'He could have saved me from this . . . this emptiness'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran looked at Touya with both scorn and confusion. How did he find out he and Meilin were engaged? He saw a look of hurt cross Sakura's face and flinched. He hadn't told anyone in his class about their betrothal. There really hadn't been a need to. 'But now, thanks to you,' he thought, glaring at Touya with sheer and utter contempt, 'I get the unpleasant job of telling Sakura. And to top it all off, you've ruined any chance I had with her tonight!' He noticed the smug smirk on Touya's face, 'But that was the whole point, wasn't it?'
Sanae noticed her cousin clenching and unclenching his fists, a sure sign he was furious, nearly to the breaking point of his temper. It was something he did unconsciously, but she picked up on it easily. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and focused, waiting for the release and blackness to come. Though it took a lot of energy, this was something she had to do from time to time to protect Syaoran. That was her job, her soul reason for existing was to serve him. Though, he didn't know it, no one in the clan did.
'Syaoran, it's okay. Take a deep breath and calm down. It's going to be all right, just explain to Sakura that your engagement was arranged. She'll understand.' Syaoran felt the presence in his mind and shuddered involuntarily. He'd been away from Sanae so long, he'd forgotten what it felt like. She spoke again. 'Don't worry about Touya. He's just afraid to let his sister grow up. That's all'
'Thanks.' Syaoran looked down at his hand and noticed his knuckles turning white. He released the fist slowly. 'I almost lost it.'
'I noticed.' Sanae thought dryly. Through Syaoran's eyes she glanced over at her body, still talking enthusiastically with the group. It was obvious they had moved onto a lighter topic. 'Just tell her later, when you have the chance to be alone. Go for a walk or something.'
'I think I will. You know that I hate when you do this. It makes me feel, I don't know, not quite . . . normal, I guess.'
'We're magicians. We're not supposed to be normal. You of all people should know that.'
'You sound just like my mom. No scratch that, Meilin.'
'All of a sudden I don't like your mind anymore,' she teased, 'I have to go back anyway, I'm using up too much power.'
And she was gone. Syaoran felt the familiar but still unusual lightness, followed by his normal thoughts, *only* his thoughts. He suddenly felt very alone.
~*~*~*~*
Sanae blinked. She hated the feeling of returning back. It was like waking up in the middle of the night and sitting bolt upright in your bed, without the faintest idea why. Her cousin was right. It wasn't normal. She wasn't normal, and she never could be again. Not with her past. And with her future being what it was . . . maybe the dreams were wrong. But, they never had been before. 'Stop it,' she scolded. She couldn't think like that now, not tonight, tonight was for fun. She listened to the conversation.
"Oh wow, is that the hall?" asked Sakura in awe. The building was decorated with delicate white lights and stood out against the dark sky like it was enchanted with fireflies.
"Yeah," said Yukito smiling, "Wait until you see it on the inside."
The group entered the hall. It was gorgeous. There were tiny white lights everywhere, including over the doors and on the stage, which was also covered in ivy and white roses. They were already at least 100 people there. A girl in a red dress was hurrying over to where they had just entered and Yukito waved to her.
"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked politely.
"Awful Yukito, the boy in charge of the drink table got the flu and I'm trying to manage both that and the donations table. "
"You poor thing," he said sympathetically.
"Thanks, but no time for pity now. Can you take over one of the tables? If you can't its okay,
I'm just in a bind and I'd love the help."
"Sure, no problem," he said kindly, "You don't mind, do you Sakura?"
"No, it's okay." That would leave her time to talk with Syaoran tonight, "Go ahead."
Yukito rushed off with the girl and Sakura heard her name called, "Sakura, Tomoyo, Syaoran . . . over here!"
~*~*~*~*
Touya watched his sister hurry to meet her friends and instinctively took a step in the same direction. Sanae placed a hand gently on his chest and said, "Don't follow, let her have her night. And we'll have ours," she cooed. Sanae smiled suggestively and Touya's heart beat with an intensity he'd never felt before.
~*~*~*~*~*
It was Chiharu calling her. She was standing with Yamazaki, Naoko, and Rika by the stage near the DJ. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran made their way through the crowd to where they were standing. "We were worried you guys weren't going to come," said Naoko.
Yamazaki turned to Syaoran, "I was severely outnumbered by girls, thank goodness you came."
Syaoran made a noise of indifference. It wasn't that he didn't like Takashi, in fact he was the only guy friend Syaoran had ever made in his life, he just wasn't really comfortable in big groups. He enjoyed being on his own. Besides, Meilin did enough socializing for the both of them, usually. He kind of felt awkward and out-of-place without her. Maybe he should just go home.
~*~*~*~*~
"Um . . . sure, I'll dance with you," said Sanae, looking away with slight embarrassment. She had really wanted to dance with Touya, but he'd left her in search of refreshments for the moment and it was impolite to just say no, even if he was so much older . . . and her cousin's teacher.
"Great," he practically beamed as he led her to the center of the dance floor. She rested her head on his shoulder and began to sway in time with the music. "You know," he whispered softly, tickling her ear, "You're the most beautiful girl here tonight."
"Thank you."
"Maybe we could go out for a drink sometime."
"I don't think it would be right, you being Syaoran's teacher and all."
"You're right. It would be improper. I'm sorry," he started to pull away, red coloring his cheeks.
Sanae looked up at him. Sure he was a teacher, but he was also just a normal human-being too.
"We can at least finish our dance," she persuaded.
"Okay."
~*~*~*~*~*~
'What is he doing?' wondered Rika in disbelief, 'I thought he loved me. But look at the way he's holding her, talking to her, looking at her . . . I knew she was trouble the first time I saw her.'
~*~*~*~*~*
'Why is this happening?' thought Syaoran glancing at his cousin, 'Touya's bad enough . . . but Terada-sensei? What's Sanae thinking?'
________
(7:50)
'Where is Touya?' It had been nearly a half an hour since he'd left her, and though she certainly didn't have a shortage of dance partners, Sanae really wanted to talk to him.
~*~*~*~*~*
"Okay . . . ," replied Syaoran uncertainly, "We can dance." He placed his arms around Tomoyo's waist and they moved slowly toward the center of the hall.
"So, where's Meilin?" asked Tomoyo innocently, after about 10 seconds of silence.
"She's still sick," he replied guardedly, there was something else she wanted to ask him, she was just working up to it. He'd known Tomoyo long enough to tell she was about to drop a bomb.
"Oh, that's not good." 5. . . 4 . . .
"No, but she'll probably be back tomorrow or Wednesday." 3 . . . 2 . . .
"Great. So, when are you going to ask Sakura to dance?" . . .1
And there it was. "Wha . . . ?" Even though he was expecting it, it still came as a shock. He opened his mouth and closed it again, shaking his head. He was speechless. Tomoyo giggled, light dancing in her blue eyes. Damn her!
"What's the matter Syaoran?" If it were someone else, it might have been tinged with sarcasm or teasing, but Tomoyo's voice was filled with genuine concern.
"How did you . . . ?" he asked, trailing off. Were his feelings really that noticeable? Sakura probably thought he was throwing himself at her. STUPID!!! One look and his guard must've been let down, even though he tried so hard to keep it up around her. What an idiot he was. What a fool.
"Don't worry it's not obvious." she replied, seeing the look in his eyes. "I just noticed the way you looked at her tonight, the way you've been looking at her since your cousin came. And the way she looked back at you," said Tomoyo, with a trail of wistfulness tinting the last sentence. She paused and then continued, more brightly, "There's something different about you since Sanae came. You're more . . . " she searched for the appropriate word, "self-assured, I guess."
"Well . . . maybe." Tomoyo wasn't the first person to say that. In fact, Sanae would've been his ideal mate, the stave had chosen her, if it wasn't for her . . . past. But they saw each other as friends, equals, nothing more. He was more confident around her because her self-confidence was contagious, but she was nothing like Sakura.
"Then ask her to dance." The song ended and they broke apart, leaving Syaoran in deep thought.
*~*~*~*~*~
He looked so cute with his brow furrowed in thought, Sakura couldn't help but giggle to herself. She'd seen him do it a thousand times, especially when they were capturing the cards, but each time it made her tingle inside. A warm hand taped her on the shoulder and she spun in surprise.
It was Yukito.
He smiled kindly at her, "I managed to get a five minute break, do you want to dance?"
She stared at him wide-eyed. How could there be two perfect men in her life? "Sure."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Of course, who am I to disappoint one of Syaoran's friends?" So what if the kid was only ten, he was a cutie, plus it wasn't serious.
"Really?" asked Yamazaki, smiling from ear to ear. He cleared his throat in an attempt to sound more dignified, "I mean, let's dance then."
I didn't work, and Sanae had to suppress a giggle, "All right. But don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Um . . . possibly."
"And she's not upset with this?"
"Chiharu? Of course not."
~*~*~*~*~
'I don't like her,' concluded Chiharu to herself. 'Look at Yamazaki-kun . . . ugh! I hate her.'
~*~*~*~*
Touya concealed himself once again in the shadows. Though he hated to admit it, he was hiding from Sanae. After she had said she wanted to have a special night with him, he got scared and ran off, making up a stupid excuse about needing something to drink. He was scared of his feelings for her. He'd never experienced anything so intense, so pure, so right, in his life, he'd never loved like this before. He'd been strong for his sister when their mother had died, he had to be. But one look at this girl and all his strength melted away, he just wanted her to hold him forever, and the ferocity of this shook him deep inside. But she doesn't want it . . .
Touya chuckled in spite of himself as he watched Sanae move around the dance floor with one of the kids from Sakura's class. She sure had a wide age range of admirers. He'd even seen her dancing with one of the elementary school teachers earlier. You'd never catch him doing that.
"What are you doing hiding in the shadows?" said a sweet female voice.
Touya met a pair of laughing yellow eyes. It was Sakura's teacher, Kaho Mitsuki and she was standing right in front of him as though she'd appeared by magic. She was beautiful, long auburn hair pulled into a sweeping up-do, a delicate white dress tracing her intricate curves, he was speechless, "I . . . um."
"The song's not quite over, do you want to dance?"
"Oh . . . Okay."
~*~*~*~*~*
The song ended and the couples broke apart. Sanae noticed Touya walking away from a very pretty woman and felt a twinge in her heart that she couldn't quite explain. 'Oh well, I'll just ask him for the next dance. A slow song came on and Sanae crossed the room to where Touya was standing.
~*~*~*~*~
"Would you . . . um . . ." Syaoran trailed off, he sounded like an idiot. Maybe if he just walked away now, he'd still have some of his dignity intact.
"Would I what, Syaoran? ," Sakura asked with concern. Was there something wrong? It certainly looked so from the expression on his face.
"Would you . . . liketodancewithme?" he blurted, words tumbling over top of one another as they rushed out of his mouth. 'She's going to say no, she's going to laugh at me, she's going to . . . '
"Sure," she replied, a warm smile spreading across her face, "I'd love to."
'She'd love to?' He was elated, a genuine smile tickled at his lips and for once in his life he let it show as he took Sakura in his arms and listened to the song.
~*~*~*~*
"Do you want to dance?" asked Touya, embarrassedly.
"I'd be delighted," replied Sanae, as the words to the song flowed out of the speakers.
She's running, he's walking behind
He's trying, but he's last in her line
His love's dying, but he keeps on trying
He lives in fear, with a love that's clear
He's got love that he needs to give
But she's afraid to let him in
To her world with no together
She can't see him in her picture
She wants love but her heart won't let her
Let him in
He's walking behind
He's walking behind
The phone's ringing, is it her on the line
Does he answer, or is he wasting his time?
Her love's dying, but she keeps on trying
She lives in fear, with a love that's clear
She's got love that she needs to give
But he's afraid to let her in
To his world with no together
He can't see her in his picture
He wants love but his heart won't let him
Let her in
She's walking behind
They got a love to give
But they're afraid to let it in
She's got a love to give
And he's got a love to give
So let 'em in
To a world with no together
Sanae closed her eyes and rested her head on his strong shoulder, this felt so perfect. She wished he could hold her like this forever; the world disappeared, her problems, her past, her future, there was just him and her, together.
Touya pulled her warm body into a tighter embrace and, keeping one hand on the small of Sanae's back, stroked her long hair with the other. If he could have, he would've prolonged this moment for an eternity. This felt right, unlike anything else ever had before. She was made for him, and he was sure he loved her. "Sanae, I'd really like to go on a date with you sometime."
"Oh Touya, don't you understand? I can't. It's . . ." she trailed off, tears welling up in her expressive eyes, "complicated. " She sighed. "I can't give you a relationship. I . . . just can't. Please understand," she pleaded.
"I do," said Touya, pulling her closer, feeling her body tremble with sobs, "I'm sorry I pushed you."
Syaoran drew Sakura closer to him, and she didn't resist. He wanted to hold her, protect her forever. He never wanted to let go. Syaoran renewed his vow to always guard her no matter what, then pulled her against him and closed his eyes, overcome by the intoxicating smell of her hair.
He pulled her closer, Sakura felt so safe in his arms. As though nothing could hurt her, as if she were immune to the thorns of the world, as if nothing could go wrong with him holding her.
One thought pricked at the back of her mind, Syaoran was engaged to Meilin, or at least that's what Touya had implied. She had to know, she couldn't fall so hard for a man she could never have. As the song ended, she pulled away and looked deeply into his amber eyes. The guarded look had been replaced by a softer, almost bashful glance. He looked so different, so happy, but she had to ask him. "Syaoran, are you engaged to Meilin?"
"I. . . yes, I am," he admitted reluctantly, "but . . . "
Sakura interrupted him, tears spilling down her cheeks relentlessly, "Why didn't you tell me? Why?" She turned and fled out of the hall. Her heart ached, she had to get away from him.
Syaoran followed her, weaving in and out of the crowd, "Sakura, stop!" he yelled vainly after her, she wasn't even slowing. He continued to follow, calling her name.
Touya and Sanae turned instinctively, Touya hearing his sister's name and Sanae hearing her cousin yell with a passion and urgency that he rarely used. They watched Sakura, followed seconds later by Syaoran, run out the door and immediately ran after them. Touya got easily ahead of Sanae and she mentally cursed her heels. In the distance she watched Syaoran starting to gain on Sakura, who was probably faced with the same problem.
Sakura's chest felt ready to burst, why wouldn't Syaoran just leave her alone? She heard her brother call her name and felt even more frustrated. Didn't they understand she just wanted to be by herself? Syaoran was right behind her, and Touya wasn't much farther back. In an attempt to lose them for at least for a little bit longer, she darted across the street.
What's she doing? Syaoran watched her make it to the other side of the street and followed directly behind her. That was when he heard the car horn blare. He hadn't even noticed it, the lights were off and he'd been so focused on Sakura. He stood, frozen with fear, all his training and calm left him as he waited for the impact, he was going to die.
Touya pushed himself forward, arms pumping, head down, he couldn't let that kid be killed. Sanae loved him too much, he could tell by the way she looked at him, the same way their father looked at Sakura and himself.
Sanae clenched her hands and closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. If she didn't, she could never save Syaoran. She felt the ancient power bubble inside of her, 'Just a little bit longer,' she felt as though she was going to burst inside. It was too much to bear, she felt so weak, but still she pushed it down. She felt the immense magic course through her entire body. It was time. She screamed from it then focused, chanting the familiar words in Cantonese, feeling the power escape, doing its work. She fainted.
Syaoran's knee connected with the hard concrete, sending pain shooting through his leg. He was thrown back, hitting his head. Had Sakura's brother just pushed him out of the way, saved his life? His head hurt, he was so confused. Thoughts came in fragments, he . . . he needed to stand up, find Sanae.
Touya closed his eyes, the car was just inches away, rubber squealing, and braced himself for the hit. It didn't come. He counted to ten, then opened his eyes. The car was brushing up against his pant-leg, the driver asleep, the engine off. What had happened? He looked over at his sister who was kneeling beside the kid, urging him stay sitting. Looking at Touya in disbelief, she got up and rushed over to where he was standing, locking him in a hug, "Oh, Touya you're okay."
She started to cry, and he held her close, comforting her, "It's okay, shh, don't cry, I'm fine, it's okay." What more could he say?
She pulled back from him, and stared at him thoughtfully, "I was so afraid I was going to lose you." She hugged him again, burying her head in his chest.
~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran bit his lip but he couldn't help the yelp of pain that escaped. Where was Sanae? She'd obviously stopped the car, so where did she go? He wanted her here, he was all alone, Sakura had even left his side. How much time had passed? His head was spinning from the throe and he couldn't concentrate. He tried once again to stand up and cried out with agony, collapsing back on the cold street. He blacked out for a moment and found himself staring at Sakura and Touya when his eyes refocused. He tried to sit up, "Where's Sanae?" He felt so weak, their voices seemed so far away.
Touya placed his hands on his shoulders, keeping him on the ground, "Shh, stay lying down. We're going to go find her, she was right behind us so she's got to be around here somewhere," he said soothingly. He could tell the kid was hurt. Touya had never seen a leg bent at that angle before, it was badly twisted, but not just that. He was seriously shaken. He wasn't going to die or anything, but Touya still didn't mean to push him that hard, it had happened so fast. And how had the car stopped? He'd heard a girl scream, then a strange language. He'd heard it before . . . when he was fighting at school with the brat. Sanae? Thoughts raced around in his head, "Sakura, stay with him. I'm going to go find Sanae. Make sure he doesn't get up!" he called the last instruction while running down the street.
"Syaoran, hold on just a little bit longer, Touya will get help," said Sakura, trying to assure Syaoran. He was always so strong, so in control, it was bizarre to see him like this, he was almost in shock. She folded up her shawl and placed it under his head.
Syaoran looked up at Sakura, she was on the verge of tears. He didn't mean to trouble her like this, lines of worry creased her forehead, and she stroked his hand. God, his head hurt. He couldn't focus. Where was Sanae? Was she okay? Was Sakura? Tears streamed freely down her face now. Syaoran closed his eyes, and spoke weakly, forcing the pain out of his voice, keeping it even, "Sakura, don't worry. I'll be fine." It was true, he wasn't hurt that badly, he'd been through training sessions much worse than this. And he was only seven then. But what about Sanae? She was always so frail after doing a major spell like that. He hoped Touya would find her soon.
"Sanae!" yelled Touya, running down the street. The cold air burned his lungs but he kept yelling, running. He had to find her, "Sanae!"
"Yeah . . . ?" came the whispered reply.
She was huddled, knees held to her chest, head down. She was shaking uncontrollably and Touya stared at her, "What . . . happened?" he knelt beside her, out of breath. She was silent, pulling her legs in closer to her. Touya asked again, this time a slightly different question, "You stopped . . . stopped the car, didn't you?" Sanae didn't reply, but did look up at him.
She asked timidly, "Is Syaoran . . . ?"
Touya's eyes widened, he'd almost forgotten about him. Sanae, seeing the look on his face, buried her head in her legs once more, weeping. "Oh God, he is." Her cousin, her friend, she'd tried to save him, she'd thought her magic was strong enough. She'd failed.
"No . . . no he's not. But his leg is in really bad shape. He . . . he was asking about you. They're just up the street . . . Syaoran and Sakura, I mean. I'm going to go to the hall and call for help, Sakura didn't have her mobile phone tonight. You go meet them." Touya was up on his feet, still panting, lifting Sanae up with him.
She had to lean up against the tree to keep from falling, she looked at him, "Touya, don't get help. I can handle it. Just help me get over there."
"What?" he looked at her questioningly, "But he needs an ambulance."
"It's okay. Just trust me."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Sanae don't," Syaoran pleaded, "You're too weak." She was preparing for the transfer spell, one of the most difficult ones she knew, even he'd yet to master it. Then again she was a healer, a special type of sorceress or sorcerer who learnt spells to help heal other magicians. His father had been one. But this spell affected Sanae for days, even when she was up to full power, and she could barely stand just now.
"It's okay," she replied, "I want to." She placed her hand over his heart and closed her eyes, dropping her voice to a low monotone, "Spirits of my ancestors, help me, I beg. Bequeath your powers to my hand so I may take this undue pain for my own and heal the mortal body of the bearer." She repeated it over and over, concentrating deeply. Touya watched a faint red glow travel slowly from the boy's heart, and up Sanae's arm until she was fully bathed in the eerie light. She fell back and screamed, cries penetrating the darkness of the night. It felt like every cell in her body was dying. Only a few more seconds. She collapsed on the ground, still awake, but barely. She forced herself into a sitting position and looked at Syaoran. He was on his feet, crouching near her. She grabbed his shoulder, pulling herself up. She smiled weakly, "You all right?"
"Yeah, thank you," he said, steadying her.
She looked up at Touya, who was standing, staring at her, open-mouthed, "So, you did stop the car?" he asked.
"Yes," she admitted reluctantly, there was no point in denying it now. He was magical too, he would understand. But what she saw in Touya's eyes made her shudder. It wasn't understanding. It was hardly tolerance. The blue eyes held nothing but fear, absolute and total, "Why are you afraid? ," she asked.
"I'm just . . ." He was at a loss for words, he couldn't even look her straight in the eyes.
Her voice raised from calm to angry, "You don't understand! You're only afraid because you don't understand it! You don't understand anything; why I couldn't date you, this, nothing!" she yelled, her voice cracking between sobs, "You prick!" She turned and started to walk away, leaning on Syaoran for support, shaking with weakness and rage.
Touya didn't follow.
~*~*~*~*~
"You go put on your pyjamas, I'm going to make some tea for you," said Syaoran, leading Sanae to her room. She looked terribly pale, and her eyes were dull.
"Thank you," she replied hoarsely. Syaoran set out her robe and pyjamas, then closed the bedroom door softly behind him. 'Poor kid,' thought Sanae, 'he should never have to take care of me like this.' Still, as she curled up in the armchair beside her bed and smelt the tea brewing, she felt glad she had him. She summoned her Rayshon orb with her right hand and opened it, searching for memories of him when he was younger. As she watched her seven year old cousin run happily across the projection she smiled, he was one of the only friends she'd ever had as a child. She was twelve when she'd met him.
~*~*~*~*~
'Poor Sanae,' thought Syaoran, listening to the water bubble in the kettle, 'She should have never had to use that spell tonight, to weaken her so much, to expose herself to Touya, it was all my fault.' How could he have done that to her? She was one of the only friends he'd ever had in his family. He was even closer to Sanae than he was with his sisters, even his mother.
Syaoran balanced the two cups of tea and pushed the bedroom door open with his back. When he turned, he saw Sanae snoring softly in the large armchair at her bedside, a small blue orb hovering in midair above her. Syaoran set the cups down and took out a large afghan from the hall closet. He covered Sanae with it and turned off her lights, closing the door gently, careful not to wake her. He brought his tea to the living room and stared out of the large window looking into the night.
~*~*~*~*
(9:45)
The doorbell rang insistently while Syaoran frantically pulled the sweatshirt over his head. The noise was going to wake Sanae. He sprinted down the hall and slid across the linoleum to the front door, nearly falling. He flung the door open, still fighting with the sweatshirt, "What?" He looked up and found himself staring into the face of Touya Kinomoto.
"I need to talk to Sanae," he said, it was easy to see he was straining to keep his voice even. He was nearly as pale as Sanae, and he looked so. . . contrite.
"You can't," replied Syaoran, not meeting Touya's eyes.
"Why? Doesn't she want to see me?" he asked. This time emotion colored the words, his voice cracked and he looked near to crying.
"I don't think she does, but that's not why. She's asleep," he said, feeling bad for him. It was odd. He was so concerned over Sanae that Touya forgot to be mean to him. Sakura's brother was almost likeable when he acted like this. 'If he's like this around Sanae maybe he's not so bad for her after all,' he thought.
"Oh. . ."
"Do you want to come in for tea?" asked Syaoran, looking down, "You did save my life after all." In his family, it was believed that if someone saved your life, you owed them. And Touya did save his life. Syaoran knew Touya didn't know Sanae could stop the car and he still risked his life for him.
"No I didn't, Sanae did," he said frankly, "she saved my life too. I . . . I should've thanked her. Instead I just. . ." he broke off, ashamed, "I couldn't even look at her. I came to apologize. She's right. I don't understand, but I want to. I want to know all about her." He trailed off once more, "After tonight I don't think she'll ever speak to me again." He stared at the pattern of the front entrance tile for a long time before speaking again, "Can I at least go see her one more time?" he asked earnestly.
"Yeah, sure," replied Syaoran, leading him in the direction of her room. He pushed open the door and walked silently into the room, Touya following close behind. Syaoran noticed Sanae's Rayshon hovering and called it towards him.
Touya watched Sanae's chest rise and fall gently. Her expression was troubled as she slept, but she looked even more beautiful than ever. He pulled the sheets back on her bed and lifted her in his arms. Instinctively, she nuzzled her head closer to his chest and Touya held her tighter. He placed Sanae gently down on the bed, covering her body with the satin sheets. He backed away, watching her sleep. Touya remembered a saying he'd once heard, 'You truly love a person if you can be happy just watching them sleep.' He *was* happy.
Syaoran stepped beside him, "You really love her, don't you?"
Touya lowered his head and said nothing, but in Syaoran's eyes, his silence spoke volumes. They stepped out into the hall and closer the bedroom door. Walking into the livingroom, Touya surveyed the young boy, "So . . . , you have powers too?"
"Yeah."
"For how long?"
"Long enough."
Touya could tell Syaoran wasn't really ready to open up about this, especially not to him. He had screwed up enough with their family for one night so he decided not to push it. He looked down at his watch, "It's getting late, I better head for home. Tell Sanae I'm sorry, that I'm ready to understand, I want to" he said, adding quietly, "please. . ." He started walking toward the door, Syaoran following close behind.
"Bye kid, you take care of your cousin." He headed down the steps of the porch.
"Touya wait," said Syaoran, "Take this, it'll explain everything." he threw the glowing sphere toward Touya, who caught it.
Touya put the strange object into his pocket, slightly confused, "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," replied Syaoran, "ever."
~*~*~*~*~*
Touya sat on his bed, turning the unusual orb over in his hands. He had tucked Sakura into bed and waited until he was entirely sure she was asleep. How was this glowing blue ball going to help him find out about Sanae? He opened his hand, trying to drop it on his bed. Instead the orb hovered in midair. Before his eyes, a small beam of light shot out of the thing, projecting an image on the wall. Touya watched.
To be continued. . .
By: Kelly M.
By: Kelly M.
Chapter 3- The Fall Festival Fiasco
Sunday Night:
Sanae collapsed in an easy-chair, sighing contentedly. After two days of painting nonstop, she had finally finished. Now she could take the night off. She sighed again happily. She had just taken a shower and felt completely refreshed.
She sat in the chair, blow-drying her hair. Long locks hung over her eyes as she stared out of the picture window. It was eight o'clock and already dark. The moon had hidden itself behind the clouds and the only light was the unnatural glow cast by the orange streetlights. She stared down the empty street, glad to be done.
Though she should have been completely happy, one thought nagged at the back of her mind. 'Touya hasn't called yet. Does he think Monday is a date? How am I going to tell him I just want to go as friends?' She couldn't handle another boyfriend yet. She thought of Nao and, opening her Rayshon orb, began to store her thoughts.
______________________
Throwing his apron on a hook, Touya turned to his colleagues, "Ah . . . we're done for another night. If the tips weren't so good, I'd hate being a waiter."
A boy in the group laughed, "Tips or not, I do hate being a waiter. But I kind of like having a place to live and rent's not cheap."
"And neither is tuition," chimed in a girl who'd just started working there.
"Truer words were never spoken, my friends," said the last in the group, a boy named Zen who had trained Touya when he'd first started, "In fact the only one of us who's got it easy is Touya," he said in a friendly, teasing way, "Living at home, still in high school, he's so lucky."
"Lucky? Ha . . . you try working like ten jobs to help support your family and see how lucky you feel." Touya joked back, laughing.
"The boy's got a point." Zen replied back, a little mystified. Touya hardly ever joked at all, "And may I ask why you're so happy?"
"Thirty dollars says he's got a date for the Fall Festival," said the girl.
"Judging by the way he's turning red, I'd say you're right," laughed Zen. "So, what's she like?"
"She's nice, and funny, and smart, and . . ." replied Touya
Zen interrupted, "And look-wise?"
Touya smiled, "A goddess."
"Atta boy!" he slapped Touya on the back. "Why don't I close up for you so you can go talk to this goddess? You've been working so much that you've been practically living here the past two days and she's probably waiting for you to call. That or she's found a new date."
Touya made a noise of displeasure and laughed, saying, "She probably has. But if you do close up for me, maybe I can appease her. Thank you so much."
"No problem. Now go before I change my mind."
Touya grabbed his coat and rushed out the door, yelling one more thank-you as he went. The real reason he was glad to leave early wasn't Sanae, however. His father was going away on a business trip for a week, and if he hurried home he'd get to say good-bye before the van from the airport came to pick him up. He wanted to ask him a few more things before he left, this was his first time looking after the house and his sister for such a long time, and to be quite honest, he was a little scared. He would probably call Sanae after though, or maybe he'd go visit her. He hopped on his motorcycle and turned out of the parking lot of the restaurant. He had a twenty minute ride home, so he had to hurry.
________________
'It reeks in here,' thought Syaoran to himself, staring at the freshly painted green walls of his room. He crossed the room and opened the window. Turning, he noticed his math book opened on his desk. He'd finished about half an hour ago but hadn't packed up his work yet. His thoughts had been drifting and he was trying to make sense of them. But how can you make sense of something that just doesn't? Like Sakura. He'd tried to be distant to her, aloof, mean even. And she still was nice to him. He'd seen her on Saturday at the mall while he was shopping with Meilin. She was picking out material with Tomoyo, and waved immediately when she saw him. She was so friendly, so open, so perfect. No wonder he was falling for her, no wonder it hurt him so much when she said she was going with Yukito tomorrow, no wonder his world didn't make sense anymore. He sighed and rested his forehead on the desk.
"Come on Syaoran, life can't be all that bad. Then again, I'm not the one who's engaged to Meilin. What's the matter?" said Sanae, standing in his doorway.
Syaoran lifted his head and laughed a little, "Nothing really," he said quietly.
"Syaoran . . . I'm Sanae, remember? I can tell when something's bothering you. I'm one of the few in our whole family who can."
"You're the only one, actually," he said, quieter still, "But I don't really want to talk about it."
"Too bad," she produced his coat from behind her back and handed it to him, "I was just going out to drown my sorrows in a bowl of chocolate ice-cream and since you obviously have more sorrows than me, you're coming."
He hesitated for a moment and then grabbed his coat. He remembered why he liked Sanae so much: she was easy to talk to, and always had a way to help solve his problems, even if it was just with chocolate. "Sure," he replied. It would be nice to sit down and talk it through with her.
"Besides, I'm gonna need you to give me directions."
Syaoran laughed, something he thought was impossible to do just minutes ago, "I knew there had to be a catch. And may I ask what sorrows you could possibly have?"
"Oh, I have my sorrows."
"Sure you do."
"Do you want ice-cream or not?"
___________________
"The health and hospital cards are on top of the fridge, so is the money for groceries, the keys to my car, and the number of the hotel I'm staying at," said Fujitaka, putting on his coat, "If there are any major problems, call me and I'll come home, otherwise call a neighbour. And be good you two" He ran out the door, a suitcase in hand.
"Bye dad," called Sakura and Touya, "Have fun!"
"Bye," he said, climbing into the taxi-van. "I'll call you as soon as I get there." The door shut and the van drove off, leaving Touya and Sakura standing on the front porch.
Touya turned to his sister, "Well, I guess it's just you and me, eh squirt?"
"Yeah. Why did dad leave you the car?"
"Because I don't really have any place to put groceries on my motorcycle and it's kind of useful to have something to eat when the food we have at home runs out. "
Sakura laughed, "Yeah, I guess it is. Anyway, I've got some homework to do."
"Have fun." said Touya teasingly.
"I always do." said Sakura sarcastically.
"I'll be downstairs typing a biology lab if you need me."
"Okay."
____________
Sakura scribbled the last solution into her note book and breathed a sigh of relief, she was finally done. She collapsed on her bed and glanced at the clock. It read 7:53 p.m. By this time tomorrow she would be at the Fall Festival, in the gorgeous blush pink dress Tomoyo had made her, with her hair piled up, whirling around the dance floor to soft music with Syaoran . . . Yukito, not Syaoran, she corrected herself. Why had she said Syaoran just now? Because she wanted to be going with him. She'd only asked Yukito because she'd heard Meilin was going to ask Li-kun. It was weird, she was so sure what she felt for Yukito was love, and, even though she felt something entirely different toward Syaoran, it felt like love too. How could she love two people? She sighed, maybe she'd go talk to Touya to get her mind off it.
As though he'd read her mind, Touya knocked at the door. "Sakura . . . ?" he said, gingerly pushing the door open.
"Come in," said Sakura. Kero froze on her bed, "What would you like?"
"I was just coming to tell you that I'm going to go over to . . . " the sound of a doorbell interrupted Touya in mid sentence. The siblings clattered down the stairs to see who it was. Two sparkling amber eyes met them at the door.
Sanae smiled brightly. After discussing their problems over a chocolate fudge sundae, she and Syaoran had decided that the best way to solve her problem was for her to be honest and tell Touya she didn't want to date him. They also came up with a plan to get Sakura to dance with Syaoran, but that had to wait until tomorrow. "I was wondering if you two would like to join us for a walk. It's kind of cold, but actually very nice for this time of year."
"Did you just say 'join us'? I think you've miscounted." said Touya.
"Nope, Syaoran just preferred to wait on the sidewalk," replied Sanae. As Sanae said this, Touya noticed a small figure standing in the shadows. "So, are you going to come or not?"
Sakura looked at Touya hopefully. As much as he detested the kid, his sister seemed to have befriended him . . . and it *would* be nice to talk to Sanae. "Yeah, we'll come," he said, "let us just get our coats and the keys, we'll be out in a second."
"Okay." The heavy oak door closed and Sanae joined her cousin on the sidewalk.
"You only said that he liked you," said Syaoran.
"Yeah . . ."
"You never said that you liked him back."
"I don't," she protested, "he's just . . . "
"Sanae . . . I'm Syaoran, remember? ," He said, mimicking her from earlier, "You obviously like him, I can tell be the way you talk to him."
"Well, maybe a little."
"You're head over heels."
"But . . ." The door opened and out walked Touya and Sakura. Sanae quickly changed subjects, "Sakura, I really like your coat."
"Thanks."
The group started down the street, Sakura and Syaoran walking beside each other, and Touya falling into step with Sanae. Touya and Sanae lingered about 10 steps behind Sakura and Syaoran, preferring to talk privately. Sanae figured this was for best, as it was a delicate subject. (AN: don't say you haven't been warned the convo here is a little confusing. But how do you write two conversations at once. HOW? *Kelly has a nervous breakdown and collapses on her keyboard* dsgfdasfdsfskvcbndsju)
"So, are you ready for the math test tomorrow?" asked Syaoran, casting Sakura a furtive glance which she caught.
"As ready as I can be," replied Sakura, glancing back nervously, "How about you?"
"I think I'm good." said Syaoran.
"That's good." replied Sakura. Silence.
". . ."
". . ."
"So . . ."
"So . . ."
"So, you're going with Yukito to the Fall Festival tomorrow night?" asked Syaoran shyly, trying desperately to sound casual.
"Yes," replied Sakura, 'But I want to go with you,' she thought. "And you're going with Meilin?"
"Yeah. She asked me so . . ." he said, trailing off. 'So I said yes because I knew I didn't stand a chance with you,' he finished in his head. He looked at her, then quickly looked down. He felt the blood rush to his cheeks and secretly hoped she couldn't see the deep crimson blush in the dark.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Oh yeah, I'm okay with that," replied Touya, "I have no problems with us just going as friends." Inside though, he was stung by her words, but, come to think of it, not surprised. Why would a beautiful, smart, witty girl like Sanae want to date a guy like him?
He looked so hurt. She had hurt this wonderful, intelligent, kind, perfect man. How could she live with herself? "There are just some things in my past you couldn't understand. I mean, you're a wonderful guy, I'm just not ready for a relationship right now."
'Oh great,' thought Touya, 'the old "it's not you, it's me" speech. Things in her past . . . yeah right. She just didn't want to date him. She never did. He had just tricked himself into thinking that.' He sighed, "It's okay, I understand. It'll be great to go as friends."
"I'm so glad," she smiled, "We're going to walk right? The hall's only about five minutes away, isn't it?"
"Yeah, it is. Are you sure you don't want me to take the car?"
"Positive. We'll just walk from my house."
"You know, only fools are positive."
"Are you positive about that?"
"Yes." They laughed. The joke, as bad as it was, broke the earlier tension. "Do you mind if my sister and Yukito walk with us?"
"As long as you don't mind Meilin and Syaoran walking with us too."
"I don't." By this time, they had circled the block and were standing in front of the Kinomoto's house. Sakura and Syaoran were already standing on the front walkway, saying goodnight.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Well, I guess I'll see you in home room tomorrow."
"Yeah," Syaoran blushed and looked down at the ground, "good luck on the math test."
"You too. Bye Syaoran."
"Bye Sakura."
~*~*~*~*~*~*
"I'll see you tomorrow, Sanae," said Touya.
"Until tomorrow then," she said, giving him a quick, friendly peck of the cheek. "Sleep well Touya."
Touya stood wide-eyed on his front porch. She had just said she didn't want to date him, but she kissed him! He was overcome with joy and confusion but in essence, wasn't that what love felt like? He didn't know, and didn't care! He felt crazy around her, thoughts racing this way and that but he loved every minute of it. She was such a magnificent creature, how could he help but love her? Did she honestly try to make him go insane? By the time he looked up, Sanae and her cousin had already started walking down the street. He sighed, he'd probably never know.
~*~*~*~
Sanae was sitting in a garden, the sun warm on her face. She could smell the sweet grass, and the wind was billowing her dress. Birds sang sweet melodies, twittering with the joy of spring, and Sanae listened with quiet reverence. She felt as though could stay here forever.
Suddenly she was not alone. An older man was approaching her and in the bright sunlight she strained to see who it was. She'd never met him before, but he seemed to know her.
As he drew nearer, she surveyed his features. He was certainly attractive, long brown hair pulled back, tall, thin but still muscular, and the glasses gave him an intelligent look. With him he carried a staff, similar to her own.
He spoke, his voice kind, "My child, how good to see you."
"Child?" Sanae didn't follow. He wasn't her father, "Who are you?" she asked timidly.
"Clow Reed," he replied, "There is something I must tell you Sanae," he said seriously.
"*The* Clow Reed?" she asked, truly shocked. She caught herself before she continued, she'd forgotten to be polite, "What did I do, great master of the cards?" She bowed deeply, not looking up.
He laughed, "No need to be so formal, dear one. I will not be the master of the cards for much longer anyway." He grasped her hand and pulled her up gently, "Stand, let me see you. It's been such a long time."
"I don't understand what you mean."
"It's all right. I've come to warn you not let yourself fall in love again."
"With all due respect sir, I've never been in love before."
"But you were. You learned to love him, didn't you?"
"Who?" This didn't make sense.
"Nao. You did love him before he. . .," Clow paused. "Just don't let your heart be taken again. It can only lead to . . . " His voice was cut off as a cold wind whipped across the field. Heavy fog closed around her and she could no longer see Clow. The grayness choked her, lungs tightening. She was falling, mist becoming denser with every passing second.
She hit the ground hard, gasping. She heard a voice, one she recognized, wishing she didn't. It was as cold as the air, "Sanae, aren't you glad to see me?" his lips pulled back into a sneer.
"Stay away from me! You can't hurt me anymore!" she was crying. "What are you doing here?"
He stared at her with cold, roan red eyes, ignoring her cries, "I will find you. You can't hide forever, my love."
"NO!"
She awoke, cold perspiration on her forehead. In the darkness nearby hovered Syaoran, "Sanae, are you okay? You were screaming, I couldn't get you to wake up." His face was filled with worry.
She took deep breaths, 'It's just a dream, he won't find me, it's just a dream.' she repeated in her head. "Yeah, only a bad dream."
"Are you sure?" he looked concerned, "It. . . it wasn't prophetic, was it?"
"No," she lied, "I'm fine, go back to sleep. I'm sorry I woke you up."
Syaoran didn't look convinced, but did as he was told.
_________
Monday:
(4:45 p.m.)
"No, Syaoran, you should go tonight," said Meilin, "I'll only be sleeping anyway. Have fun." On one hand, she wanted him to stay with her, but on the other, there *was* only one fall festival a year and she really didn't want to make him miss it because she had to go and catch the flu. And what if he got sick from being around her? She'd hate herself afterwards. Though she was kind of militant about it, she truly did love Syaoran.
Syaoran shifted uncomfortably in the easy chair. He was sitting in the Li living room, talking to Meilin. After she didn't show up at school, he went over to see if she was okay. He found her lying on the couch in her pyjamas, sick, which eventually brought them to the inevitable question: Would he go tonight without her? He was fairly certain she was going ask him to stay, but she didn't, "Are you sure?" he asked. It just didn't seem like Meilin to let him go like that.
"Sure I'm sure," she smiled weakly, "You better go home and start getting ready." She noticed the still unsure look on his face. "Please go tonight. It's okay, I promise."
"All right," he said uncertainly, "Feel better."
"I'll try. Bye Syaoran, have fun."
"I'll try."
___________
(7:05)
"Tomoyo, thank you so much. I'm going to have the prettiest dress at the dance," said Sakura, twirling around.
Tomoyo was over at Sakura's house, getting ready for the fall festival, and both her dress and the one she designed for Sakura were gorgeous. Sakura's was a blush pink ball style gown, which touched the floor. The skirt was full, supported by crinoline, and had a metallic shimmer. The bodice was embroidered with delicate burgundy roses and had spaghetti straps. Tomoyo had also made her a matching shawl, which draped just right. It suited Sakura to perfection. Tomoyo's was a sky blue dress, short sleeved with a lightly patterned translucent material over a thicker, plain blue satin.
"I was no problem. I can't believe the dance starts in less than half an hour," said Tomoyo, excitedly.
"I know," replied Sakura, "And we'll probably be leaving here in about ten minutes because we have to pick up Yukito and Sanae. I can't wait."
*~*~*~*~*~*
Syaoran stared at himself critically in the mirror, scrutinizing his looks. His tie wasn't quite straight, and his dark chestnut hair hung over his eyes more than usual. He needed a haircut . . . hell, what he really needed was a lobotomy. Why did he care what he looked like? It wasn't as though *his* date was going to be there. He just couldn't count on his brain these days, always going off on wild tangents. It was because of her, dammit! 'I can't get her off my mind . . . and she doesn't even care.' He sighed and the amber eyes turned to a sullen brown. "She doesn't even care," he repeated in a whisper.
~*~*~*~*~*~*
Touya adjusted his tie and straightened his hair for the eighth time. It wasn't a date, so why did he feel like it was? He looked into the mirror and sighed. He'd never felt this way about a girl before.
*~*~*~*~*~
"For goodness sakes Syaoran, straighten your tie," said Sanae, glancing at her cousin, "And can you do up my zipper?"
"Uh . . . yeah, sure," he pulled at the tie until it was straight and zipped her dress up, "So when is Touya coming?"
"In five minutes, maybe less" she said, moving a piece of his hair, "There, that's better." She smiled approvingly. "You clean up well."
"You're not so bad yourself," he replied, laughing. "Are you bringing the house keys?"
"Yeah, they're in my purse." The doorbell rang, "That's probably Touya."
She and Syaoran met Touya, Yukito, Tomoyo, and Sakura at the door.
*~*~*~*~*
'Wow, look at Syaoran,' thought Sakura. He was wearing a dark, charcoal grey suit with a white dress shirt, and matching metallic gray vest and tie. Sakura had never seen him look so . . . wow. And with Meilin gone . . . 'No, Yukito's my date,' she scolded herself, 'Syaoran's just . . .'
*~*~*~*~*
'Insane, it's official. I must be.' Thought Touya, looking at Sanae, 'Otherwise she couldn't become more perfect every time I see her. UGH. . . . What is wrong with me? One look at her and I melt.' He shook his head in frustration. How could he help but melt? She was wearing a fitted dress of steel-blue that had a slit just up past her knee. It had a high, Chinese-style neck with a keyhole below it, which was trimmed with gold, as were the sleeves and the bottom of the dress. Her hair was curly and down, with delicate pale yellow roses inserted everywhere. She looked . . .
*~*~*~*~*
'Really handsome,' thought Sanae, 'I mean, they say every guy looks good in a suit, but Touya's definitely no exception.' Why couldn't she date him, again? Oh yeah, she didn't want to be hurt. But, it certainly couldn't hurt to look. Could it? She didn't know anymore. She was so . . .
*~*~*~*~*
' . . .different it in a dress. I've never seen Sakura look this beautiful before,' thought Syaoran. Why did she have to be going tonight with Yukito? He was sure he liked her . . . no, loved her, but she would never feel anything more toward him but friendship. Why was it so hard to be in love?
*~*~*~*~*
"Touya, you look really handsome," said Sanae, breaking the gaping silence of the group.
"Thanks," replied Touya, blushing slightly, "You look beautiful."
Syaoran eyed him suspiciously. He wasn't sure he liked Touya looking at Sanae in that light. He hadn't said anything before to Sakura because he'd promised Sanae he wouldn't fight with Touya and that's what made Sakura's brother mad, but if Touya was going to start it . . . "So do you Sakura. I've never seen you look this nice." It was the truth, but as soon as he said it he felt embarrassed.
He thought she looked beautiful! So what if he was a little awkward in saying it, that didn't make it any less special to her. "Thank you Syaoran. You look really handsome, too."
Way to go Syaoran! She was so happy for her cousin, but a little confused. Syaoran had said he was almost completely sure Sakura had a crush on Yukito, but from what she could see, it looked like Sakura had a crush on him. She wasn't even walking with Yukito. She was beside her cousin. Oh well, all the better for Syaoran! He deserved some happiness. He'd certainly earned it.
Did his sister just say that she thought that kid was handsome? Any other person, fine. He really didn't even mind Sakura's crush on Yukito, but why the brat? It was a good thing Yukito was Sakura's date or he'd have to keep an eye on those two all night
"Hey kid," asked Touya, a little caustically, "Where's your fiancé? Don't tell me you're going alone."
~*~*~*~*~*
'Fiancé? Does Touya mean Meilin? All those times I thought Syaoran . . . but he doesn't. He was enga . . . God, why didn't he just tell me?' Sakura felt an awful void in the pit of her stomach, mixed with fury and sadness bubbling up from deep inside. 'He could have saved me from this . . . this emptiness'
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran looked at Touya with both scorn and confusion. How did he find out he and Meilin were engaged? He saw a look of hurt cross Sakura's face and flinched. He hadn't told anyone in his class about their betrothal. There really hadn't been a need to. 'But now, thanks to you,' he thought, glaring at Touya with sheer and utter contempt, 'I get the unpleasant job of telling Sakura. And to top it all off, you've ruined any chance I had with her tonight!' He noticed the smug smirk on Touya's face, 'But that was the whole point, wasn't it?'
Sanae noticed her cousin clenching and unclenching his fists, a sure sign he was furious, nearly to the breaking point of his temper. It was something he did unconsciously, but she picked up on it easily. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and focused, waiting for the release and blackness to come. Though it took a lot of energy, this was something she had to do from time to time to protect Syaoran. That was her job, her soul reason for existing was to serve him. Though, he didn't know it, no one in the clan did.
'Syaoran, it's okay. Take a deep breath and calm down. It's going to be all right, just explain to Sakura that your engagement was arranged. She'll understand.' Syaoran felt the presence in his mind and shuddered involuntarily. He'd been away from Sanae so long, he'd forgotten what it felt like. She spoke again. 'Don't worry about Touya. He's just afraid to let his sister grow up. That's all'
'Thanks.' Syaoran looked down at his hand and noticed his knuckles turning white. He released the fist slowly. 'I almost lost it.'
'I noticed.' Sanae thought dryly. Through Syaoran's eyes she glanced over at her body, still talking enthusiastically with the group. It was obvious they had moved onto a lighter topic. 'Just tell her later, when you have the chance to be alone. Go for a walk or something.'
'I think I will. You know that I hate when you do this. It makes me feel, I don't know, not quite . . . normal, I guess.'
'We're magicians. We're not supposed to be normal. You of all people should know that.'
'You sound just like my mom. No scratch that, Meilin.'
'All of a sudden I don't like your mind anymore,' she teased, 'I have to go back anyway, I'm using up too much power.'
And she was gone. Syaoran felt the familiar but still unusual lightness, followed by his normal thoughts, *only* his thoughts. He suddenly felt very alone.
~*~*~*~*
Sanae blinked. She hated the feeling of returning back. It was like waking up in the middle of the night and sitting bolt upright in your bed, without the faintest idea why. Her cousin was right. It wasn't normal. She wasn't normal, and she never could be again. Not with her past. And with her future being what it was . . . maybe the dreams were wrong. But, they never had been before. 'Stop it,' she scolded. She couldn't think like that now, not tonight, tonight was for fun. She listened to the conversation.
"Oh wow, is that the hall?" asked Sakura in awe. The building was decorated with delicate white lights and stood out against the dark sky like it was enchanted with fireflies.
"Yeah," said Yukito smiling, "Wait until you see it on the inside."
The group entered the hall. It was gorgeous. There were tiny white lights everywhere, including over the doors and on the stage, which was also covered in ivy and white roses. They were already at least 100 people there. A girl in a red dress was hurrying over to where they had just entered and Yukito waved to her.
"Hey, how are you doing?" he asked politely.
"Awful Yukito, the boy in charge of the drink table got the flu and I'm trying to manage both that and the donations table. "
"You poor thing," he said sympathetically.
"Thanks, but no time for pity now. Can you take over one of the tables? If you can't its okay,
I'm just in a bind and I'd love the help."
"Sure, no problem," he said kindly, "You don't mind, do you Sakura?"
"No, it's okay." That would leave her time to talk with Syaoran tonight, "Go ahead."
Yukito rushed off with the girl and Sakura heard her name called, "Sakura, Tomoyo, Syaoran . . . over here!"
~*~*~*~*
Touya watched his sister hurry to meet her friends and instinctively took a step in the same direction. Sanae placed a hand gently on his chest and said, "Don't follow, let her have her night. And we'll have ours," she cooed. Sanae smiled suggestively and Touya's heart beat with an intensity he'd never felt before.
~*~*~*~*~*
It was Chiharu calling her. She was standing with Yamazaki, Naoko, and Rika by the stage near the DJ. Sakura, Tomoyo, and Syaoran made their way through the crowd to where they were standing. "We were worried you guys weren't going to come," said Naoko.
Yamazaki turned to Syaoran, "I was severely outnumbered by girls, thank goodness you came."
Syaoran made a noise of indifference. It wasn't that he didn't like Takashi, in fact he was the only guy friend Syaoran had ever made in his life, he just wasn't really comfortable in big groups. He enjoyed being on his own. Besides, Meilin did enough socializing for the both of them, usually. He kind of felt awkward and out-of-place without her. Maybe he should just go home.
~*~*~*~*~
"Um . . . sure, I'll dance with you," said Sanae, looking away with slight embarrassment. She had really wanted to dance with Touya, but he'd left her in search of refreshments for the moment and it was impolite to just say no, even if he was so much older . . . and her cousin's teacher.
"Great," he practically beamed as he led her to the center of the dance floor. She rested her head on his shoulder and began to sway in time with the music. "You know," he whispered softly, tickling her ear, "You're the most beautiful girl here tonight."
"Thank you."
"Maybe we could go out for a drink sometime."
"I don't think it would be right, you being Syaoran's teacher and all."
"You're right. It would be improper. I'm sorry," he started to pull away, red coloring his cheeks.
Sanae looked up at him. Sure he was a teacher, but he was also just a normal human-being too.
"We can at least finish our dance," she persuaded.
"Okay."
~*~*~*~*~*~
'What is he doing?' wondered Rika in disbelief, 'I thought he loved me. But look at the way he's holding her, talking to her, looking at her . . . I knew she was trouble the first time I saw her.'
~*~*~*~*~*
'Why is this happening?' thought Syaoran glancing at his cousin, 'Touya's bad enough . . . but Terada-sensei? What's Sanae thinking?'
________
(7:50)
'Where is Touya?' It had been nearly a half an hour since he'd left her, and though she certainly didn't have a shortage of dance partners, Sanae really wanted to talk to him.
~*~*~*~*~*
"Okay . . . ," replied Syaoran uncertainly, "We can dance." He placed his arms around Tomoyo's waist and they moved slowly toward the center of the hall.
"So, where's Meilin?" asked Tomoyo innocently, after about 10 seconds of silence.
"She's still sick," he replied guardedly, there was something else she wanted to ask him, she was just working up to it. He'd known Tomoyo long enough to tell she was about to drop a bomb.
"Oh, that's not good." 5. . . 4 . . .
"No, but she'll probably be back tomorrow or Wednesday." 3 . . . 2 . . .
"Great. So, when are you going to ask Sakura to dance?" . . .1
And there it was. "Wha . . . ?" Even though he was expecting it, it still came as a shock. He opened his mouth and closed it again, shaking his head. He was speechless. Tomoyo giggled, light dancing in her blue eyes. Damn her!
"What's the matter Syaoran?" If it were someone else, it might have been tinged with sarcasm or teasing, but Tomoyo's voice was filled with genuine concern.
"How did you . . . ?" he asked, trailing off. Were his feelings really that noticeable? Sakura probably thought he was throwing himself at her. STUPID!!! One look and his guard must've been let down, even though he tried so hard to keep it up around her. What an idiot he was. What a fool.
"Don't worry it's not obvious." she replied, seeing the look in his eyes. "I just noticed the way you looked at her tonight, the way you've been looking at her since your cousin came. And the way she looked back at you," said Tomoyo, with a trail of wistfulness tinting the last sentence. She paused and then continued, more brightly, "There's something different about you since Sanae came. You're more . . . " she searched for the appropriate word, "self-assured, I guess."
"Well . . . maybe." Tomoyo wasn't the first person to say that. In fact, Sanae would've been his ideal mate, the stave had chosen her, if it wasn't for her . . . past. But they saw each other as friends, equals, nothing more. He was more confident around her because her self-confidence was contagious, but she was nothing like Sakura.
"Then ask her to dance." The song ended and they broke apart, leaving Syaoran in deep thought.
*~*~*~*~*~
He looked so cute with his brow furrowed in thought, Sakura couldn't help but giggle to herself. She'd seen him do it a thousand times, especially when they were capturing the cards, but each time it made her tingle inside. A warm hand taped her on the shoulder and she spun in surprise.
It was Yukito.
He smiled kindly at her, "I managed to get a five minute break, do you want to dance?"
She stared at him wide-eyed. How could there be two perfect men in her life? "Sure."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Of course, who am I to disappoint one of Syaoran's friends?" So what if the kid was only ten, he was a cutie, plus it wasn't serious.
"Really?" asked Yamazaki, smiling from ear to ear. He cleared his throat in an attempt to sound more dignified, "I mean, let's dance then."
I didn't work, and Sanae had to suppress a giggle, "All right. But don't you have a girlfriend?"
"Um . . . possibly."
"And she's not upset with this?"
"Chiharu? Of course not."
~*~*~*~*~
'I don't like her,' concluded Chiharu to herself. 'Look at Yamazaki-kun . . . ugh! I hate her.'
~*~*~*~*
Touya concealed himself once again in the shadows. Though he hated to admit it, he was hiding from Sanae. After she had said she wanted to have a special night with him, he got scared and ran off, making up a stupid excuse about needing something to drink. He was scared of his feelings for her. He'd never experienced anything so intense, so pure, so right, in his life, he'd never loved like this before. He'd been strong for his sister when their mother had died, he had to be. But one look at this girl and all his strength melted away, he just wanted her to hold him forever, and the ferocity of this shook him deep inside. But she doesn't want it . . .
Touya chuckled in spite of himself as he watched Sanae move around the dance floor with one of the kids from Sakura's class. She sure had a wide age range of admirers. He'd even seen her dancing with one of the elementary school teachers earlier. You'd never catch him doing that.
"What are you doing hiding in the shadows?" said a sweet female voice.
Touya met a pair of laughing yellow eyes. It was Sakura's teacher, Kaho Mitsuki and she was standing right in front of him as though she'd appeared by magic. She was beautiful, long auburn hair pulled into a sweeping up-do, a delicate white dress tracing her intricate curves, he was speechless, "I . . . um."
"The song's not quite over, do you want to dance?"
"Oh . . . Okay."
~*~*~*~*~*
The song ended and the couples broke apart. Sanae noticed Touya walking away from a very pretty woman and felt a twinge in her heart that she couldn't quite explain. 'Oh well, I'll just ask him for the next dance. A slow song came on and Sanae crossed the room to where Touya was standing.
~*~*~*~*~
"Would you . . . um . . ." Syaoran trailed off, he sounded like an idiot. Maybe if he just walked away now, he'd still have some of his dignity intact.
"Would I what, Syaoran? ," Sakura asked with concern. Was there something wrong? It certainly looked so from the expression on his face.
"Would you . . . liketodancewithme?" he blurted, words tumbling over top of one another as they rushed out of his mouth. 'She's going to say no, she's going to laugh at me, she's going to . . . '
"Sure," she replied, a warm smile spreading across her face, "I'd love to."
'She'd love to?' He was elated, a genuine smile tickled at his lips and for once in his life he let it show as he took Sakura in his arms and listened to the song.
~*~*~*~*
"Do you want to dance?" asked Touya, embarrassedly.
"I'd be delighted," replied Sanae, as the words to the song flowed out of the speakers.
She's running, he's walking behind
He's trying, but he's last in her line
His love's dying, but he keeps on trying
He lives in fear, with a love that's clear
He's got love that he needs to give
But she's afraid to let him in
To her world with no together
She can't see him in her picture
She wants love but her heart won't let her
Let him in
He's walking behind
He's walking behind
The phone's ringing, is it her on the line
Does he answer, or is he wasting his time?
Her love's dying, but she keeps on trying
She lives in fear, with a love that's clear
She's got love that she needs to give
But he's afraid to let her in
To his world with no together
He can't see her in his picture
He wants love but his heart won't let him
Let her in
She's walking behind
They got a love to give
But they're afraid to let it in
She's got a love to give
And he's got a love to give
So let 'em in
To a world with no together
Sanae closed her eyes and rested her head on his strong shoulder, this felt so perfect. She wished he could hold her like this forever; the world disappeared, her problems, her past, her future, there was just him and her, together.
Touya pulled her warm body into a tighter embrace and, keeping one hand on the small of Sanae's back, stroked her long hair with the other. If he could have, he would've prolonged this moment for an eternity. This felt right, unlike anything else ever had before. She was made for him, and he was sure he loved her. "Sanae, I'd really like to go on a date with you sometime."
"Oh Touya, don't you understand? I can't. It's . . ." she trailed off, tears welling up in her expressive eyes, "complicated. " She sighed. "I can't give you a relationship. I . . . just can't. Please understand," she pleaded.
"I do," said Touya, pulling her closer, feeling her body tremble with sobs, "I'm sorry I pushed you."
Syaoran drew Sakura closer to him, and she didn't resist. He wanted to hold her, protect her forever. He never wanted to let go. Syaoran renewed his vow to always guard her no matter what, then pulled her against him and closed his eyes, overcome by the intoxicating smell of her hair.
He pulled her closer, Sakura felt so safe in his arms. As though nothing could hurt her, as if she were immune to the thorns of the world, as if nothing could go wrong with him holding her.
One thought pricked at the back of her mind, Syaoran was engaged to Meilin, or at least that's what Touya had implied. She had to know, she couldn't fall so hard for a man she could never have. As the song ended, she pulled away and looked deeply into his amber eyes. The guarded look had been replaced by a softer, almost bashful glance. He looked so different, so happy, but she had to ask him. "Syaoran, are you engaged to Meilin?"
"I. . . yes, I am," he admitted reluctantly, "but . . . "
Sakura interrupted him, tears spilling down her cheeks relentlessly, "Why didn't you tell me? Why?" She turned and fled out of the hall. Her heart ached, she had to get away from him.
Syaoran followed her, weaving in and out of the crowd, "Sakura, stop!" he yelled vainly after her, she wasn't even slowing. He continued to follow, calling her name.
Touya and Sanae turned instinctively, Touya hearing his sister's name and Sanae hearing her cousin yell with a passion and urgency that he rarely used. They watched Sakura, followed seconds later by Syaoran, run out the door and immediately ran after them. Touya got easily ahead of Sanae and she mentally cursed her heels. In the distance she watched Syaoran starting to gain on Sakura, who was probably faced with the same problem.
Sakura's chest felt ready to burst, why wouldn't Syaoran just leave her alone? She heard her brother call her name and felt even more frustrated. Didn't they understand she just wanted to be by herself? Syaoran was right behind her, and Touya wasn't much farther back. In an attempt to lose them for at least for a little bit longer, she darted across the street.
What's she doing? Syaoran watched her make it to the other side of the street and followed directly behind her. That was when he heard the car horn blare. He hadn't even noticed it, the lights were off and he'd been so focused on Sakura. He stood, frozen with fear, all his training and calm left him as he waited for the impact, he was going to die.
Touya pushed himself forward, arms pumping, head down, he couldn't let that kid be killed. Sanae loved him too much, he could tell by the way she looked at him, the same way their father looked at Sakura and himself.
Sanae clenched her hands and closed her eyes, forcing herself to focus. If she didn't, she could never save Syaoran. She felt the ancient power bubble inside of her, 'Just a little bit longer,' she felt as though she was going to burst inside. It was too much to bear, she felt so weak, but still she pushed it down. She felt the immense magic course through her entire body. It was time. She screamed from it then focused, chanting the familiar words in Cantonese, feeling the power escape, doing its work. She fainted.
Syaoran's knee connected with the hard concrete, sending pain shooting through his leg. He was thrown back, hitting his head. Had Sakura's brother just pushed him out of the way, saved his life? His head hurt, he was so confused. Thoughts came in fragments, he . . . he needed to stand up, find Sanae.
Touya closed his eyes, the car was just inches away, rubber squealing, and braced himself for the hit. It didn't come. He counted to ten, then opened his eyes. The car was brushing up against his pant-leg, the driver asleep, the engine off. What had happened? He looked over at his sister who was kneeling beside the kid, urging him stay sitting. Looking at Touya in disbelief, she got up and rushed over to where he was standing, locking him in a hug, "Oh, Touya you're okay."
She started to cry, and he held her close, comforting her, "It's okay, shh, don't cry, I'm fine, it's okay." What more could he say?
She pulled back from him, and stared at him thoughtfully, "I was so afraid I was going to lose you." She hugged him again, burying her head in his chest.
~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran bit his lip but he couldn't help the yelp of pain that escaped. Where was Sanae? She'd obviously stopped the car, so where did she go? He wanted her here, he was all alone, Sakura had even left his side. How much time had passed? His head was spinning from the throe and he couldn't concentrate. He tried once again to stand up and cried out with agony, collapsing back on the cold street. He blacked out for a moment and found himself staring at Sakura and Touya when his eyes refocused. He tried to sit up, "Where's Sanae?" He felt so weak, their voices seemed so far away.
Touya placed his hands on his shoulders, keeping him on the ground, "Shh, stay lying down. We're going to go find her, she was right behind us so she's got to be around here somewhere," he said soothingly. He could tell the kid was hurt. Touya had never seen a leg bent at that angle before, it was badly twisted, but not just that. He was seriously shaken. He wasn't going to die or anything, but Touya still didn't mean to push him that hard, it had happened so fast. And how had the car stopped? He'd heard a girl scream, then a strange language. He'd heard it before . . . when he was fighting at school with the brat. Sanae? Thoughts raced around in his head, "Sakura, stay with him. I'm going to go find Sanae. Make sure he doesn't get up!" he called the last instruction while running down the street.
"Syaoran, hold on just a little bit longer, Touya will get help," said Sakura, trying to assure Syaoran. He was always so strong, so in control, it was bizarre to see him like this, he was almost in shock. She folded up her shawl and placed it under his head.
Syaoran looked up at Sakura, she was on the verge of tears. He didn't mean to trouble her like this, lines of worry creased her forehead, and she stroked his hand. God, his head hurt. He couldn't focus. Where was Sanae? Was she okay? Was Sakura? Tears streamed freely down her face now. Syaoran closed his eyes, and spoke weakly, forcing the pain out of his voice, keeping it even, "Sakura, don't worry. I'll be fine." It was true, he wasn't hurt that badly, he'd been through training sessions much worse than this. And he was only seven then. But what about Sanae? She was always so frail after doing a major spell like that. He hoped Touya would find her soon.
"Sanae!" yelled Touya, running down the street. The cold air burned his lungs but he kept yelling, running. He had to find her, "Sanae!"
"Yeah . . . ?" came the whispered reply.
She was huddled, knees held to her chest, head down. She was shaking uncontrollably and Touya stared at her, "What . . . happened?" he knelt beside her, out of breath. She was silent, pulling her legs in closer to her. Touya asked again, this time a slightly different question, "You stopped . . . stopped the car, didn't you?" Sanae didn't reply, but did look up at him.
She asked timidly, "Is Syaoran . . . ?"
Touya's eyes widened, he'd almost forgotten about him. Sanae, seeing the look on his face, buried her head in her legs once more, weeping. "Oh God, he is." Her cousin, her friend, she'd tried to save him, she'd thought her magic was strong enough. She'd failed.
"No . . . no he's not. But his leg is in really bad shape. He . . . he was asking about you. They're just up the street . . . Syaoran and Sakura, I mean. I'm going to go to the hall and call for help, Sakura didn't have her mobile phone tonight. You go meet them." Touya was up on his feet, still panting, lifting Sanae up with him.
She had to lean up against the tree to keep from falling, she looked at him, "Touya, don't get help. I can handle it. Just help me get over there."
"What?" he looked at her questioningly, "But he needs an ambulance."
"It's okay. Just trust me."
~*~*~*~*~*
"Sanae don't," Syaoran pleaded, "You're too weak." She was preparing for the transfer spell, one of the most difficult ones she knew, even he'd yet to master it. Then again she was a healer, a special type of sorceress or sorcerer who learnt spells to help heal other magicians. His father had been one. But this spell affected Sanae for days, even when she was up to full power, and she could barely stand just now.
"It's okay," she replied, "I want to." She placed her hand over his heart and closed her eyes, dropping her voice to a low monotone, "Spirits of my ancestors, help me, I beg. Bequeath your powers to my hand so I may take this undue pain for my own and heal the mortal body of the bearer." She repeated it over and over, concentrating deeply. Touya watched a faint red glow travel slowly from the boy's heart, and up Sanae's arm until she was fully bathed in the eerie light. She fell back and screamed, cries penetrating the darkness of the night. It felt like every cell in her body was dying. Only a few more seconds. She collapsed on the ground, still awake, but barely. She forced herself into a sitting position and looked at Syaoran. He was on his feet, crouching near her. She grabbed his shoulder, pulling herself up. She smiled weakly, "You all right?"
"Yeah, thank you," he said, steadying her.
She looked up at Touya, who was standing, staring at her, open-mouthed, "So, you did stop the car?" he asked.
"Yes," she admitted reluctantly, there was no point in denying it now. He was magical too, he would understand. But what she saw in Touya's eyes made her shudder. It wasn't understanding. It was hardly tolerance. The blue eyes held nothing but fear, absolute and total, "Why are you afraid? ," she asked.
"I'm just . . ." He was at a loss for words, he couldn't even look her straight in the eyes.
Her voice raised from calm to angry, "You don't understand! You're only afraid because you don't understand it! You don't understand anything; why I couldn't date you, this, nothing!" she yelled, her voice cracking between sobs, "You prick!" She turned and started to walk away, leaning on Syaoran for support, shaking with weakness and rage.
Touya didn't follow.
~*~*~*~*~
"You go put on your pyjamas, I'm going to make some tea for you," said Syaoran, leading Sanae to her room. She looked terribly pale, and her eyes were dull.
"Thank you," she replied hoarsely. Syaoran set out her robe and pyjamas, then closed the bedroom door softly behind him. 'Poor kid,' thought Sanae, 'he should never have to take care of me like this.' Still, as she curled up in the armchair beside her bed and smelt the tea brewing, she felt glad she had him. She summoned her Rayshon orb with her right hand and opened it, searching for memories of him when he was younger. As she watched her seven year old cousin run happily across the projection she smiled, he was one of the only friends she'd ever had as a child. She was twelve when she'd met him.
~*~*~*~*~
'Poor Sanae,' thought Syaoran, listening to the water bubble in the kettle, 'She should have never had to use that spell tonight, to weaken her so much, to expose herself to Touya, it was all my fault.' How could he have done that to her? She was one of the only friends he'd ever had in his family. He was even closer to Sanae than he was with his sisters, even his mother.
Syaoran balanced the two cups of tea and pushed the bedroom door open with his back. When he turned, he saw Sanae snoring softly in the large armchair at her bedside, a small blue orb hovering in midair above her. Syaoran set the cups down and took out a large afghan from the hall closet. He covered Sanae with it and turned off her lights, closing the door gently, careful not to wake her. He brought his tea to the living room and stared out of the large window looking into the night.
~*~*~*~*
(9:45)
The doorbell rang insistently while Syaoran frantically pulled the sweatshirt over his head. The noise was going to wake Sanae. He sprinted down the hall and slid across the linoleum to the front door, nearly falling. He flung the door open, still fighting with the sweatshirt, "What?" He looked up and found himself staring into the face of Touya Kinomoto.
"I need to talk to Sanae," he said, it was easy to see he was straining to keep his voice even. He was nearly as pale as Sanae, and he looked so. . . contrite.
"You can't," replied Syaoran, not meeting Touya's eyes.
"Why? Doesn't she want to see me?" he asked. This time emotion colored the words, his voice cracked and he looked near to crying.
"I don't think she does, but that's not why. She's asleep," he said, feeling bad for him. It was odd. He was so concerned over Sanae that Touya forgot to be mean to him. Sakura's brother was almost likeable when he acted like this. 'If he's like this around Sanae maybe he's not so bad for her after all,' he thought.
"Oh. . ."
"Do you want to come in for tea?" asked Syaoran, looking down, "You did save my life after all." In his family, it was believed that if someone saved your life, you owed them. And Touya did save his life. Syaoran knew Touya didn't know Sanae could stop the car and he still risked his life for him.
"No I didn't, Sanae did," he said frankly, "she saved my life too. I . . . I should've thanked her. Instead I just. . ." he broke off, ashamed, "I couldn't even look at her. I came to apologize. She's right. I don't understand, but I want to. I want to know all about her." He trailed off once more, "After tonight I don't think she'll ever speak to me again." He stared at the pattern of the front entrance tile for a long time before speaking again, "Can I at least go see her one more time?" he asked earnestly.
"Yeah, sure," replied Syaoran, leading him in the direction of her room. He pushed open the door and walked silently into the room, Touya following close behind. Syaoran noticed Sanae's Rayshon hovering and called it towards him.
Touya watched Sanae's chest rise and fall gently. Her expression was troubled as she slept, but she looked even more beautiful than ever. He pulled the sheets back on her bed and lifted her in his arms. Instinctively, she nuzzled her head closer to his chest and Touya held her tighter. He placed Sanae gently down on the bed, covering her body with the satin sheets. He backed away, watching her sleep. Touya remembered a saying he'd once heard, 'You truly love a person if you can be happy just watching them sleep.' He *was* happy.
Syaoran stepped beside him, "You really love her, don't you?"
Touya lowered his head and said nothing, but in Syaoran's eyes, his silence spoke volumes. They stepped out into the hall and closer the bedroom door. Walking into the livingroom, Touya surveyed the young boy, "So . . . , you have powers too?"
"Yeah."
"For how long?"
"Long enough."
Touya could tell Syaoran wasn't really ready to open up about this, especially not to him. He had screwed up enough with their family for one night so he decided not to push it. He looked down at his watch, "It's getting late, I better head for home. Tell Sanae I'm sorry, that I'm ready to understand, I want to" he said, adding quietly, "please. . ." He started walking toward the door, Syaoran following close behind.
"Bye kid, you take care of your cousin." He headed down the steps of the porch.
"Touya wait," said Syaoran, "Take this, it'll explain everything." he threw the glowing sphere toward Touya, who caught it.
Touya put the strange object into his pocket, slightly confused, "Thanks."
"Don't mention it," replied Syaoran, "ever."
~*~*~*~*~*
Touya sat on his bed, turning the unusual orb over in his hands. He had tucked Sakura into bed and waited until he was entirely sure she was asleep. How was this glowing blue ball going to help him find out about Sanae? He opened his hand, trying to drop it on his bed. Instead the orb hovered in midair. Before his eyes, a small beam of light shot out of the thing, projecting an image on the wall. Touya watched.
To be continued. . .
By: Kelly M.