The night under the penguin, Sakura had flexed her shield outward to fling the clinging creatures from their hideout. She and Syaoran defeated them by staying under the shield and slicing down anything that came up to it.
Luckily for them, monsters weren't too bright and didn't learn quickly, so they'd left a large pile of carrion by the time they went home. Their energy was drained because of the long seige process, not because of any intensive battle.
Another rule of monsters was that they would not go near light. This was why the town was bustling with more lanterns than ever used before at festival-time. Policemen would be posted with flood-lights in case of attack, but the people were being assured of safety. Safety in the light, safety in numbers, safety near the policemen.
It was a recipe for disaster and Sakura knew it. But she got ready for it cheerfully enough. She wore her favorite kimono -- pink silk with white embroidered flowers -- and a white obi. She put flowers in her hair and fluffed it.
"Sakura, you look pretty," her dad said when she came down the stairs. Yukito and Syaoran were already there. Touya was tugging on his collar and looking miserable.
"You look as good as a monster can." Touya ducked a hamster-slipper and his little sister finished her way down the stairs a little lopsided.
She and Syaoran were the last two out, he handing her her slipper and she thanking him sedately as she pulled on her sandels. He, however, was smiling.
"You make me laugh, Kinomoto."
"Sakura," she corrected, privately elated.
"Sakura," he agreed.
She felt a thrill at her name on his lips. The last week had been pleasant, both during tutoring and at night. Working together, they talked more than they had before, sharing stories and points of interest. At night, though she tried not to kiss him as much anymore (too worried about his possible rejection of her once he found out who she was), he revealed deeper things -- things she could tell that her daytime discussions with him evoked but that he felt uncomfortable telling to only a friend. She cherished both times with him but learned that she deeply desired a melding of the two -- so by the festival, she was as ready to end the charade as he was, though much more nervous about it.
Her front walk was lined with lanterns, as was every front walk and street. There were streetlights, but strung between them for extra protection were lantern upon lantern. It made the walk to the festival a quiet, pleasant experience of soft, rosy lighting.
She could feel dark creatures lurking in the shadows beyond, but she ignored them. Only if they infringed upon the light would she pay attention to them.
And they would be sorry.
Sakura noticed that Syaoran got more and more tense as they got near the festival. He started tugging at his collar as if he couldn't breath properly. Finally, she put a hand on his arm and spoke too softly for anyone else to hear. "Calm down. You look great -- she'll be very impressed."
He looked startled and might have tried to deny it but gave up in the middle of opening his mouth. "Thanks." She hadn't mentioned the girl he was meeting all week and he had appreciated it. He was a private person, and he knew Sakura had come to understand that. He shot her a grateful smile that she returned, and they arrived.
Sakura noticed the glare Touya was throwing Syaoran, but the young man beside her was oblivious. He was looking around at the people as if searching for someone. There was a small, nervous frown on his face.
"Do you want to play some games while you wait? It's easier to be found if you stay around one area." Again, her voice was too soft to be overheard.
"Okay." He followed them to several games and won a small stuffed rabbit, which he held on to. Anything Touya or Yukito won, they gave to Sakura. Eventually her dad had to help carry all the stuffed animals. "I'm going to wander around by myself a bit," Syaoran said after a while.
"Okay. Be careful." She pushed a plush paw out of the way with her chin to look at him.
He smiled at her and left.
She wondered why he was so dumb, then went back to trying to catch a fish with a paper fan. He should have figured it out already. Were all boys this blind?
It was an hour or two before she got worried enough to go look for him. She found him in a more shadowy place than most, sitting and looking desolate.
She knelt beside him. "You okay?"
He didn't move or look at her. "Not really."
"Then I guess . . ."
"She hasn't come, no." He did lift his head then. "Do you think she got scared off because I was with you? Do you think she got confused?"
"No." She saw his hope drain away and got annoyed with him. "You know, you really are dense. She hasn't forgotten about you, so stop moping." He flinched back as if she'd struck him, and she leaned forward, hugging him before he could get away. "Maybe you've been given a huge clue, and she wants you to figure it out, doofus."
Her head was under his chin and he inhaled in surprise, confused at her odd outburst. This definitely wouldn't look good if she found them. He started to pull away but stopped and inhaled again. The scent on her hair was familiar . . .
"Sakura," he murmured, feeling as if he was on the edge of a revelation, and one thing hit him. "Sakura blossoms."
She backed up to stare at him. "What?"
"That's what your hair smells like: sakura blossoms. Her hair . . ." His eyes narrowed. "You . . ."
"Yes?" she breathed, hopeful.
"You use the same shampoo!"
She fell over and slapped him almost at the same time. "Idiot," she muttered, but he had grabbed her hand.
He stared at it, stunned. "This . . . is the bracelet I gave --"
"-- me," she whispered, tears of relief nearly springing to her eyes. "You gave me." She looked at it to avoid looking in his eyes. "I thought you would notice sooner."
He took his hands from her and put them, masklike, in front of her eyes. She did look at him then, seeing full acceptance bloom in him and feeling dread bloom in her own heart.
He recognized her mouth, her chin, her hair, and wondered why he'd never noticed before. He ran one hand down her cheek and slipped the other arm around her waist -- only then did he realize that she was crying. Slow, fat tears as she watched him.
"What's wrong?" he asked, wiping them away with his thumb.
"I'm afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of what you think of me."
He moved closer so that they were touching. "Do you love me?"
"Of course," she sniffled.
"And I love you. Are you still scared?"
"A little." She leaned into him, gaining warmth from his presence.
"Why?" He held her tight.
"You should be angry with me."
He rocked her a little, trying to convey his feelings through touch alone. "I wish you would have told me sooner, but I'm not angry. I do feel a little foolish."
"I'm sorry."
"I know. I love you, Sakura."
"I love you too."
His lips were tender and his arms were strong as he held her. He made up for all the trouble, all his denseness, all her fear. He kissed her until the world around them went dark and the only light was her.
Syaoran lifted his head. Screams were not part of a romantic reverie. The two stood, looking around. Everything really was dark.
"The festival!" Syaoran cried, making a move to go, but Sakura held him back.
"Wait," she said, turning to the space around her. "Glow," she called, "protect the streets." A small pixie flew from her hands, trailing light behind her. High in the sky, she sent light drifting onto the pathways people might need, lighting them just enough for safe travel. "Fiery, take the offensive. Windy, the defensive. Keep the people safe." They too went out on her command. "Mirror, get my family home." A girl with beautiful long hair and gentle eyes nodded, then became Sakura's doppleganger and hurried off.
Sakura turned to Syaoran and took his hand. "Keep hold of me," she said. "Light, make us shine."
They began to glow and their eyes met.
"We're going to find the reason for this," Sakura told Syaoran as they ran through cringing bands of monsters. None of them touched the pair, but they followed the scent of magic as if drugged.
They stopped in front of a pool half-hidden by the trees. It was an area blocked off from sight most of the time, but Sakura felt an ugly inky power underneath the water.
"Can you defend me?"
He pulled his sword out and winked at her. "With my life, darling."
She turned to the water. "Darkness," she called, "pull. Watery, push. BRING HIM OUT!"
The two spells combined were able to heave something huge, dark, and toadlike from the water.
"I'm dropping our defenses," she cast back to Syaoran. "Light," she called, silently letting go of Fiery, Windy, and Watery, "embrace and destroy my enemy." Once Light had hold of the monster, she let Dark fade back into her magic. The only two spells she maintained were Mirror and Glow -- one to fool her family and one to protect her town.
Light was struggling. Sakura was worried she would have to drop everything else to help her, but she didn't want to think about what would happen to the town if she stopped Glow.
Setting her jaw, she withdrew Mirror, determined to finish this quickly.
Light gained the upper hand, but it still wasn't enough. Sakura knew letting go at this point would be disastrous, so she played her last advantage.
She removed Glow.
Now that she could give all of herself to Light, she did so with abandon. She lit up the pool's alcove, blindingly bright, and the creature in her arms began to shriek.
Warm arms surrounded her and her straining magic stores built and pulsed with fresh power, driving the spell to new heights.
In moments, the monster was crushed.
The lanterns relit, the streetlights flickered back on, and a shrieking that was not human went up from the city.
In all parts of Tomoeda, the terrors in the night were dying.
Syaoran and Sakura slumped to the ground, looked at each other, and smiled.