Tomoyo and Shaoran ran up to the stage as the curtain came down. The show
had been really exciting and a lot of fun, but when Sakura didn't come back
down off the stage, they both became concerned.
"Do you think Sakura was overcome by the excitement?" Tomoyo asked Shaoran, who only nodded. He was already going up the steps to the stage. He parted the curtain to see Sakura standing there, looking up in the rafters, just kind of taking it all in. Her gaze came around to her good friend, and her face lit up.
"Shaoran-kun!" She cried, running to him and grabbing his hands. "Did you see? He got out and magically appeared right there in front me! Wasn't it incredible?"
"Ye-Yes," he said, thinking how now he was about to take all the fun out of Sakura, "but you know that it's just a trick?"
"A trick?" She looked at him for a sec, and then dropped his hands and put hers on her hips, "Of course it was a trick. He either got out by magic, or he undid the locks and got out, either way, it was great. Why do you have to take the fun out of things?"
"I was just worried that you were," he stopped for second, scared that he was making her angry, "I don't know, thinking it was something it wasn't."
"Oh," Sakura stopped feeling upset, "you were just worried. I can see why you would, that is dangerous magic, even if it is really cool. Thank you."
Shaoran blushed. Tomoyo made her way through the curtain and joined them. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura started the same thing with her she did Shaoran. "I think Joushin is the best. I wonder what kind of magic he wants to teach me?" Both Tomoyo and Shaoran looked at her with disbelief.
"What do you mean, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked.
"He asked me to stay, wait for him. He wants to talk to me."
Tomoyo almost jumped for joy, while Shaoran looked shocked and worried. To him, this magician, this Joushin the great, was just a charlatan, a fake, even if he was physically skilled as an escape artist. Tomoyo on the other hand, saw only visions of magic shows featuring Sakura the great, and how cute she would look wearing a Tomoyo original costume on stage as animals appeared and disappeared in puffs of fire and smoke.
"OH, Sakura-chan, you would look so cute as a magician. I should start working on your wardrobe. I should modify the costume you wore for your final judgment."
Shaoran didn't get a chance to say anything before Joushin came back from his dressing room. He had dried off and put on a new shirt and pants. He smiled as he approached them.
"Hello again," he said, "and who are these fine young people."
"Oh," Sakura started, "these are my friends, Tomoyo Daidouji, and Shaoran Li." Joushin smiled and bowed lightly to them, as did they. "My name is Sakura Kinomoto."
"I'm not going to hold you up, so I'll be brief," he continued, "I watched you out there. While I was hiding in the costume, I watched you holding your breath. It was marvelous. My niece, who is one of my assistants, tells me you held out almost all the way to the end. I'd like to ask you, how would you like to be my assistant at my last show, on the 15th of the month?"
"Oh," Sakura looked at him with suddenly wide eyes, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Oh yes, yes I would."
"Very good," Joushin replied, "Be here tomorrow, after school. The last show is only two weeks away, and there's much to do to get ready."
"Oh, Joushin-san," Tomoyo interrupted, "is it ok if I design the costume she'll wear?"
"Well, only as long it matches the color scheme of the other costumes, but yeah, it would be OK for our special guest assistant to have a special costume." He stopped for a second, getting serious. "You have to get permission from your parents for this, Sakura, but other than that, everything is prepared. Can we look forward to seeing you tomorrow?"
"Yes!" Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. She was thrilled. "I'll be here." Shaoran stared at Joushin as he said his goodbye and walked back to the dressing rooms, a little worried and suspicious of him. But then again, Shaoran was always like that. He felt deep feelings for Sakura, sometimes more than he wanted to admit, even to himself, and as a result he needed to protect her, always. Although he was sure that this Joushin was OK, he still felt better keeping an eye on him and Sakura.
"Sakura," he said, "I don't know if this is a good idea." He hoped he didn't hurt her feelings, but he had to say something.
"Why? It's not like he wants me to get in the upside down chamber." Sakura seemed almost starry eyed, as she looked at all the magic props around the stage. "I'll be his assistant, and I'll learn his secrets. It'll be great, having something new that's about magic to do again. I didn't know how much I missed capturing the cards and having new adventures."
"Yeah, Li-kun," Tomoyo said, "It'll be wonderful. You'll see." Sakura and Tomoyo both smiled at each other as they stepped down from the stage. Li just watched them. What else could he do?
"Do you think Sakura was overcome by the excitement?" Tomoyo asked Shaoran, who only nodded. He was already going up the steps to the stage. He parted the curtain to see Sakura standing there, looking up in the rafters, just kind of taking it all in. Her gaze came around to her good friend, and her face lit up.
"Shaoran-kun!" She cried, running to him and grabbing his hands. "Did you see? He got out and magically appeared right there in front me! Wasn't it incredible?"
"Ye-Yes," he said, thinking how now he was about to take all the fun out of Sakura, "but you know that it's just a trick?"
"A trick?" She looked at him for a sec, and then dropped his hands and put hers on her hips, "Of course it was a trick. He either got out by magic, or he undid the locks and got out, either way, it was great. Why do you have to take the fun out of things?"
"I was just worried that you were," he stopped for second, scared that he was making her angry, "I don't know, thinking it was something it wasn't."
"Oh," Sakura stopped feeling upset, "you were just worried. I can see why you would, that is dangerous magic, even if it is really cool. Thank you."
Shaoran blushed. Tomoyo made her way through the curtain and joined them. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura started the same thing with her she did Shaoran. "I think Joushin is the best. I wonder what kind of magic he wants to teach me?" Both Tomoyo and Shaoran looked at her with disbelief.
"What do you mean, Sakura-chan?" Tomoyo asked.
"He asked me to stay, wait for him. He wants to talk to me."
Tomoyo almost jumped for joy, while Shaoran looked shocked and worried. To him, this magician, this Joushin the great, was just a charlatan, a fake, even if he was physically skilled as an escape artist. Tomoyo on the other hand, saw only visions of magic shows featuring Sakura the great, and how cute she would look wearing a Tomoyo original costume on stage as animals appeared and disappeared in puffs of fire and smoke.
"OH, Sakura-chan, you would look so cute as a magician. I should start working on your wardrobe. I should modify the costume you wore for your final judgment."
Shaoran didn't get a chance to say anything before Joushin came back from his dressing room. He had dried off and put on a new shirt and pants. He smiled as he approached them.
"Hello again," he said, "and who are these fine young people."
"Oh," Sakura started, "these are my friends, Tomoyo Daidouji, and Shaoran Li." Joushin smiled and bowed lightly to them, as did they. "My name is Sakura Kinomoto."
"I'm not going to hold you up, so I'll be brief," he continued, "I watched you out there. While I was hiding in the costume, I watched you holding your breath. It was marvelous. My niece, who is one of my assistants, tells me you held out almost all the way to the end. I'd like to ask you, how would you like to be my assistant at my last show, on the 15th of the month?"
"Oh," Sakura looked at him with suddenly wide eyes, she couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Oh yes, yes I would."
"Very good," Joushin replied, "Be here tomorrow, after school. The last show is only two weeks away, and there's much to do to get ready."
"Oh, Joushin-san," Tomoyo interrupted, "is it ok if I design the costume she'll wear?"
"Well, only as long it matches the color scheme of the other costumes, but yeah, it would be OK for our special guest assistant to have a special costume." He stopped for a second, getting serious. "You have to get permission from your parents for this, Sakura, but other than that, everything is prepared. Can we look forward to seeing you tomorrow?"
"Yes!" Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin. She was thrilled. "I'll be here." Shaoran stared at Joushin as he said his goodbye and walked back to the dressing rooms, a little worried and suspicious of him. But then again, Shaoran was always like that. He felt deep feelings for Sakura, sometimes more than he wanted to admit, even to himself, and as a result he needed to protect her, always. Although he was sure that this Joushin was OK, he still felt better keeping an eye on him and Sakura.
"Sakura," he said, "I don't know if this is a good idea." He hoped he didn't hurt her feelings, but he had to say something.
"Why? It's not like he wants me to get in the upside down chamber." Sakura seemed almost starry eyed, as she looked at all the magic props around the stage. "I'll be his assistant, and I'll learn his secrets. It'll be great, having something new that's about magic to do again. I didn't know how much I missed capturing the cards and having new adventures."
"Yeah, Li-kun," Tomoyo said, "It'll be wonderful. You'll see." Sakura and Tomoyo both smiled at each other as they stepped down from the stage. Li just watched them. What else could he do?
