I'm back with chapter 2! ^^ I hope this comes out quickly enough. I
will try to hurry, for those of you who were kind enough to review and give
me some motivation, along with the ones who have no or very little
patience.
Anyways, if you ever want to take a guess about what's going on in this story, you're welcome to it ^_^ It won't be that easy though! I have strict ideas for the plot structure of this story, and I think they will hide what I want to be hidden for the time being. ^^ But I'm sure some of you out there are very perceptive!
I want to thank everyone who reviewed from the bottom of my heart! It means so much to me! *cries* A large arigato and hug to the following people: Linky-chan (it's not Meiling ^^; lol You'll see what it is at the beginning of the chapter. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!), Starlight Vixen (here's the update ^^ You think my story is cool??? Arigato!), Genkajun (one of the best stories you've seen yet?! *nearly faints* A-Arigato so much!! *hugs* That really brightened up my day =^-^=), Jurei-chan (Hai! I'm resurrected! I hope not to die again! I love your stories!! Please update soon! Especially the Mulan one!!), Ying Fa 20007 (here's the update ^_^ I hope it wasn't that long a wait! I'm trying my best to write whenever I can!), Nefertiti (I'm glad you like it! Thanks!! ^_^), Sarai (A-A-Amazing?? Honto ne?? *really?* O.O You sure gave me motivation! How kind of you! *hugs* Thanks so much!! I needed a lift in spirit!), SAKURA LOVER (here's the update! I'll e-mail you from now on when I update this, if you want ^_^ I'm glad you like it! The plot is developing! But I have TONS more in store! Stay tuned! And arigato! ^^), Final Fantasy Princess (You're so nice! I'm glad you like the story! ^_^ I will try to continue my other ones soon! I hope minna-chan can keep their patience! Arigato for reviewing!), Blue Phoenix (Awww! Thankies! I'm glad you think it's kewl! ^^ Arigato gozaimasu!), 2kz (I hope you can define this as 'Immediately' ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!), Tomoyo-chan (Cerberus??? Good guess! But you'll have to read on to find out! Arigato!), Gatomon (I don't know what you're saying, but thanks for reviewing ^^), CreatiStar (I know...I liked the Lunar Story...perhaps I WILL continue...for the 7 of you who reviewed ^_^ Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like this one so far! And I won't stop writing! *tears up* You all inspire me so much with your wonderful comments about my writing! *hugs* I owe you so much!), Sweet Anime Fan (Okay! I'm continuing! *hugs* Arigato for the encouragement! I feel better about my writing now!), Mel-chan (Thanks for reviewing! Tomadachis forever! *hugs* I'd love to read your story when you're finished! Don't hesitate to let me know!), and Shelby (Arigato!! I'm glad you think it's interesting! I really do try! And I'll most likely make it E+T ^^ You're the only person who's requested the pairing so far though. Thanks for reviewing!). THANK YOU ALL! Here's the next chapter! Already! The second day! I hope you're happy! Please review!! ^__^
On with the story then! Enjoy! And please continue to review! Your nice reviews got me going on this next chapter already, even though I just posted the first today!
The Secret of Mahou Kingdom Chapter 2: The Maiden's Protector
Syaoran stepped back slowly, never taking his eyes from the creature's intense gaze. It followed him, its gigantic clawed-feet taking a bounding step forward.
"S-Stay back..." The Prince warned, releasing his sword from the pendant around his neck.
It snorted loudly, projecting a thin stream of flames from its nostrils. Syaoran jumped to the side, narrowing missing the dragon's stream of fire as it zoomed past him.
Syaoran fixed the great-winged creature with his trademark glare. "I don't want to hurt you." he explained to it, as if it could understand what he was saying.
The dragon blinked back at him, its shiny blue scales reflecting iridescent in the thin shafts of moonlight.
"Hurry! Run away from here!" an unfamiliar, yet melodical voice called out.
Syaoran turned his gaze to behind the dragon, where the auburn-haired girl stood, her hands clutched together fearfully. Her bright eyes pleaded with him silently.
"Who are you?" he shouted to the girl, dodging a swipe of the dragon's magnificent tail.
She shook her head furiously. "You must get away from this place before you're hurt!" she alleged, "Flee from here immediately! And please, do not come back! You must not get involved!"
The Prince failed to remove his eyes from the girl, unaware that the dragon was again swinging its strong tail in his direction.
The young girl's eyes broadened, already realizing what was happening. "Watch out!" she yelled frantically, running forward.
Syaoran had barely ducked out of the way of the monstrous tail in time, the scaly bottom of it grazing the top of his untidy hair.
"Are you alright?" the girl questioned.
The Prince looked up and felt his face heat up. She stood only a few feet away from him, an ethereal glow cast around her from the streams of moonlight above. Syaoran merely nodded and broke his eyes away from her, to glance at the dragon.
He raised an eyebrow as it merely sat on its haunches, watching the two curiously. Syaoran took a step toward the lovely maiden, issuing a growl of warning from the dragon. 'It wants me to hold back.' he realized, stopping in his tracks.
"Please forget what has taken place here."
Syaoran's eyes shifted back to the girl, capturing her emerald eyes with his amber ones. "Why? Who are you? Why are you here?" he questioned intently, never letting his gaze waver.
"You must leave." She spoke softly, tears running down her face, "Leave this place immediately! Don't get involved! Onegai!"
His eyes softened, and his heart wrenched painfully at the sight of her glistening tears. "I can't just leave you here." he argued.
She hastened toward him. "But you must! You ca-"
She came in contact with the force field between them, blue electricity assaulting her harshly on impact. With a painful shriek, she fell to the ground unconscious.
Syaoran could only watch in horror as the beautiful girl was flung back from the barrier, landing limply on the forested floor. Coming to his senses, he pounded his fists heavily upon the magical shield. "DAMN!" he cursed, sinking to his knees in defeat.
'Why do I feel so attached to this forest girl?' he wondered, his eyes shining with a strange emotion as he stared at the fallen young woman, 'And why can't I do anything to help her?'
His thoughts shattered when the dragon got up, slowly making its way toward the girl. The Prince felt a sudden rush of adrenaline and anger burn up from within him. "Stay away from her!" he demanded, slamming his sword repetitively against the invisible barrier.
The dragon completely ignored him, picking up the still form of the maiden with its tail and carrying her off into the shadows.
The Prince rapped against the barrier, exerting all of his energy in hopes of breaking, or at least weakening the shield. "NOOO! Get back here!" he yelled, feeling utterly powerless to help the poor girl, "Please no....."
"Who's out there?"
Syaoran gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. He saw a dark figure in the distance, holding out a lantern. 'Shit!' he cursed mentally, 'I have to hurry and get out of here!' He glanced back and lowered his head shamefully. There was no more he could do for the girl. She was left to the mercy of the dragon. 'And I call myself a Prince...' he mocked himself.
Hearing the unknown voice continue to call out, he lifted himself from the plush forest floor and stealthily made his way through the woods. 'Please let her be safe.' he prayed, coming to the exit of the forest, 'Somehow...let her be alright.'
Just before climbing though the guest room window, he cast a dismal glance back at the forest. 'Whoever you are...I'll rescue you.' he vowed silently.
And with that thought, the Prince disappeared back into the sleeping castle.
******************************
As the sun kindly shed its warm rays upon the kingdom, the forest erupted into a bustle of activity. The birds singing songs of morning in the trees and critters of every kind chitter-chattering away.
Emerald green eyes blinked open, squinting into the sunshine. "Hooooeee....what happened?" she questioned sleepily.
'I had a really weird dream last night....' she recalled, 'About someone coming to the forest...' She shook her head ruefully. 'Rubbish.'
She stretched out her tired limbs, just now realizing that she was curled between something large, blue and scaly.
"Hoe?"
As if in reply, the dragon roared a yawn and turned its head toward her. The girl smiled at the dragon, petting its snout softly when it came closer. "You watched over me again, didn't you?" she asked the great creature.
It nuzzled her gently in response, issuing a giggle from the auburn- haired young maiden. "Oh, you're just a big blue softy, aren't you Hacchi- chan?"
The dragon nodded its head up and down, blowing a stream of warm air at the green-eyed girl, blasting the hair from her face. The young lass laughed, combing through her hair with her hand.
"Thank you." she said tenderly, locking its golden eyes with hers, "I'm so happy I have a friend like you."
The beast gently lifted her arm up on its nose, whining slightly in concern.
The girl looked from away from the beast's gold eyes to her arm. "Huh?" Her eyes widened considerably. "A burn!?" she gasped. She turned to her companion, a bewildered expression on her face. "How did this happen?"
The dragon huffed in annoyance and glared out through the forest.
"Was someone here?" she questioned.
The beast nodded once, never taking its eyes off of whatever he was glowering at. The maiden gasped in sudden realization. "My dream!"
In her sleep, she had a vision of a young man who came to the forest. She could still remember his features clear as day. Chocolate-colored hair and the most amazing pair of cinnamon-amber eyes she had ever seen.
She gasped aloud. Had it not been a dream? Had the young man really come to the forest? 'Yes...he had.' She realized, remembering how he had asked her name, how he defended himself against Hacchi-chan....it was all vivid now.
'Who was that handsome young man?' she wondered, gazing longingly into the distance.
The blue dragon nudged her slightly, bringing her back into reality. She smiled up at the kind creature. "You didn't like that stranger much, did you Hacchi-chan?"
It growled and puffed black smoke from its nostrils, shaking it enormous head back and forth. The young damsel couldn't help but chuckle. "It's alright, Hacchi-chan." she spoke calmly, patting his tail, "I'm sure he won't be coming back." 'Though I wish he would...' she thought sadly.
"If..." the girl started.
The dragon looked at her quizzically, with blinking gold eyes. She looked sheepishly up at him, forcing a smile. "If he should come back...please don't hurt him, okay Hacchi-chan?"
The dragon huffed indignantly, smashing his tail against a nearby tree and leaving a nasty dent in the wood. Then turned back to the young woman, as if for approval.
The girl sweat-dropped at the sight of the deep mark the dragon had left in the timber. "Please?" she pleaded with him, placing a hand on her heart, "For me?"
The dragon almost seemed to sigh, lowering its head to the ground dismally. The young maiden's expression saddened even farther as she lifted herself from the forest floor and approached the melancholy beast.
"I know you're only trying to protect me." she placed the back of her hand against the side of his face, "And I appreciate that more than you can imagine."
A great blue tail swept up from behind her, wrapping around her waist and carrying her on top of the dragon's snout. The tip of its smooth tail brushed up against the side of her face in a gentle caress.
The young woman closed her eyes. "You have to understand, Hacchi- chan. I can't stand being cooped up here like this."
The creature hummed sadly at her misfortune.
"You are free." she explained, opening her eyes, which were filling up with tears, "Yet you wish to stay here?"
The great creature nodded, being careful not to accidentally throw the girl off. The young girl sighed. "But I think that man can free me from this prison, Hacchi-chan."
The dragon blew flames forward, lighting up the magical force barrier that kept the girl captive, to emphasize its point.
"He has magic." the girl explained, "And strong magic, at that. I feel...I feel as though he can break that barrier somehow."
The blue dragon gave her a look that clearly said 'Can we stop talking about him?'.
"I'm sorry, Hacchi-chan." she apologized, patting the top of his head, "I won't speak of him again." She hugged the dragon's snout. "I'd be so lonely here without you. Thank you for being here for me, Hacchi-chan. I don't know what I would do if you ever left me."
The great winged dragon lowered his head and allowed the girl to climb down to the ground. After she was safely upon the plush grass ground, she lifted her arm to eye level in the sunlight to get a better look at it. She bit her lip at the sight of the grotesque burn. 'I better get this cleaned up.' She decided.
The young woman pointed in the direction of a small lake in the near distance. "I'm going to head to the springs, Hacchi-chan." she told the beast, "Would you like to come along?"
The blue dragon nodded enthusiastically, giving it a comical 'overgrown puppy' appearance as it wagged its large tail from side to side.
"Come along then!" she called, hiking up her pale pink dress and running off into toward the springs.
The happy beast pranced after her, shaking the trees and everything else around it as it hopped not to far behind her.
****************************
The Prince couldn't keep his mind off the maiden in the forest. Here he was, enjoying a splendid meal in Mahou Castle, and all he could think of was the green-eyed beauty. 'Is she alright? Should I visit her again today? What was a dragon doing there in the forest with her?'
A million questions bombarded his mind over and over again. Meiling glanced at her fiancé, wondering why he kept glancing out the nearest window and poking at the food on his plate. "Prince Xiao Lang?" she questioned.
The Prince glared at her. "That's Syaoran, to you. Only my family has permission to call me by my real name."
"Well EXCUSE me!" Meiling huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I'm only your FIANCEE and future WIFE."
Eriol put a hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Must you two bicker?" he muttered.
"More tea, sir?"
The young knight looked up and met the sweet smiling face of his favorite maid. "Ah, Miss Tomoyo." he acknowledged, taking her hand in his.
She could only stare wide-eyed as the knight kissed her hand in greeting. He waved a hand nonchalantly at the arguing Prince and Princess. "I'm afraid you've come at a bad time." he explained, but nonetheless held up his teacup, "But I would like some more tea, if you will, Miss."
She nodded, releasing her hand from his and reaching for the teapot she had brought with her. Her cheeks still tinted with a strawberry color, she poured him a cup. He smiled brightly back at her. "Thank you."
She nodded in respect to him and hurried out of the room as quickly as her small feet would carry her.
Eriol turned back to the happenings of his companions, immediately surprised that they had quit arguing and were now eating in silence. He shrugged inwardly and went back to eating his meal as well.
It wasn't until nearly ten minutes later that the Princess spoke up. "*ahem* I've been given news from one of my messengers that someone was out in the forest last night." she stated.
Eriol almost smirked when he saw how the Prince stiffened in his chair, concentrating solely on his food.
"Those woods are highly dangerous." Meiling continued, "We here at the Kingdom do not want anyone wandering in and getting injured."
The knight rolled his eyes at how the Princess faked concern for Mahou Kingdom, and strangely, how believable she was.
"My advisor has helped me to set up precautions, to prevent this from happening again." Princess Meiling elucidated, "As of tonight, there will be a guard watch set up around the forest, to capture anyone who dares to set foot there."
Syaoran nearly choked on the piece of food he was chewing. "What!?"
Meiling waved her hand gracefully. "Like I just explained, the forest is from this point on, guarded."
'Then I'll have to resort to other measures of getting in.' The Prince decided, determined to go back and find the maiden of he had met the night before.
Eriol glanced at his descendant, feeling a smile creep upon his lips. 'I believe the dear Prince has met the lovely and enchanting green-eyed captive of the forest.' he thought, studying the stoic Prince's determined expression. 'Hath thou become attached to her?' he wondered.
Syaoran glanced out the window, his sharp amber-colored eyes fixing upon the forest. 'I will come back for you tonight.' he promised, 'No matter what.'
*Whew* Chapter 2 is finished!! ^_^ I hope you like it! I slaved all day to write this immediately, as thanks for reviewing and getting me back on my feet! Thanks so much to all of you that reviewed the first chapter! You're all so kind!
Do you like Hacchi-chan?? ^_^ I love him! *huggles the blue dragon* And I felt that Sakura needed a companion, living all that time in the forest. And I thought her having a friendship with a dragon might be neat (and kawaii ^^). I hope you agree! And yes, the bond between them is strong. Hacchi-chan feels the need to protect Sakura from anyone outside of the forest, and being a dragon, he does a good job of that ^_^ I also thought the over-grown puppy attitude might be good for him. I hope minna- chan approves!
OH!!! I have a question for Minna-chan!!! Do you want this to be and Eriol and Tomoyo coupling or and Eriol and Meiling coupling (if you think about it, they have just as much of a chance together as E+T)??? I'll do either! So let me know in your reviews!! THANKS!
Please review if you can spare the time! It really does help! And it makes me want to write, write, WRITE! ^_^ Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think! And stay tuned for the next chapter!!! Ja for now! ~Manda-chan
Anyways, if you ever want to take a guess about what's going on in this story, you're welcome to it ^_^ It won't be that easy though! I have strict ideas for the plot structure of this story, and I think they will hide what I want to be hidden for the time being. ^^ But I'm sure some of you out there are very perceptive!
I want to thank everyone who reviewed from the bottom of my heart! It means so much to me! *cries* A large arigato and hug to the following people: Linky-chan (it's not Meiling ^^; lol You'll see what it is at the beginning of the chapter. Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!), Starlight Vixen (here's the update ^^ You think my story is cool??? Arigato!), Genkajun (one of the best stories you've seen yet?! *nearly faints* A-Arigato so much!! *hugs* That really brightened up my day =^-^=), Jurei-chan (Hai! I'm resurrected! I hope not to die again! I love your stories!! Please update soon! Especially the Mulan one!!), Ying Fa 20007 (here's the update ^_^ I hope it wasn't that long a wait! I'm trying my best to write whenever I can!), Nefertiti (I'm glad you like it! Thanks!! ^_^), Sarai (A-A-Amazing?? Honto ne?? *really?* O.O You sure gave me motivation! How kind of you! *hugs* Thanks so much!! I needed a lift in spirit!), SAKURA LOVER (here's the update! I'll e-mail you from now on when I update this, if you want ^_^ I'm glad you like it! The plot is developing! But I have TONS more in store! Stay tuned! And arigato! ^^), Final Fantasy Princess (You're so nice! I'm glad you like the story! ^_^ I will try to continue my other ones soon! I hope minna-chan can keep their patience! Arigato for reviewing!), Blue Phoenix (Awww! Thankies! I'm glad you think it's kewl! ^^ Arigato gozaimasu!), 2kz (I hope you can define this as 'Immediately' ^_^ Thanks for reviewing!), Tomoyo-chan (Cerberus??? Good guess! But you'll have to read on to find out! Arigato!), Gatomon (I don't know what you're saying, but thanks for reviewing ^^), CreatiStar (I know...I liked the Lunar Story...perhaps I WILL continue...for the 7 of you who reviewed ^_^ Thanks a lot! I'm glad you like this one so far! And I won't stop writing! *tears up* You all inspire me so much with your wonderful comments about my writing! *hugs* I owe you so much!), Sweet Anime Fan (Okay! I'm continuing! *hugs* Arigato for the encouragement! I feel better about my writing now!), Mel-chan (Thanks for reviewing! Tomadachis forever! *hugs* I'd love to read your story when you're finished! Don't hesitate to let me know!), and Shelby (Arigato!! I'm glad you think it's interesting! I really do try! And I'll most likely make it E+T ^^ You're the only person who's requested the pairing so far though. Thanks for reviewing!). THANK YOU ALL! Here's the next chapter! Already! The second day! I hope you're happy! Please review!! ^__^
On with the story then! Enjoy! And please continue to review! Your nice reviews got me going on this next chapter already, even though I just posted the first today!
The Secret of Mahou Kingdom Chapter 2: The Maiden's Protector
Syaoran stepped back slowly, never taking his eyes from the creature's intense gaze. It followed him, its gigantic clawed-feet taking a bounding step forward.
"S-Stay back..." The Prince warned, releasing his sword from the pendant around his neck.
It snorted loudly, projecting a thin stream of flames from its nostrils. Syaoran jumped to the side, narrowing missing the dragon's stream of fire as it zoomed past him.
Syaoran fixed the great-winged creature with his trademark glare. "I don't want to hurt you." he explained to it, as if it could understand what he was saying.
The dragon blinked back at him, its shiny blue scales reflecting iridescent in the thin shafts of moonlight.
"Hurry! Run away from here!" an unfamiliar, yet melodical voice called out.
Syaoran turned his gaze to behind the dragon, where the auburn-haired girl stood, her hands clutched together fearfully. Her bright eyes pleaded with him silently.
"Who are you?" he shouted to the girl, dodging a swipe of the dragon's magnificent tail.
She shook her head furiously. "You must get away from this place before you're hurt!" she alleged, "Flee from here immediately! And please, do not come back! You must not get involved!"
The Prince failed to remove his eyes from the girl, unaware that the dragon was again swinging its strong tail in his direction.
The young girl's eyes broadened, already realizing what was happening. "Watch out!" she yelled frantically, running forward.
Syaoran had barely ducked out of the way of the monstrous tail in time, the scaly bottom of it grazing the top of his untidy hair.
"Are you alright?" the girl questioned.
The Prince looked up and felt his face heat up. She stood only a few feet away from him, an ethereal glow cast around her from the streams of moonlight above. Syaoran merely nodded and broke his eyes away from her, to glance at the dragon.
He raised an eyebrow as it merely sat on its haunches, watching the two curiously. Syaoran took a step toward the lovely maiden, issuing a growl of warning from the dragon. 'It wants me to hold back.' he realized, stopping in his tracks.
"Please forget what has taken place here."
Syaoran's eyes shifted back to the girl, capturing her emerald eyes with his amber ones. "Why? Who are you? Why are you here?" he questioned intently, never letting his gaze waver.
"You must leave." She spoke softly, tears running down her face, "Leave this place immediately! Don't get involved! Onegai!"
His eyes softened, and his heart wrenched painfully at the sight of her glistening tears. "I can't just leave you here." he argued.
She hastened toward him. "But you must! You ca-"
She came in contact with the force field between them, blue electricity assaulting her harshly on impact. With a painful shriek, she fell to the ground unconscious.
Syaoran could only watch in horror as the beautiful girl was flung back from the barrier, landing limply on the forested floor. Coming to his senses, he pounded his fists heavily upon the magical shield. "DAMN!" he cursed, sinking to his knees in defeat.
'Why do I feel so attached to this forest girl?' he wondered, his eyes shining with a strange emotion as he stared at the fallen young woman, 'And why can't I do anything to help her?'
His thoughts shattered when the dragon got up, slowly making its way toward the girl. The Prince felt a sudden rush of adrenaline and anger burn up from within him. "Stay away from her!" he demanded, slamming his sword repetitively against the invisible barrier.
The dragon completely ignored him, picking up the still form of the maiden with its tail and carrying her off into the shadows.
The Prince rapped against the barrier, exerting all of his energy in hopes of breaking, or at least weakening the shield. "NOOO! Get back here!" he yelled, feeling utterly powerless to help the poor girl, "Please no....."
"Who's out there?"
Syaoran gasped, covering his mouth with his hands. He saw a dark figure in the distance, holding out a lantern. 'Shit!' he cursed mentally, 'I have to hurry and get out of here!' He glanced back and lowered his head shamefully. There was no more he could do for the girl. She was left to the mercy of the dragon. 'And I call myself a Prince...' he mocked himself.
Hearing the unknown voice continue to call out, he lifted himself from the plush forest floor and stealthily made his way through the woods. 'Please let her be safe.' he prayed, coming to the exit of the forest, 'Somehow...let her be alright.'
Just before climbing though the guest room window, he cast a dismal glance back at the forest. 'Whoever you are...I'll rescue you.' he vowed silently.
And with that thought, the Prince disappeared back into the sleeping castle.
******************************
As the sun kindly shed its warm rays upon the kingdom, the forest erupted into a bustle of activity. The birds singing songs of morning in the trees and critters of every kind chitter-chattering away.
Emerald green eyes blinked open, squinting into the sunshine. "Hooooeee....what happened?" she questioned sleepily.
'I had a really weird dream last night....' she recalled, 'About someone coming to the forest...' She shook her head ruefully. 'Rubbish.'
She stretched out her tired limbs, just now realizing that she was curled between something large, blue and scaly.
"Hoe?"
As if in reply, the dragon roared a yawn and turned its head toward her. The girl smiled at the dragon, petting its snout softly when it came closer. "You watched over me again, didn't you?" she asked the great creature.
It nuzzled her gently in response, issuing a giggle from the auburn- haired young maiden. "Oh, you're just a big blue softy, aren't you Hacchi- chan?"
The dragon nodded its head up and down, blowing a stream of warm air at the green-eyed girl, blasting the hair from her face. The young lass laughed, combing through her hair with her hand.
"Thank you." she said tenderly, locking its golden eyes with hers, "I'm so happy I have a friend like you."
The beast gently lifted her arm up on its nose, whining slightly in concern.
The girl looked from away from the beast's gold eyes to her arm. "Huh?" Her eyes widened considerably. "A burn!?" she gasped. She turned to her companion, a bewildered expression on her face. "How did this happen?"
The dragon huffed in annoyance and glared out through the forest.
"Was someone here?" she questioned.
The beast nodded once, never taking its eyes off of whatever he was glowering at. The maiden gasped in sudden realization. "My dream!"
In her sleep, she had a vision of a young man who came to the forest. She could still remember his features clear as day. Chocolate-colored hair and the most amazing pair of cinnamon-amber eyes she had ever seen.
She gasped aloud. Had it not been a dream? Had the young man really come to the forest? 'Yes...he had.' She realized, remembering how he had asked her name, how he defended himself against Hacchi-chan....it was all vivid now.
'Who was that handsome young man?' she wondered, gazing longingly into the distance.
The blue dragon nudged her slightly, bringing her back into reality. She smiled up at the kind creature. "You didn't like that stranger much, did you Hacchi-chan?"
It growled and puffed black smoke from its nostrils, shaking it enormous head back and forth. The young damsel couldn't help but chuckle. "It's alright, Hacchi-chan." she spoke calmly, patting his tail, "I'm sure he won't be coming back." 'Though I wish he would...' she thought sadly.
"If..." the girl started.
The dragon looked at her quizzically, with blinking gold eyes. She looked sheepishly up at him, forcing a smile. "If he should come back...please don't hurt him, okay Hacchi-chan?"
The dragon huffed indignantly, smashing his tail against a nearby tree and leaving a nasty dent in the wood. Then turned back to the young woman, as if for approval.
The girl sweat-dropped at the sight of the deep mark the dragon had left in the timber. "Please?" she pleaded with him, placing a hand on her heart, "For me?"
The dragon almost seemed to sigh, lowering its head to the ground dismally. The young maiden's expression saddened even farther as she lifted herself from the forest floor and approached the melancholy beast.
"I know you're only trying to protect me." she placed the back of her hand against the side of his face, "And I appreciate that more than you can imagine."
A great blue tail swept up from behind her, wrapping around her waist and carrying her on top of the dragon's snout. The tip of its smooth tail brushed up against the side of her face in a gentle caress.
The young woman closed her eyes. "You have to understand, Hacchi- chan. I can't stand being cooped up here like this."
The creature hummed sadly at her misfortune.
"You are free." she explained, opening her eyes, which were filling up with tears, "Yet you wish to stay here?"
The great creature nodded, being careful not to accidentally throw the girl off. The young girl sighed. "But I think that man can free me from this prison, Hacchi-chan."
The dragon blew flames forward, lighting up the magical force barrier that kept the girl captive, to emphasize its point.
"He has magic." the girl explained, "And strong magic, at that. I feel...I feel as though he can break that barrier somehow."
The blue dragon gave her a look that clearly said 'Can we stop talking about him?'.
"I'm sorry, Hacchi-chan." she apologized, patting the top of his head, "I won't speak of him again." She hugged the dragon's snout. "I'd be so lonely here without you. Thank you for being here for me, Hacchi-chan. I don't know what I would do if you ever left me."
The great winged dragon lowered his head and allowed the girl to climb down to the ground. After she was safely upon the plush grass ground, she lifted her arm to eye level in the sunlight to get a better look at it. She bit her lip at the sight of the grotesque burn. 'I better get this cleaned up.' She decided.
The young woman pointed in the direction of a small lake in the near distance. "I'm going to head to the springs, Hacchi-chan." she told the beast, "Would you like to come along?"
The blue dragon nodded enthusiastically, giving it a comical 'overgrown puppy' appearance as it wagged its large tail from side to side.
"Come along then!" she called, hiking up her pale pink dress and running off into toward the springs.
The happy beast pranced after her, shaking the trees and everything else around it as it hopped not to far behind her.
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The Prince couldn't keep his mind off the maiden in the forest. Here he was, enjoying a splendid meal in Mahou Castle, and all he could think of was the green-eyed beauty. 'Is she alright? Should I visit her again today? What was a dragon doing there in the forest with her?'
A million questions bombarded his mind over and over again. Meiling glanced at her fiancé, wondering why he kept glancing out the nearest window and poking at the food on his plate. "Prince Xiao Lang?" she questioned.
The Prince glared at her. "That's Syaoran, to you. Only my family has permission to call me by my real name."
"Well EXCUSE me!" Meiling huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, "I'm only your FIANCEE and future WIFE."
Eriol put a hand to his forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "Must you two bicker?" he muttered.
"More tea, sir?"
The young knight looked up and met the sweet smiling face of his favorite maid. "Ah, Miss Tomoyo." he acknowledged, taking her hand in his.
She could only stare wide-eyed as the knight kissed her hand in greeting. He waved a hand nonchalantly at the arguing Prince and Princess. "I'm afraid you've come at a bad time." he explained, but nonetheless held up his teacup, "But I would like some more tea, if you will, Miss."
She nodded, releasing her hand from his and reaching for the teapot she had brought with her. Her cheeks still tinted with a strawberry color, she poured him a cup. He smiled brightly back at her. "Thank you."
She nodded in respect to him and hurried out of the room as quickly as her small feet would carry her.
Eriol turned back to the happenings of his companions, immediately surprised that they had quit arguing and were now eating in silence. He shrugged inwardly and went back to eating his meal as well.
It wasn't until nearly ten minutes later that the Princess spoke up. "*ahem* I've been given news from one of my messengers that someone was out in the forest last night." she stated.
Eriol almost smirked when he saw how the Prince stiffened in his chair, concentrating solely on his food.
"Those woods are highly dangerous." Meiling continued, "We here at the Kingdom do not want anyone wandering in and getting injured."
The knight rolled his eyes at how the Princess faked concern for Mahou Kingdom, and strangely, how believable she was.
"My advisor has helped me to set up precautions, to prevent this from happening again." Princess Meiling elucidated, "As of tonight, there will be a guard watch set up around the forest, to capture anyone who dares to set foot there."
Syaoran nearly choked on the piece of food he was chewing. "What!?"
Meiling waved her hand gracefully. "Like I just explained, the forest is from this point on, guarded."
'Then I'll have to resort to other measures of getting in.' The Prince decided, determined to go back and find the maiden of he had met the night before.
Eriol glanced at his descendant, feeling a smile creep upon his lips. 'I believe the dear Prince has met the lovely and enchanting green-eyed captive of the forest.' he thought, studying the stoic Prince's determined expression. 'Hath thou become attached to her?' he wondered.
Syaoran glanced out the window, his sharp amber-colored eyes fixing upon the forest. 'I will come back for you tonight.' he promised, 'No matter what.'
*Whew* Chapter 2 is finished!! ^_^ I hope you like it! I slaved all day to write this immediately, as thanks for reviewing and getting me back on my feet! Thanks so much to all of you that reviewed the first chapter! You're all so kind!
Do you like Hacchi-chan?? ^_^ I love him! *huggles the blue dragon* And I felt that Sakura needed a companion, living all that time in the forest. And I thought her having a friendship with a dragon might be neat (and kawaii ^^). I hope you agree! And yes, the bond between them is strong. Hacchi-chan feels the need to protect Sakura from anyone outside of the forest, and being a dragon, he does a good job of that ^_^ I also thought the over-grown puppy attitude might be good for him. I hope minna- chan approves!
OH!!! I have a question for Minna-chan!!! Do you want this to be and Eriol and Tomoyo coupling or and Eriol and Meiling coupling (if you think about it, they have just as much of a chance together as E+T)??? I'll do either! So let me know in your reviews!! THANKS!
Please review if you can spare the time! It really does help! And it makes me want to write, write, WRITE! ^_^ Thanks for reading! Please tell me what you think! And stay tuned for the next chapter!!! Ja for now! ~Manda-chan