Legal Foolishness: I do not profit from any of this stuff, so I ask you to refrain from suing me.

 Warning: This is a yuri romance.  In other words, a story of love between girls.  If you don't like that, then don't read it.  People who flame me because they stubbornly refuse to accept such relationships with an open mind simply demonstrate their own ignorance.  And to all Sakura-Li/Syaoran fans: please keep an open mind.  I always do so when reading S-S fics, so return the favor.

 Note: I've only seen the dubs.  I'll be using names from them (Madison rather than Tomoyo, Meilin rather than Meiling, etc).  I know the dubs are of low quality, but they're all I have to go on.

 Note 2: This is a sequel to my first story, Deception Brings Truth.  You may want to read that before reading this.

 Final Note, I Promise: This story was partially inspired by my first two reviews on Fanfiction.net for the previous fic.  The reviewers pointed out that the world rarely lets things happen in the perfect way that we writers sometimes like to say it does.  This fic will attempt to put a more realistic tone on my writing.  Thanks for reading this tedious stuff, and please enjoy.

 

 

 Truth Brings Change

 Animeanie

 

 

 Madison and Sakura drew away from one another, ending a long, loving first kiss.  Neither had ever felt happier.  For Madison, it was a dream come true.  She had yearned for this for a good part of her life.  For Sakura, it was the beginning of a new part of her life.  She knew that her life was going to change.

 

 She just had no idea how big that change would be.

 

 *   *   *

 

 The next day was a school day.  Sakura skated along quickly, anxious to get to school and see Madison.

 

 As the school came into view, a thought popped into her head.  What were they going to tell their friends?  She and Madison had agreed yesterday to keep their love for one another a secret from their families, not being sure as to how they would take it, but they hadn't gone over what they'd do at school.

 

 Madison was waiting in front of the school, as usual.  She smiled and waved when she saw Sakura.  "Hi, Sakura!"

 

 Sakura smiled and skated up to Madison.  "Hi, Madison," she greeted her beloved.

 

 "Sakura, I was thinking about what we should do as far as school is concerned," Madison said a bit hesitantly.  "Would it be okay if...if we didn't tell anyone?"

 

 "Sure, Madison, if you want.  But are you sure we couldn't even tell our friends?  I'm sure that Chelsea, Nikki, and Rita would understand," Sakura said.

 

 Madison nodded, saying, "Yes, they probably would.  But sometimes they can be terrible gossips.  They might tell someone who wouldn't be as understanding.  And what if Chelsea accidentally lets it slip to Zachary?  He'd blab it out to the whole school."

 

 "Yeah, I guess you're right," Sakura admitted.  "Well, we'd better get to class, or we'll be late."

 

 *   *   *

 

 And so it went for a few weeks.  Neither Sakura nor Madison told anyone of their relationship, and no one had any reason to suspect that they had become more than friends.  They did nothing new, or out of the ordinary.  They talked with each other during class, sat with each other during lunch, hung out after school, and generally behaved as they always had.

 

 Certainly, nothing they did ever changed.  But to them, everything changed.  Their time spent together was no longer spent in friendship, but in love.  Sometimes, when no one was looking, Sakura would give Madison's hand a little squeeze, or Madison would give Sakura a small pat on the back.  Perhaps none of their activities changed but the way they viewed them did.

 

 And then life, as it too often does, took an unexpected turn, and brought their careful façade to an end.

 

 *   *   *

 

 One day at school, Sakura and Madison were sitting with Nikki and Rita for lunch, as they usually did.  The group of friends was waiting for Chelsea to arrive.  Sakura and Madison held hands under the table as they listened to their friend's gossip.

 

 When Chelsea finally arrived, she was holding a sheet of paper.  "Look!" she exclaimed, laying the paper down on the table for the others to see.

 

 Sakura looked at the paper.  At the top there were huge letters proclaiming 'SCHOOL DANCE'.

 

 As everyone read the notice, Chelsea summed up what they were reading.  "The dance is in a few days.  Since the last dance was for couples only, this one is open to everyone.  Best of all, anyone involved in after school clubs and teams gets to go free!  We could all go!"

 

 That part caught Sakura's attention.  She, Chelsea, and Nikki were part of the cheerleading team, and Madison was on the choir.  Thanks to her recent encounter with the Deception Card, Sakura had wasted a good amount of cash on a ticket to the last dance.  This time, though, she could go for free.

 

 Rita frowned.  "I'm not part of any club or team.  I'd have to pay," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

 

 "Don't worry, Rita.  We can all split your ticket expenses between us.  That way we can all go!" Sakura suggested.  Everyone else nodded.

 

 "Thanks, Sakura," Rita beamed.

 

 *   *   *

 

 So far, the dance was a lot of fun.  Sakura, Madison, Rita, Chelsea, Nikki, and the majority of students in the school were having a great time, whether dancing, eating, or just talking with friends.

 

 Sakura took a deep breath as one song ended.  She and her friends had been dancing for an hour now.  She was having a lot of fun.

 

 The DJ went on a loud-speaker for a moment and announced, "Okay, everyone, for this next song, you're gonna have to grab a partner."

 

 The music started up, and everyone found a partner.  Chelsea grabbed Zachary, who began another outrageous story.  "Did you know that school dances were invented by Native Americans?  Part of their education was learning the proper steps for dances..."Nikki and Rita partnered up, and thus Sakura and Madison were left to pair up.

 

 "May I have this dance, fair princess?" Sakura said with a mock bow.

 

 "For now and eternity," Madison replied, grinning.

 

 This dance was fairly fast and upbeat, and soon Sakura and Madison were totally absorbed within their own private world as they concentrated on nothing else.

 

 Eventually, the song ended, and the DJ announced that the next pick was a slow song.  Most of the students left the dance floor, leaving couples to dance.

 

 Rita, Chelsea, and Nikki all went over to the refreshments table to get some soda.  As they stood and quenched their thirst, Nikki asked, "Where did Sakura and Madison get to?"

 

 The three friends scanned the crowd until Chelsea pointed out to the dance floor.  "There they are!"

 

 The tree friends could see Sakura and Madison dancing slowly in the center of the room, almost totally hidden behind other dancing couples.

 

 "What are they doing?" Rita asked in confusion.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Sakura and Madison were in their own private world.  They had forgotten about the dance, about their friends, and about everything else.  All they saw was each other.

 

 It had just sort of happened.  One minute, they were dancing to an upbeat song, the next, a slow song had started and they'd drifted into each other's arms.  They no longer were thinking about what they were doing, but rather, just letting themselves do what seemed natural.

 

 Sakura and Madison gazed lovingly at one another, each letting herself become lost in the endless sea of the other's eyes.

 

 As the song drew to a close, Madison leaned closer to Sakura.  Sakura mimicked her, and slowly, their lips met.

 

 Hidden as they were by the other couples, their kiss remained hidden from all but four people: Chelsea, Rita, Nikki, and, further in the back, Zachary.

 

 *   *   *

 

 That happened to be the last song of the night.  The principal's announcement that the dance was over shook Madison and Sakura back to their senses.  Panicked, they looked around, but didn't see any way for someone to have seen them, besides the people on the dance floor, but hose people had been too wrapped up in their own dances to notice.

 

 Madison breathed a sigh of relief.  "Phew.  I don't think anyone saw us, Sakura."

 

 Sakura nodded.  "Yeah.  Thank goodness.  We'll have to be more careful from now on, though."  She smiled.  "Thank you for the dance."

 

 "You're welcome," Madison said, smiling.

 

 On their way out of the school to go home, neither Madison nor Sakura saw Rita, Nikki, or Chelsea standing in a corner, looking on in shock.  Nor did they see Zachary, who was quickly heading home.

 

 *   *   *

 

 The next day was another school day.  Sakura met Madison at the entrance to the school, and they walked in together.

 

 In the hallway outside their classroom, though, they saw Rita, Chelsea, and Nikki waiting for them.

 

 "Hi, guys," Sakura said cheerfully.

 

 "We saw you two dance last night," Chelsea said bluntly.

 

 "You did?" Sakura asked.

 

 "Would you mind giving us an explanation?" Chelsea snapped.

 

 "Well..." Sakura said hesitantly.

 

 "We're in love," Madison said.  "We've been hiding it for a few weeks."

 

 "You...you're not serious," Nikki said disbelievingly.

 

 "We are," Sakura said firmly.  "Madison and I love each other."

 

 Sakura and Madison had known that they would someday have to tell their friends about this.  They'd thought that the three would probably think it was weird, but be understanding and even supportive.  Neither expected the reaction they got.

 

 Chelsea practically exploded.  "What's wrong with you!?  You're both girls!"

 

 "We love each other for who we are, not what," Madison replied firmly.

 

 "That's sick.  That's just sick.  You're sick.  I don't believe you.  How can you do this?  It's wrong.  It's disgusting," Chelsea ranted.  Looking angrier than Sakura or Madison had ever seen her, Chelsea turned and entered the classroom.

 

 Nikki and Rita followed.  Nikki's face held a trace of fear as she glanced at Madison and Sakura.  Rita didn't even look.

 

 Sakura and Madison stood there, dumbstruck at how the people they called friends had reacted to their confession.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Their class was outside for Physical Education during the morning.  It gave classmates a chance to talk while waiting for their turn to play.

 

 Sakura looked over at where Chelsea, Rita, and Nikki were pointedly ignoring them.  "I can't believe them.  I thought they were our friends!" she said, angry and sad at the same time.

 

 "I knew that some people wouldn't understand...but I never expected our friends to be like that!" Madison said, still stunned.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Had Zachary know what was going to happen, he never would have told.  He, himself, didn't really care about whether Madison and Sakura were in love.  They were his friends one way or another.  It just didn't really matter to him.

 

 And that's why, when someone noted that Chelsea, Nikki, and Rita seemed to be avoiding Madison and Sakura, he told.  He had figured out that those three must have been having problems with Madison Sakura because of that.  Because it didn't make much of a difference to him, Zachary just sort of assumed that it wouldn't be a big deal to anyone else.

 

 And so he just casually told that person, and anyone within earshot, that Sakura and Madison were in love.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Word travels quickly in Middle School, riding along one of the fastest transports in creation: the gossipy tongue.

 

 This fact was evident as Sakura and Madison entered the cafeteria.  The moment they entered, a hush descended upon all gathered.  All eyes locked on them.  The two uncomfortably waked through the cafeteria, looking for somewhere to sit.  Each table they passed exuded a hostile aura.  Finally, they sat down at the far end of the cafeteria at a rickety old table that no one else ever sat at.

 

 "This is ridiculous," Sakura said to Madison.  "I could tell them that my stuffed animal talks and get less attention!  I could tell them that I catch rampaging, magical cards with the key I wear around my neck, and I'd attract less stares!"

 

 Eventually, conversations began to once again echo through the lunchroom.  Even so, from the many people glancing at them off and on, Sakura and Madison were uncomfortably aware that most of the conversations were centered around them.

 

 *   *   *

 

 "What a lousy day," Sakura grumbled.  "First we lose our friends, then the whole school won't speak to us."

 

 The rest of that school day had been much like lunch: people whispering about them, once-friendly classmates silently making it clear that they wanted nothing to do with the two girls.

 

 Now, as they walked home to Sakura's house, they were both reflecting on their miserable day.

 

 Madison slipped her hand into Sakura's and said optimistically, "Maybe some of them just need time.  Eventually, they'll just accept it."

 

 Sakura looked down at their intertwined fingers and smiled.  "Yeah.  They'll probably be over it before long.  Maybe things'll be better tomorrow," Sakura said hopefully.

 

 But the next day, they would discover that their hopes had been in vain.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Sakura was surprised the next morning when she arrived at school.  As she approached the Middle School, she couldn't see Madison anywhere near the entrance to the school.

 

 Sakura frowned.  Madison always waited at the entrance for her in the mornings, even if doing so made them both late to class.

 

 Sakura shrugged.  Madison must not have been felling well, or maybe she had an appointment of some sort that morning.

 

 Sakura was about to enter the school when she caught just the faintest sound of voices coming from around the building.  One sounded like Madison's.

 

 Sakura quickly went to investigate.  On turning the corner, she saw three people.  The first two were large, bulky, fairly unintelligent-looking brutes known as Zilch and Weasel.  These two bullies were known by all Middle School students as the only seventeen-year-olds still attending eighth grade.  Thanks to being held back for several years, they were easily the biggest kids in the entire school.

 

 The third person Sakura saw was Madison, backed into a corner by the two thugs, terror plainly visible on her face.

 

 Zilch was talking at the moment, slurring with the heavy accent acquired from intoxication.  "So you're the little punk that everyone's been talking about.  We can't have trash like you around our school, you'll give it a bad name."

 

 "What are you going to do to me?" Madison asked, her voice quaking with fear.

 

 Weasel, sounding even more drunk than his partner, answered, "We're gonna get you outta school by puttin' you in the hospital."

 

 As fast as was humanly possible, Sakura transformed the Clow Key into the Sealing Wand, threw out both the Power and the Fight cards at once, and released their power.  Thankfully, there was no one around to witness the spectacle.  Although, with her love in danger, Sakura wouldn't have cared if the whole town had been watching.

 

 Sakura ran over, yelling, "Leave her alone!"

 

 Weasel grinned nastily.  "It's the other one, Zilch.  Let's beat'em both up!" he slurred.

 

 "Watch out, Sakura!" Madison yelled.

 

 Weasel stumbled over to Sakura and hurled his fist at her.  Thanks to the Fight Card, though, Sakura had the fighting skills of a master martial artist, and easily dodged the clumsy attack.

 

 As Weasel's fist flew past her head, Sakura grabbed Weasel's outstretched arm and, thanks to the Power Card, effortlessly threw it aside with such force that the drunken bully was thrown completely off balance.  As he awkwardly tried to regain his footing, Sakura swept her leg around and knocked him off his feet.  With a heavy thud, Weasel hit the concrete.

 

 Zilch lurched forward to confront her next.  He charged her, thinking to grab her.  As he approached, however, Sakura nimbly ducked aside, and as he passed by, she side-kicked him in the stomach.  Zilch flew several feet before landing facedown on the cold concrete.

 

 Neither Weasel nor Zilch got back up.  Both were unconscious, whether from hitting their heads on the concrete, or just passing out as a result of too much alcohol.  Or perhaps both.

 

 Sakura ran to Madison, who was sitting on the ground crying.  "Are you okay, Madison?  Did they hurt you?  If they did, I swear I'll..."

 

 Madison shook her head and said tearfully, "No, I'm okay.  It's just that I was so scared!"

 

 Sakura draped her arms around her beloved Madison and said softly, "Don't worry.  I'll make sure this never happens again.  From now on, I'll be here early every day.  I'll never let you out of my sight."

 

 Madison hugged Sakura.  "Thank you, Sakura.  I love you."

 

 "I love you, too, Madison," Sakura replied gently.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Sakura and Madison entered their classroom fifteen minutes late.  Their teacher frowned in annoyance, but didn't look all that surprised.  Sakura was frequently late, and the teacher had given up punishing her long since.

 

 Madison had not sat down for more than five minutes when she felt something bounce off her back.  Turning, she saw a piece of crumpled paper lying on the ground.  It was too small to be meant as a note of any kind.  It had simply been thrown to irritate her.

 

 She turned back around, and was soon hit by another piece of paper.  After a minute, she felt an eraser bounce off her shoulder.  Looking over at Sakura, she saw that she, too, was being assaulted by thrown objects.

 

 And so went the first period of the day.  Every minute or so, something new bounced off her.  She and Sakura desperately tried to ignore it.  The teacher didn't seem to notice.

 

 Bad as first period was, though, second was worse.  Because in second period, their History teacher actually seemed to encourage their classmates.  To begin with, when Sakura raised her hand and complained that someone had thrown a pen at her, he simply sneered at her and told her to sit down.

 

 Needless to say, this unspoken permission to carry on did not deter the class at all.

 

 Worst of all, the teacher began picking on Sakura and Madison.  He asked them impossible questions, ridiculed them when they answered incorrectly, and generally made their lives miserable as only a cruel teacher can.

 

 This obvious cruelty of their teacher left Sakura and Madison stunned.  How could a teacher behave this way?  How could a teacher act no better than his students?

 

 It was just so unfair.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Lunchtime finally arrived, and Madison and Sakura were once again sitting in the back at the rickety, shaky old table.

 

 Students put away their paper, pens, and erasers in favor of a new projectile: food.

 

 As old pieces of food began to come flying at them, Madison remarked gloomily, "I miss yesterday.  At least when they stared at us they didn't throw anything."

 

 Sakura sighed as some cafeteria glop landed near her hand.  "I should have brought the Shield Card."

 

 "Mind if we sit with you?" came a voice behind them.

 

 Sakura and Madison turned to see Li and Meilin standing there.

 

 "Um...sure, Li," Sakura said in surprise.

 

 Meilin and Li sat down, but not before Li gave the rest of the cafeteria a stone-chipping glare.  The volume of projectile food in the air decreased significantly.

 

 "Listen, Li, Meilin...you don't have to sit with us.  There's a good chance that you'll lose your friends," Madison warned.

 

 "You're the only friends we have," Li said with a shrug.

 

 "And...you're okay with us?" Sakura asked.

 

 Li frowned.  "Why wouldn't I be?  You two haven't changed at all.  You're the same as you were before."

 

 Meilin smiled and grabbed Li's arm.  "So long as you're not after Li, I don't care."

 

 Sakura could have broken down and wept from relief.  Here were two people who were willing to just accept them and be done with it.  It almost seemed too good to be true.

 

 Madison smiled.  "Thanks, you two.  You're true friends."  She glanced over at where Chelsea, Nikki, and Rita sat.  "Better friends than some."

 

 Meilin followed her gaze and frowned.  "You know, I was talking to them earlier.  Chelsea's really angry with you two, but she doesn't seem to be able to give any specific reasons why, other than 'It's wrong'.  Nikki seems to be really frightened of you two.  Rita actually doesn't seem to really care that much, but I think she's afraid to side with you," Meilin informed them.

 

 "That's probably the way most people feel, actually," Li remarked.  "They wouldn't bother you, but they're under pressure from the jerks to make your lives miserable."

 

 "Maybe after a while, the jerks will get tired of bothering you, and everyone else will stop when the jerks do," Meilin said encouragingly.

 

 "Yeah...but until then, we've got to put up with this," Sakura said gloomily as a paper cup bounced off her back.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Thanks to Li and Meilin, lunch had been a much better experience than it could have been.  Even though Li didn't do much talking and Meilin mostly talked about Li, Sakura and Madison were very grateful to have friends to sit with and talk to.  Li may have made it sound like no big deal, but Madison and Sakura knew that it must have taken a great deal of courage to publicly show that they were still friends.  Li and Meilin were risking a lot.  They could be persecuted for their loyalty just as badly as Sakura and Madison were being for their love.

 

 Once lunch was over, though, the day once again went downhill.

 

 For the rest of the day, Sakura and Madison were assaulted by another projectile: spitballs.  Several students had constructed spitball launchers during Lunch, and were now firing a barrage of juvenile artillery at the two girls.

 

 Throughout this bombardment, Sakura and Madison sat silently, vainly trying to concentrate on what was being taught.

 

 Some relief came during Math class.  Their teacher, Mr. Joy, was a fairly nice person, but he didn't tolerate students disrupting his class.  So it came as no surprise that when one boy shot a rubber band at Madison, Mr. Joy demanded that the boy stand in the hall for the rest of the class, then join him after school for detention.

 

 The boy protested to Mr. Joy.  "But, sir, they're freaks.  They're lesbians."  He pronounced this last word with particular contempt and disgust.  The blind, ignorant hatred in his voice sent a shiver down Sakura's back.

 

 Mr. Joy was unimpressed.  "My students' love lives hold very little relevance to mathematics, and are therefore none of my concern.  My business is educating them, and I will not have fellow students attempt to disrupt their education.  Now get in the hallway.  I don't expect to see you again until after school hours."

 

 Madison and Sakura's gratitude to Mr. Joy was immense.  After all their other teachers hadn't noticed or hadn't cared, one had finally stood up for them and treated them as equals.

 

 Math was the last class of the day, and so Sakura and Madison got to spend the last period of the day comfortably with nothing being thrown, shot, launched, or tossed at them.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Once the final bell had rung, though, both Sakura and Madison realized that their day was not over yet.  Today was Friday, and on Fridays, Madison had Choir practice and Sakura had Cheerleading practice.  Once again, they would be facing their peers, only this time, they'd be without the other's reassuring presence.

 

 Still, even though they had every reason to fear the worst, both tried to remain cheerful and optimistic.

 

 "Well, Madison, I've got Cheerleading practice, so I'll see you later, okay?" Sakura said.

 

 Madison nodded.  "Yeah.  I'll meet you in the front lobby."

 

 The girls went their separate ways.

 

 *   *   *

 

 As Sakura approached the girl's locker room, she saw her instructor standing at the entrance.  When the coach saw Sakura, she hurried over.

 

 "Hey, Coach," Sakura greeted her.

 

 The coach did not look happy.  "Sakura, I've received a great deal of complaints from students about you being on this team.  Normally, I would disregard these complaints because I know you to be a decent girl.  However, I'm in a very bad position.  I think it would be best if you left the squad."

 

 Sakura was shocked, not for the first time that day, at the total unfairness of it all.  "But Coach, why?  I haven't even done anything!"

 

 Her coach sighed.  "Please try to understand my position.  If word leaks out that I've let a girl with your...preferences on the squad, things could get out of hand.  Parents will complain; some may go as far as to remove their daughters from the team.  The media would hear about it, and the team, perhaps even the school, would get a lot of negative publicity.  It's going to be a very bad situation."

 

 "So you're kicking me off the squad?" Sakura asked, her heart sinking.

 

 The coach sighed again.  "No, I won't force you off the squad.  I'll let you decide what you want to do.  If you want to stay, I'll support you."

 

 Sakura appreciated that.  Her coach could easily lose her job in a situation like the one she'd described, and become the target of public harrassment.  But she was still unwilling to force Sakura off the squad.  Still willing to risk her career to help Sakura if need be.

 

 But Sakura wouldn't let that happen.  She forced a smile and said, "Thanks, Coach.  I appreciate that, but I'll just leave the squad."

 

 The coach looked sad and relieved at the same time.  "Thank you, Sakura.  I'm very sorry that this had to happen."

 

 Sakura turned and slowly walked to the front lobby to wait for Madison to get out of Choir.

 

 *   *   *

 

 Madison found that Choir was no longer enjoyable for her.  Kids glared at her.  The instructor had become cold and distant towards her, and looked as though he had to suppress saying something every time he saw her.

 

 Still, she tried to ignore this once everyone began singing.  She tried to lose herself in the song.

 

 For a while, this seemed to work.  She closed her eyes and sang, thinking of nothing more than the song's rhythm and flow.

 

 Halfway through the song, though, she felt something hit her head.  It felt like a thrown eraser, but it had not bounced off.

 

 She stopped singing and gingerly felt to see what it was.  Her fingers felt something moist and sticky.  Chewed-up gum.

 

 Trying hard to keep her tears at bay, Madison raised her hand.  The teacher stopped the song and asked in an annoyed voice, "What is it?"

 

 "Could I be excused for a moment?" Madison asked, voice trembling.

 

 The instructor motioned to the door.  "Go."

 

 Madison walked out of the room among suppressed giggles.  She headed for the bathroom across the hall, grabbing a pair of scissors as she went.

 

 Once in the bathroom, she looked in the mirror.  A wave of relief swept over her.  The gum only clung to a small portion of her hair, and it wasn't very deep.  It wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been.  A few snips and it was out without removing a large section of her hair.  She just hoped Sakura wouldn't notice.

 

 Having removed the gum, she headed back to Choir practice, but stopped outside the door when she heard her name mentioned inside.  She pressed her ear against the door and eavesdropped.

 

 One girl was complaining, "Why don't you kick her off, sir?  None of us want her here."

 

 Madison's instructor answered,  "I would truly like to, but I'm afraid I can't.  Her mother is far too wealthy and influential for me to do anything about it."

 

 Madison had heard enough.  She opened the door and went inside.  She walked up to her instructor, and told him that she was no longer interested in Choir.  Which was true.  If they were going to act like this, she wasn't interested in staying just because her mother happened to be rich.  Then she turned, grabbed her things, and left, headed for the lobby.

 

 *   *   *

 

 "Sakura!  Why are you here so early?"

 

 Surprised, Sakura turned and saw Madison.  She hadn't been expecting to see Madison for another half-hour.

 

 "Madison?  You're pretty early.  Did Choir get out early today?" Sakura asked.

 

 Madison lowered her eyes and said, "I wasn't wanted there.  I decided to leave.  But what about you?  Why aren't you at Cheerleading practice?  Did you..."

 

 Sakura nodded.  "Yeah.  I had to quit," she said miserably.

 

 They started walking home to Sakura's house.

 

 Sakura talked while they walked.  "This has been the worst day of my life.  Our classmates hate us, our friends hate us and our teachers hate us or ignore us.  We get kicked off our after-school activities.  We get harassed in class.  Everywhere we go, someone bothers us.  It's just not fair!"

 

 As she talked, tears were forming in her eyes.  Now they began to fall.  She stopped, sat down on a bench, and began to cry, letting all the pent-up anger and sadness out.

 

 Madison sat next to her and held her close, providing Sakura a shoulder to cry on.  Seeing Sakura so miserable made Madison feel terrible.

 

 "It's just not fair!  Why do they treat us like this?  Why is everyone so cruel?" Sakura sobbed.

 

 Madison couldn't stand to see her beloved Sakura so miserable.  She took a deep breath.  "Sakura?"

 

 Sakura sat up, tears still trickling down her face.  "Yes, Madison?"

 

 Madison paused.  She knew what might happen if she said this.  But horrible the consequences might be to herself, if it could make Sakura happy again, it was worth it.

 

 "Sakura if you want to stop this...if you don't want us to keep going like this...it's okay.  If it'll make you happy, we can stop.  We can just be friends again, and everything can be normal again," Madison said.

 

 Sakura sat stunned.  It was as if someone had thrown a pail of water at her face.  What was wrong with her!?  Here she was, losing herself to self-pity.  Why, Madison was going through the same ordeal!  How could she be so self-absorbed?

 

 And over what?  So some people didn't like her anymore.  So some teachers didn't approve.  So she wasn't a cheerleader any more.  So what?  None of that was important.  Not really.

 

 Everything that was important was sitting next to her.  The important thing was that Madison loved her, and she loved Madison.  Nothing else mattered.

 

 Sakura smiled and dried her face.  "I'm sorry Madison.  I'm being stupid.  I've been focusing on the little things.  The important thing is that we have each other."

 

 "But if you're not happy, Sakura..."

 

 Sakura shook her head.  "Madison, I'm happier than I've ever been.  Being with you makes me happy.  As long as I have you, I'll always be happy."

 

 Joy, and perhaps just a little relief, shone on Madison's face.  "And I'm happy when you're happy, Sakura."

 

 Their arms encircled each other, and they gently hugged one another.

 

 "I'll always be there for you, Madison.  Regardless of what else happens, my love for you will remain solid," Sakura said softly.

 

 "And whatever the future holds, I'll be there for you," answered Madison.

 

 Things would not be easy, they knew.  But they also knew that they would always have the strength to overcome these obstacles.  Their love would see them through.

 

 The End

 

 

 Epilogue

 One month later...

 

 Sakura and Madison sat in the park together, enjoying the cool night.  Both thought about the past month.  So much had happened.

 

 They'd told their families about their love the weekend after being released from Cheerleading and Choir.  They figured that their families would eventually find out anyway, if not from them, then from rumors and such.  Madison's mother had been very understanding and even encouraging.  So, surprisingly, had Tori.  Actually, considering the time that he spent with Julian, perhaps it was not so surprising after all.  Sakura's father had also been understanding, saying that as long as she was happy with this, he didn't mind.

 

 Li and Meilin had stayed their steadfast friends throughout it all.  Li was a very deep and caring person once you got to know him.  And so long as no one was trying to steal Li away from her, Meilin was a very kind, thoughtful person.

 

 Eventually, after the first two weeks, the students in school moved on to other things.  The bullies moved on to newer, fresher targets, only harassing Sakura and Madison every now and then.  With the peer pressure to torment gone, most students just left the girls alone.  Not quite accepting them, but at least getting used to them.

 

 Chelsea still refused to speak to them, and Nikki still seemed to fear them.  Occasionally, Rita would give Sakura and Madison a small, almost sad smile in the hallways, as if to say privately that she would like to be their friend, but didn't want to be on the receiving end of all the public persecution.  Maybe someday, after a long time, they could again be friends.

 

 Zilch and Weasel hadn't bothered them again, not even trying to take revenge for their humiliating defeat (actually, Sakura suspected that they didn't even remember the whole ordeal, drunk as they'd been at the time).

 

 Of course, not everything was right.  Some people still hated Madison and Sakura, and continued to attempt to make their lives miserable.  But thankfully, such people were a minority.

 

 Yes, overall, things had gotten better.  They were still teased and bullied sometimes, but nowhere nearly as bad as in the days immediately following that dance.

 

 "It's been exactly a month since our fateful dance, Sakura," Madison said.

 

 "Yeah.  A lot has happened since then, but I think it's been worth it," Sakura said, smiling lovingly at Madison.

 

 "Me, too," Madison agreed, smiling back.

 

 Talking about dancing gave Sakura an idea.  She took out a Clow Card and said, "Hey, Madison, speaking of dancing..."

 

 She released the power of the card Float.  Slowly, she and Madison ascended higher and higher until finally, their feet rested on top of a cloud.

 

 Sakura bowed.  "May I have this dance, fair princess?"

 

 "For now and eternity," Madison replied, smiling.

 

 They danced amongst a sea of stars and upon a sea of clouds.  Tomorrow would be another hard day, but regardless of the hardships, they would have each other.  For now, they could dance.