A/N: Hey there everybody, here's chapter 4. Sorry it's so late but since it's not as popular this time around as it was the first time this story was posted it's not a high priority on my to do list to be honest. Oh well, it will be completed eventually simply b/c it's already done.

"means spoken words

italics means thoughts

( means insert sound, movement, A/N etc.

Disclaimer: "I don't own Cardcaptor Sakura or Chrono Trigger, which is where the name Guardia Forest comes from."

Learning To Love

Chapter 4: What Lies Through Guardia Forest

Syaoran and Sakura were standing outside the front door of Himiko's cabin. Himiko was standing in the doorway.

"Thank you so much for your hospitality and kindness Himiko," Sakura said in a cheery voice.

Syaoran nodded his head. "Yeah I don't know what we would have done without you."

Himiko waved them off. "Don't worry about it. It was my pleasure to have the two of you for the night. You just be careful going into that forest. Guardia Forest is full of unusual creatures. Some are good, but most are bad. Look out for each other."

Sakura smiled and nodded her head. "We will."

The royal pair walked down the front stairs and started to walk towards Guardia Forest, which was looming a few yards away from Himiko's cabin.

"Good luck!" the older lady called after their retreating backs.

Sakura and Syaoran turned their heads to look at her, a symbol that they heard her and smiled at her. Himiko waved a final good-bye before returning to the inside of her cabin.

Syaoran walked towards the forest as Sakura skipped and hummed. He couldn't help but smile at Sakura's outgoing mood.

"Someone's on the peppy side today."

Sakura twirled around before answering him. "You bet I am! After I woke up at Himiko's she made me rest for almost the whole time we were there!"

Syaoran shook his head. "Well what do you expect? You had been poisoned and you needed rest."

"Yeah but it was soooo boring!" the green-eyed princess whined in response.

Sakura did a cartwheel to emphasize her point. She suddenly stopped as she realized that they were at Guardia Forest. Sakura looked up at the tall tree's that loomed over head. Syaoran looked up as well.

"Wow . . . I've never seen so many tree's . . ."

"Me neither."

Sakura took a small step forward. "I wonder what's in there."

"Well, let's go find out." Syaoran replied as he walking into the forest.

Sakura noticed and ran to catch up with him. The two looked around as they walked through the dense forest. It was quite dark because there were so many trees blocking the sunlight. Sakura looked around and shivered.

"This place gives me the creeps."

"Yeah I know," Syaoran said glancing around suspiciously.

"It's so quite," Sakura whispered.

"A little too quite."

As if on cue, some of the nearby bushes started to rustle. Sakura jumped and wrapped her arms around Syaoran's neck, startled. Syaoran's cheeks tinged a light shade of red.

Sakura shrieked, "What is that?!"

"I don't know."

"Y-you don't think it's that Shiro guy again do you?!"

"I don't think so . . ."

Sakura let go of Syaoran as he started to slowly walk towards the source of the noise. He put his hands on the bushes and started to part them when . . .

"Hey-hey-ho!"

"AHHHHHHHH!"

Syaoran fell over onto his butt as a little yellow creature with white wings and a tail with a yellow fluff ball on it flew out of the bushes and started to fly around.

"Oh wow it's been awhile since I've seen humans in this forest!" the small creature chattered as it zoomed circles around the two teens.

The little animal stopped in front of Sakura. "Wow you're pretty, and you look nice too. Do you have any food? I'm starving!"

Sakura started to giggle at the creature's antics until Syaoran ran towards them with his sword draw.

"Hey get the hell away from her!"

Syaoran swung his sword at the tiny yellow stuffed animal look-alike, which dodged it.

"Hey watch it! You almost hit me!"

Syaoran swung his sword again, missing the creature by an inch. "That's the point!"

The creature flew behind Sakura and peeked back over her shoulder. "Help me! You're friend's crazy!"

Sakura looked at her male companion with a disapproving look. "Syaoran stop it! You'll hurt him!"

Syaoran looked at her flabbergast. "That's what I'm trying to do! That thing could be dangerous! Remember what Himiko said? About how there's a lot of bad things in this forest!?"

"But she also said that there are some good creature's as well!" Sakura countered.

The furry animal piped up. "I'm one of those good creatures, I swear! All I want is some food!"

Syaoran eyed the creature peeking out from behind the princess and re-sheathed his sword. The creature flew out and stopped in front of Sakura and took a deep breath of relief.

"Oh thank goodness."

"So who are you?" Sakura asked.

"More appropriately, what are you?"

The creature gave Syaoran a look before turning back to Sakura.

"My name's Kero and I'm a forest sprite." (A/N: Kero may be a forest sprite but he still looks the same as in the original show.)

"Well it's very nice to meet you Kero. My name's Sakura and this is Syaoran."

"What are you two doing in here? Not many people come through here."

Sakura moved a strand of stray hair behind her ear. "We're on a journey to destroy something called the crystal of power and we have to go through this forest to get to it."

Kero crossed his legs and put his little fist under his chin in mid air. "I see. Well, I'd hate to see someone as nice as you in danger so I'll go with you to help you through the forest."

Sakura's face lit up with a smile. "Really? That's so nice of you! Isn't it Syaoran?"

Syaoran crossed his arms over his chest. "Humph. Like there's anything that a wannabe stuffed animal can do other then free load off of us."

Kero flew into Syaoran's face. "Hey! Who you callin' a free loadin' stuffed animal?"

Sakura stepped in between them before Syaroan could retaliate.

"Okay you two that's enough. We have to get going."

Kero flew over and sat on Sakura's shoulder while Syaoran walked next to her.

"So . . . you got anything to eat?"

Syaoran facefaulted then got back up and glared at Kero. "We just started and you already want to eat?!"

"Syaoran don't yell at him like that," Sakura reprimanded the prince, "If he's hungry he's hungry."

She took off her pack and handed Kero some homemade cookies that Himiko had given her before she and Syaoran left.

"Here ya go."

Kero took them and started munching immediately. "Thank you."

Sakura smiled. "You're welcome."

Sakura and Syaoran continued walking while Kero sat on Sakura's shoulder happily munching on the cookies.

"So, you two an item?" he nonchalantly asked.

Sakura blinked in surprise. "Pardon?"

"You know . . . a couple."

Kero noticed both Sakura and Syaoran's cheeks ting a nice shade of red as they vigorously shook their heads 'no'.

"No we're not."

"Nope. In fact, I'm engaged to someone else already."

Kero noticed that Sakura didn't exactly sound happy about that. Syaoran didn't notice however because he was too busy scowling at the mention of Sakura's engagement to his least favorite person.

Kero went on. "Oh. So why are you going after that power crystal thing?"

"It's the crystal of power," Syaoran corrected him.

"Whatever. Why are you going after it?"

Sakura spent the next few minutes explaining what was going on.

"So you two are really royalty, but you are disguised as knights from your kingdom?" he said as you pointed at Sakura.

Sakura nodded. "That's right."

"I see. That's pretty brave of you guys to take on this job."

"It's only been three days since we started and you wouldn't believe the stuff we've already been through."

"I'll say," Syaoran agreed.

The group continued walking until they came to a small lake. Sakura and Syaoran decided to stop and fill up their canteens. While they were doing that, a beautiful lady arose from the lake in the middle. Kero noticed and knew that there was going to be trouble.

"Uh-oh."

Sakura and Syaoran looked up at him while they capped their canteens.

"'Uh-oh' what?" Syoaran asked raising an eyebrow.

"What's wrong Kero?"

Kero pointed at the lady in the middle of the lake staring at them. Sakura and Syaoran looked in the direction Kero was pointing in and saw her. She had a long blue dress on and long light-blue hair. She was pretty, but she didn't look right. She looked like trouble.

Sakura whispered trying to draw as little attention to them as possible. "Kero who is that?"

"Lucresia, the muse of the lake."

"The what?"

"Muse of the lake. She sings to the creatures of the forest with her beautiful voice and makes things grow by singing."

"Oh," Sakura let out the breath she had been unknowingly holding, " Well she doesn't sound like a bad . . . uh . . . thing."

Lucresia started to sing.

"What a beautiful song," Sakura admitted.

"Not really."

She turned to Kero. "Why do you say that?"

"Because, she may sound nice, and have a pretty voice, but she means trouble when it comes to you humans."

"How so?"

"Because she enjoys seducing men and messing with their heads and hearts. Her singing doesn't affect you because you're a girl, but it basically hypnotizes men and draws them to her."

Sakura let all of what Kero just said sink in. Then her eyes widened in realization.

"Then that means Syaoran-"

"Bingo."

Sakura looked at the spot next to her, but Syaoran was no longer there. He was already walking out to the middle of the lake towards Lucresia. His eyes were glazed over and his face didn't show any emotion. Sakura stood up.

"Syaoran stop! Don't go over to her!"

Sakura went to run towards him but felt something grab her. She turned her head to the left and the right to see two girls about her sizes holding onto her, one on each side. They were giggling maliciously as one turned into a tree while the other one was still holding Sakura.

"What the?!"

Kero shouted, "They're forest nymphs Sakura! They can change into anything that's in this forest! A tree, a bush, a flower you name it they can become it! And they serve Lucresia. When ever people come into this forest Lucresia takes the men and her nymphs take the women."

"Well what do they do with the women?!" Sakura asked as she struggled to loosen the grip one of the nymphs had on her.

"What do you think they do with them?! They kill them! After all they only want the men!"

The nymph that was still in the form of a girl yanked both or Sakura's arms over her head and a vine hanging from the "tree" quickly snaked around her wrist tying them together above her head. Sakura struggled as more vines started to wrap around her.

"Let go! Get off of me!"

Kero flew towards Sakura and started to try and bite through the vines to save her, but the "tree" used one of her branches to swat him away. Sakura looked out to the lake and saw Lucresia hugging Syaoran. She could see one side of his face and he looked completely out of it. She didn't know what she was going to do.

"Hey! You leave Syaoran alone!" she demanded.

Lucresia looked up at Sakura and smirked as if to say 'as if there's anything you can do about it'. She looked back down at Syaoran and went back to caressing his face, which made Sakura quite mad. She started kicking harder until the vines started winding around her legs as well.

"Syaoran! Fight it Syaoran! Don't let her get to you! I know you can do it, I believe in you!"

Lucresia saw something she'd never seen before when Sakura said that. She saw her victim's eye twitch a bit, as if Sakura was getting through to him. That worried her. No one had ever been able to break the spell that she would weave and she wasn't about to let someone break it now. She looked up at the nymphs that had Sakura.

"Shut her up now!" she ordered.

The other nymph nodded her head and turned into a tree on the other side of Sakura and started winding vines around her as well. Sakura could hardly move anymore because she was almost completely covered in vines. Only a few places were left uncovered revealing her clothes. They quickly made their way up to her head, intending to suffocate her. But Sakura would not give up without a fight. She continued to call out to Syaoran.

"You're stronger then her Syaoran! You can beat her! I have faith in you! We can't die here; think of all the people back home counting on us!"

With every sentence she said Syaoran's eyes twitched.

"Sa . . . ku . . . ra . . . ."

Lucresia's eyes flared. "Kill her now!"

The vines had reached her neck and were starting to make it hard for Sakura to breathe. She took one last breath before shouting desperately.

"SYAORAN!!"

The vines snaked up over her face and continued up her arms which were still hanging from the first "tree". As for Syaoran, he felt like his mind was surrounded by a heavy haze. He didn't really know what was going on. All he could think about was Lucresia and her singing. But then he kept hearing these other phrases, like 'fight it Syaoran!' and 'I believe in you!' But he didn't know where they were coming from. He also heard Lucresia stop singing to shout a few times, but to whom he did not know. All he heard was 'Shut her up!' and 'Kill her now!'

Kill her? Who's her

Then he heard a girl shout his name desperately and instantly the fog seemed to lift. Visions of Sakura filled his head again. Sakura smiling and sticking out her hand in a gesture of friendship; Sakura hugging him and crying; Sakura pushing him out of the way of the Scorpion's tail; Sakura skipping and doing cartwheels on the way to Guardia forest. His eyes were no longer glazed over and he was staring at a shocked Lucresia having no idea what was really going on. All he knew was that Sakura shouted his name and her voice sounded panicked.

"No, it can't be. How'd you overcome my spell!? It's not possible! Only the thing that is most important to you in the world could have stood a chance at saving you!" Lucresia scowled.

Syaoran wasn't really paying attention to her, he was looking around to see where Sakura was, but he didn't see her. He turned to Lucresia, his eyes burning with anger.

"What's going on! Where's Sakura!?"

Lucresia smirked. "Even if she did manage to bring you back to reality she's already suffered her own demise."

Syaoran's glare intensified. "What are you talking about!?"

Lucresia said nothing but pointed at something behind Syaoran. He turned to look where she was pointing. He saw the two "trees" with something wrapped in vines in between them. He didn't get it till he saw part of Sakura's shirt through some of the vines. Without a moments hesitation he drew his sword and made to run, but Lucresia grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"You're not going anywhere! You're mine!"

"Watch me!"

Syaoran swung his sword as he turned around, slicing through Lucresia's midriff. She let go and clutched her stomach as she fell to her knees wailing and started to sink back into the lake. Syaoran ran at the "trees" and cut the vine that held Sakura in between them. The cocoon of vines fell to the ground as Syaoran rammed his sword into one of the nymphs and then the other, causing them to scream and disappear. Syaoran re-sheathed his sword and immediately dropped to his knees next to Sakura. He started ripping all the vines off of her with his bare hands because he was afraid that if he used his sword he would cut Sakura in the process and he didn't want to kill her if she wasn't dead already . . .

Don't think like that Syaoran! Sakura's alive! She's going to be just fine! She has to be . . . because you don't know what you're going to do if she isn't . . .

He finally got her face and chest area uncovered. He sighed in relief when he saw that she was still breathing. It was shallow, but it was there. Kero finally came to and flew over to them.

"Is she okay?!"

"Yeah, I think she's going to be fine."

Syaoran gently shook her shoulders as he called out to her. "Sakura, Sakura wake up."

She groaned and opened her eyes half way. She saw Syaoran and weakly smiled.

"Syaoran, you're okay. I'm glad . . ."

That's all Sakura got out before she passed out again. Syaoran just stared at her, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips.

She's glad I'm okay.

Kero finally flew in front of Syaoran's face to snap him out of his stupor.

"Hey kid we gotta move. You may have killed the forest nymphs but I don't think you killed Lucresia. Let's book it before she decides to make an appearance again."

Syoran nodded, "Right."

He gently hoisted Sakura onto his back so she could ride piggy-back. Then he started walking while Kero flew next to him. Three hours later they decided that it was too dark to keep traveling and that they would have to make camp. Syaoran set Sakura down in her sleeping bag and started a fire. Syaoran and Kero ate some dinner as they sat around the fire. While they were eating, Kero caught Syaoran staring at Sakura's sleeping form. He smirked as he turned to Syaoran.

"Uh-huh, so that's how it is."

Syaoran turned to look at Kero. "What are you mumbling about?"

"Nothing much, I just realized what your feelings are for Sakura that's all."

Syaoran's face reddened as he shouted at Kero. "What are you talking about?!"

Kero shook his head. "Kid it's as plain as day. Take for example the way you were just staring at her."

"I was just spacing out that's all!"

"And the thing that happened with Lucresia."

"What thing?" Syaoran asked curious.

"How Sakura managed to snap you out of her spell. That's never been done before. You two are the only humans to ever survive an encounter with Lucresia. Like she said, Sakura's gotta be pretty important to you to pull you away from her like that. Why don't you just admit you love her and get it over with?"

"Because I don't love her!" Syaoran growled in denial, "I hardly even like her, I'm just doing this because my mother told me I had to and if she dies I won't be able to find the crystal and destroy it!"

Syaoran was lying. He was only saying that because he wanted to get Kero off his back. The truth was he was starting to care about Sakura very much, and that thought scared him, which was something Syaoran Li rarely was, scared. To top it off, Sakura was already engaged to Eriol, so no matter what he felt he couldn't be with her, not now anyway. He had his chance and he blew it. Unknown to both Syaoran and Kero, Sakura had awoken because of their shouting and had heard the whole thing. She stifled a sniffle and wiped away the tears that were cascading down her cheeks. She didn't want them to know that she was awake.

So everything that Syaoran told me about changing was a lie. I can't believe he lied to me. I'm just a crystal finding compass to him . . .

Syaoran continued. "Besides, she's already engaged to Prince Eriol."

"So? That doesn't mean you can't love her."

"I told you I don't love her, now shut up and go to sleep!"

Syaoran got out his sleeping and went to bed, as did Kero. Unfortunately he couldn't sleep. His mind was in a whirl of thoughts and he kept moving about in his sleeping bag. Kero noticed and finally spoke up.

"Hey kid, what's your problem?"

"I can't sleep."

"Are you think about something," Kero got a sly smirk on his face, "or someone?"

Syaoran turned away from Kero. "I just can't sleep okay!? Now leave me alone!"

Kero glared at Syaoran. "Geeze you're a brat."

Kero rolled over and went to sleep, leaving Syaoran the only one awake. He sighed as he looked across the fire at Sakura's sleeping face. He had so many questions, but he didn't really want the answers to them because he was afraid of what they would be. He was afraid that Kero might be right.

I just don't know what to do. Ever since I set out on this journey with Sakura she's the only thing I think about. Every time she's in remote danger I get so scared, and I'm never scared, not even when I'm in danger. But the minute Sakura's in danger I feel like my whole world's going to fall apart. And yet every time she smiles I feel happy just knowing she's happy. I don't get it, why do I feel like this? What's wrong with me? And more importantly, what do I do about it?

Seeing that no one was going to answer his questions, Syaoran rolled over and tried to get some sleep.

End of chapter 4.

A/N: Sorry that was so short, but I couldn't think of anything else to put in this chapter. I'm trying to make the journey interesting by having Sakura and Syaoran run into people, or things like Lucresia, so I hope everybody's okay with that kind of thing. After all, this story is really fantasy based. Anyway, hope you liked chapter 4, see-ya in chapter 5!

SakuraJade