Daphne: "HI!!!! Oh, it's good to be back! I am so happy to be writing
again! I actually went on the Internet at Aunt Seifa's. Out of all my
aunts, I personally think that she is the calmest of the group! Anyway, I
went on and read all of your reviews for my stories. Thank you all
soooooooooooo much!!!!!!!!!! I really loved reading them, and my cousins
were so jealous of me! (Hehehe! Evil me!) Anyway, here is the next chapter,
and I hope that you like this one!"
~*~*~*~
Palace of the Wolves
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 11.
'Why do you think that we changed ages, Eriol?' Sakura thought/asked later, when they had been in the gardens for a few minutes.
'I don't know…but someone definitely didn't want us here. It is obvious, because they made both you and Syaoran young, and you two are the only ones with magic, besides me.' He answered.
'That doesn't make any sense! They then, did they not change you as well?' Syaoran asked.
'I think that they tried to; Naoko, however changed instead of me.' Eriol explained.
'They made another mistake. They allowed us to appear near our other forms, therefore helping us a little.' Eriol continued.
'How?!' Tryon asked.
'It's simple. Whatever is going to happen, is going to happen to them…right? So by being near them, we can protect them easier.' Eriol finished.
'Aha! So now they will have a harder time achieving their goal…which has something to do with hurting Syaoran and making Sakura and Nora scared.' Tomoyo said. Sakura sighed and pulled the Star key out of her dress.
'Yes, but how can we protect them if I have no control over the Star Key, and Syaoran can't summon his sword?' She asked, bringing up a good point. Eriol sighed.
'We have to do something. I will protect them until you figure out a way to change back into your original age.' He said. Everyone nodded.
'But how?' Naoko asked.
'Have you tried the Big Card, Sakura?' Tomoyo asked.
'No…'
'Then try it! Maybe it will work!' Tomoyo exclaimed.
'All right.'
'Oh Key of my star
With powers burning bright
Surrender the wand, the force ignite!
Release!'
Nothing happened.
'Release!' Still nothing.
'No! Whoever did this has blocked our magic as well! How is this possible?' Eriol gasped.
'I don't know…' Sakura whimpered, tears falling down her face.
'Sakura, don't cry! It will be all right! We will defeat this…thing…somehow.' Syaoran soothed, pulling her close and hugging her.
'Um, guys? I think that we had better get back to the castle. It is getting late and they are going to start looking for us.' Tryon suggested. Nora groaned.
'But I'm to tired to walk! I want to go to sleep!' She whined.
'Me too!' Naoko agreed. Everyone but Syaoran and Sakura looked at them in astonishment.
'What is the matter with you two? It isn't even nine 'o' clock yet!' Landon complained. Syaoran frowned.
'If you haven't forgotten, we are stuck in younger bodies, and those bodies need rest! Technically, we are only four years old.' He reminded them.
'Oh yah, I forgot.' Tryon sighed.
'I don't think that I can walk…' Nora whisper/thought, her eyes drooping.
"We need to get them back to the Palace, quick. Tomoyo, you carry Sakura, Landon, you carry Naoko, Tryon, you carry Nora, and I'll carry Syaoran." Eriol said, picking Syaoran up. The young boy didn't even complain. The others did as they were told, and they quickly made their way back to the Palace.
"I think that we should just sit out here until they are finished." Eriol suggested, sitting on a stone seat that was placed at the edge of the verandah. It was positioned so they could see into the ballroom easily, and keep an eye on their older forms.
"Look! That is my past form, Colton." Tryon whispered, pointing at a young man dancing with a girl…
"That is Aya!" Tomoyo gasped. Tryon turned red and looked down at the little girl in his lap. Nora was snuggled up to him, and her pale cheeks were tinted red with sleep. She gave a tiny, baby-like moan and moved closer to him. He sighed and gently stroked her hair.
"There is Landon's past form, Drian." Eriol commented, eyeing the older boy who was dancing with Naoko's past form, Rina. Landon looked down at his burden and smiled.
"There you are, Eriol, talking with…a really beautiful girl. She sort of looks like Tomoyo…" Landon grinned, as he watched Tomoyo and Eriol look at each other, and then turn away, blushing.
"She is a servant…like me." Tomoyo whispered. Eriol glared at her.
"She is no more a servant than you are!" He defended. She gave him a weak smile, and then looked away.
"Who is that dancing over there?…Oh my gosh! It's Micha and Marcy! I can't believe it! She never said anything about liking him…" Tomoyo breathed.
"Do you see the way that he is looking at her? It is obvious that he is smitten!" Landon crowed.
'Boy, will I have something to tease Touya about when I get home.' Sakura thought/spoke tiredly. She had obviously been woken up by their voices.
"Go back to sleep, Sakura. You need to sleep." Tomoyo soothed, leaning over her charge.
"Tired. Sleep now." Sakura mumbled in her baby-like voice. Everyone smiled and then turned their attention back to the dancers.
"So how are Kahnu, and Rinyah?" A soft voice asked behind them. Immediately, everyone, including the four-year-olds, were alert.
"They are just fine. Oh! Akita is having her second litter soon!" Another voice answered. Naoko gasped.
'That is what I named my wolf pup!' She thought in a strangled voice.
"OH! Rina will be so pleased! We will visit them frequently while we are there, will we not?" The first asked. Sakura immediately identified this voice as Ying-fa's.
"Of course! I couldn't possibly keep you from Honey." The other answered. It was Xiao-lang. Syaoran caught his breath.
'So our wolf friends really *are* the reincarnated forms of these ones! Which means that the ones back home are our pack-mates!' He stated.
"Ohhhh!" The group chorused outloud, drawing the attention of the two older people.
"What?!…Oh, Lilly! What are you doing out here?" Ying-fa scolded. Sakura simply sent her an irresistible smile.
"You love him! I love my Syao-kun as well. You LOVE him!" She emphasized the 'love' part, and eyed Xiao-lang.
"We not what we seem." Sakura stated, her little face going serious. Tomoyo nudged her, but little Sakura did not listen.
"Come along, Lilly! It is time for bed!" Ying-fa commanded, her face flushed. Sakura's face drooped and little tears fell down her cheeks.
"NOOOO! I want my Syao-kun with me! An' Nowa, an' evewybody!" Sakura pouted, throwing her arms around Tomoyo's waist.
'Hey! If I am going to play it up, I am going to play it up well!' She thought to the others.
"Perhaps would be best if we take them to bed." Tomoyo suggested, standing up and motioning to the others to follow. Ying-fa and Xiao-lang stared after them in astonishment, but did nothing to stop them.
'Up the stairs and to the right.' Sakura thought/mumbled, already getting sleepy again. Naoko was already asleep, and Nora was whining about not wanting to leave the others. Syaoran was silently watching their progress, memorizing every twist and turn they made. Tomoyo finally found, and opened Sakura's bedroom door and led them all in.
"Nigh' Night." Sakura murmured in a baby voice, her eyelashes brushing against her pink cheeks as she fell asleep. Tryon gently laid Nora next to her. Nora gave a sleepy moan and then turned over, unconsciously clasping Sakura's hand for comfort. Syaoran quickly climbed out of Eriol's arms and fell into bed beside Sakura, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. Finally, Landon laid Naoko down beside Nora and then covered them all up with the warm comforter.
"What are we going to do now?" Tryon asked.
"Well, I think that the best thing that we can do is stay with them. Landon and Tryon will sleep on either side of them, and Tomoyo and I will sleep at the end of the bed." Eriol said. (a/n: The bed is VERY wide, so it can hold that many people in it. Trust me! I have seen some beds that could fit a whole army on them!! Ok, so I am exaggerating a little bit, but I really *have* seen some enormous beds.)
"All right, but…what are we going to tell everyone?" Tomoyo questioned. "After all…I am just a servant…"
"You are NOT just a servant!" The three boys shouted at her. She blushed but said no more about it.
"Now, we had better get to sleep. If you haven't forgotten, we do have a long trip tomorrow." Eriol stated, indicating the trip to the Palace of the Wolves. Everyone nodded and did as they were told. Soon, the whole exhausted party fell asleep.
~*~*~*~
"What on earth just happened?" Aya asked, her eyes watching the retreating figures. Xiao-lang frowned.
"I don't know. Something fishy is going on here!"
"What do you mean?" A voice asked. The two turned around in surprise, to see Lord Victor and Rina stroll onto the verandah.
"Yes, what?" Asked another voice, this time it was Aya and Micha who appeared, followed closely by Ellis, Lucas, Dedra, and Marcy.
"I mean, that something is not right! How could they possibly know each- other if they have never met?" Xiao-lang pointed out. The others realized that he was right.
"This *was* supposed to be their first meeting…" Aya hesitated.
"I am curious. First, Derrick acts like a loner, but all of the sudden, he pops up with all these new friends, some of which, may I remind you, are quite a bit younger than the rest." Ellis pointed out. It was Micha, who noticed that Marcy was becoming uncomfortable.
"What is the matter, Marcy?" He asked. She blushed and looked away.
"No…nothing, sire. I…I was just thinking how strange it was that you are oblivious to all the obvious. But…then again…to you it may not be quite as obvious…" She murmured walking away. Everyone was staring after her, a look of astonishment on her face.
"Why do I get the feeling that she knows something we don't?" Micha asked. Ying-fa shifted uncomfortably.
"I…I think that we should go and check on Lilly. I have…a feeling that something isn't right." She whispered. They all looked at her in alarm and then quickly made their way up to the little princess's room, unaware that they were being watched.
~*~*~*~
"You are mine, Aya! All mine! And there is nothing that your future forms can do about it!" A voice hissed.
"And when you finally claim her as yours, you will allow me the pleasure of claiming Princess Ying-fa as mine." Another voice sneered.
"All in good time, my friend, all in good time." The first murmured in a slithery voice. Evil black eyes searched through the darkness.
'All in good time.'
~*~*~*~
"Shhh! She will hear us!" Ying-fa hissed.
"None of us said anything!" Rina whispered back. Ying-fa looked sheepish.
"I was just warning you." She retorted, quietly opening her little sister's chamber door and leading them in.
"Oh my!" Ying-fa exclaimed, drawing back in shock. Everyone else looked over her shoulder and gasped. Lillian was in her bed all right, along with every other friend of hers! Princess Sora was beside her, and they were holding hands. Little Nira was on the other side of Sora, and next to her slept Lord Regen; They too, were holding hands. On the other side of Lilly slept Prince Symian. His arms were about her tiny waist, and she wore a contented look on her sleep-flushed face. On his other side slept Lord Tarnor. At the end of the bed, Prince Derrick could be seen sleeping. His arms were about the beautiful Trista, who was sleeping peacefully at his side.
"Well who would have thought!" Ellis whispered, looking down at his little brother in wonder.
"They look so…peaceful!" Aya breathed. Dedra, however, did not seem pleased.
"Oh, how could she?! She should know better than to…allow a Prince to hug her…I mean, she is just a servant, and…oh, what is she thinking?!" Dedra moaned in a distressed voice. Ellis looked at her compassionately.
"Don't bother yourself over it, Dedra. I know for a fact that Derrick wanted to hold her. I don't know how I know, it is just a feeling." He whispered. Suddenly, little Sora moaned and began to cry softly.
"NO! Please don't hurt them! I'll do anything you want, just leave Xiao- lang alone! Ying-fa, run!" The little girl shrieked in a voice very un-like her own. The group of older people quickly shuffled into the shadows as the little girl continued to cry and beg for help. Suddenly, Lord Tarnor sat up and looked over at the little girl, his blue eyes wide and worried.
"She's having that dream again!" He mumbled, loud enough for them to hear. He quickly climbed over the other sleeping forms and put his arms around her.
"Shhh, Nora! It's all right! It is only a dream. Oh, Ellanora!" The boy suddenly moaned. He buried his face in her shoulder, and rocked her until she fell asleep. When his finally raised his head, there were tears on his face. He was obviously worried, and he wasn't the only one. They waited until he had fallen asleep again, and then they came out of hiding.
"Something is definitely wrong, and I want to know what it is!" Xiao-lang hissed.
"Tarnor never cries! And did you happen to catch what he said? That she was 'having that dream again'! How would he know what dream she was having?" Lucas asked. Everyone looked uncomfortable.
"I think that we should keep a good eye on them when we go to your Palace tomorrow. I don't want anything happening that we don't know about." Ellis said, and everyone, after agreeing, left the room to prepare for bed. Little did they know just how much they were missing!
~*~*~*~
Daphne: "Hi!!!! I hope that you enjoyed it! I am sorry that it was so short, but I am sick and I need to rest. Anyway, I really want to thank all of you for reviewing, and please review again!
~*~*~*~
Palace of the Wolves
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 11.
'Why do you think that we changed ages, Eriol?' Sakura thought/asked later, when they had been in the gardens for a few minutes.
'I don't know…but someone definitely didn't want us here. It is obvious, because they made both you and Syaoran young, and you two are the only ones with magic, besides me.' He answered.
'That doesn't make any sense! They then, did they not change you as well?' Syaoran asked.
'I think that they tried to; Naoko, however changed instead of me.' Eriol explained.
'They made another mistake. They allowed us to appear near our other forms, therefore helping us a little.' Eriol continued.
'How?!' Tryon asked.
'It's simple. Whatever is going to happen, is going to happen to them…right? So by being near them, we can protect them easier.' Eriol finished.
'Aha! So now they will have a harder time achieving their goal…which has something to do with hurting Syaoran and making Sakura and Nora scared.' Tomoyo said. Sakura sighed and pulled the Star key out of her dress.
'Yes, but how can we protect them if I have no control over the Star Key, and Syaoran can't summon his sword?' She asked, bringing up a good point. Eriol sighed.
'We have to do something. I will protect them until you figure out a way to change back into your original age.' He said. Everyone nodded.
'But how?' Naoko asked.
'Have you tried the Big Card, Sakura?' Tomoyo asked.
'No…'
'Then try it! Maybe it will work!' Tomoyo exclaimed.
'All right.'
'Oh Key of my star
With powers burning bright
Surrender the wand, the force ignite!
Release!'
Nothing happened.
'Release!' Still nothing.
'No! Whoever did this has blocked our magic as well! How is this possible?' Eriol gasped.
'I don't know…' Sakura whimpered, tears falling down her face.
'Sakura, don't cry! It will be all right! We will defeat this…thing…somehow.' Syaoran soothed, pulling her close and hugging her.
'Um, guys? I think that we had better get back to the castle. It is getting late and they are going to start looking for us.' Tryon suggested. Nora groaned.
'But I'm to tired to walk! I want to go to sleep!' She whined.
'Me too!' Naoko agreed. Everyone but Syaoran and Sakura looked at them in astonishment.
'What is the matter with you two? It isn't even nine 'o' clock yet!' Landon complained. Syaoran frowned.
'If you haven't forgotten, we are stuck in younger bodies, and those bodies need rest! Technically, we are only four years old.' He reminded them.
'Oh yah, I forgot.' Tryon sighed.
'I don't think that I can walk…' Nora whisper/thought, her eyes drooping.
"We need to get them back to the Palace, quick. Tomoyo, you carry Sakura, Landon, you carry Naoko, Tryon, you carry Nora, and I'll carry Syaoran." Eriol said, picking Syaoran up. The young boy didn't even complain. The others did as they were told, and they quickly made their way back to the Palace.
"I think that we should just sit out here until they are finished." Eriol suggested, sitting on a stone seat that was placed at the edge of the verandah. It was positioned so they could see into the ballroom easily, and keep an eye on their older forms.
"Look! That is my past form, Colton." Tryon whispered, pointing at a young man dancing with a girl…
"That is Aya!" Tomoyo gasped. Tryon turned red and looked down at the little girl in his lap. Nora was snuggled up to him, and her pale cheeks were tinted red with sleep. She gave a tiny, baby-like moan and moved closer to him. He sighed and gently stroked her hair.
"There is Landon's past form, Drian." Eriol commented, eyeing the older boy who was dancing with Naoko's past form, Rina. Landon looked down at his burden and smiled.
"There you are, Eriol, talking with…a really beautiful girl. She sort of looks like Tomoyo…" Landon grinned, as he watched Tomoyo and Eriol look at each other, and then turn away, blushing.
"She is a servant…like me." Tomoyo whispered. Eriol glared at her.
"She is no more a servant than you are!" He defended. She gave him a weak smile, and then looked away.
"Who is that dancing over there?…Oh my gosh! It's Micha and Marcy! I can't believe it! She never said anything about liking him…" Tomoyo breathed.
"Do you see the way that he is looking at her? It is obvious that he is smitten!" Landon crowed.
'Boy, will I have something to tease Touya about when I get home.' Sakura thought/spoke tiredly. She had obviously been woken up by their voices.
"Go back to sleep, Sakura. You need to sleep." Tomoyo soothed, leaning over her charge.
"Tired. Sleep now." Sakura mumbled in her baby-like voice. Everyone smiled and then turned their attention back to the dancers.
"So how are Kahnu, and Rinyah?" A soft voice asked behind them. Immediately, everyone, including the four-year-olds, were alert.
"They are just fine. Oh! Akita is having her second litter soon!" Another voice answered. Naoko gasped.
'That is what I named my wolf pup!' She thought in a strangled voice.
"OH! Rina will be so pleased! We will visit them frequently while we are there, will we not?" The first asked. Sakura immediately identified this voice as Ying-fa's.
"Of course! I couldn't possibly keep you from Honey." The other answered. It was Xiao-lang. Syaoran caught his breath.
'So our wolf friends really *are* the reincarnated forms of these ones! Which means that the ones back home are our pack-mates!' He stated.
"Ohhhh!" The group chorused outloud, drawing the attention of the two older people.
"What?!…Oh, Lilly! What are you doing out here?" Ying-fa scolded. Sakura simply sent her an irresistible smile.
"You love him! I love my Syao-kun as well. You LOVE him!" She emphasized the 'love' part, and eyed Xiao-lang.
"We not what we seem." Sakura stated, her little face going serious. Tomoyo nudged her, but little Sakura did not listen.
"Come along, Lilly! It is time for bed!" Ying-fa commanded, her face flushed. Sakura's face drooped and little tears fell down her cheeks.
"NOOOO! I want my Syao-kun with me! An' Nowa, an' evewybody!" Sakura pouted, throwing her arms around Tomoyo's waist.
'Hey! If I am going to play it up, I am going to play it up well!' She thought to the others.
"Perhaps would be best if we take them to bed." Tomoyo suggested, standing up and motioning to the others to follow. Ying-fa and Xiao-lang stared after them in astonishment, but did nothing to stop them.
'Up the stairs and to the right.' Sakura thought/mumbled, already getting sleepy again. Naoko was already asleep, and Nora was whining about not wanting to leave the others. Syaoran was silently watching their progress, memorizing every twist and turn they made. Tomoyo finally found, and opened Sakura's bedroom door and led them all in.
"Nigh' Night." Sakura murmured in a baby voice, her eyelashes brushing against her pink cheeks as she fell asleep. Tryon gently laid Nora next to her. Nora gave a sleepy moan and then turned over, unconsciously clasping Sakura's hand for comfort. Syaoran quickly climbed out of Eriol's arms and fell into bed beside Sakura, his eyes drooping with exhaustion. Finally, Landon laid Naoko down beside Nora and then covered them all up with the warm comforter.
"What are we going to do now?" Tryon asked.
"Well, I think that the best thing that we can do is stay with them. Landon and Tryon will sleep on either side of them, and Tomoyo and I will sleep at the end of the bed." Eriol said. (a/n: The bed is VERY wide, so it can hold that many people in it. Trust me! I have seen some beds that could fit a whole army on them!! Ok, so I am exaggerating a little bit, but I really *have* seen some enormous beds.)
"All right, but…what are we going to tell everyone?" Tomoyo questioned. "After all…I am just a servant…"
"You are NOT just a servant!" The three boys shouted at her. She blushed but said no more about it.
"Now, we had better get to sleep. If you haven't forgotten, we do have a long trip tomorrow." Eriol stated, indicating the trip to the Palace of the Wolves. Everyone nodded and did as they were told. Soon, the whole exhausted party fell asleep.
~*~*~*~
"What on earth just happened?" Aya asked, her eyes watching the retreating figures. Xiao-lang frowned.
"I don't know. Something fishy is going on here!"
"What do you mean?" A voice asked. The two turned around in surprise, to see Lord Victor and Rina stroll onto the verandah.
"Yes, what?" Asked another voice, this time it was Aya and Micha who appeared, followed closely by Ellis, Lucas, Dedra, and Marcy.
"I mean, that something is not right! How could they possibly know each- other if they have never met?" Xiao-lang pointed out. The others realized that he was right.
"This *was* supposed to be their first meeting…" Aya hesitated.
"I am curious. First, Derrick acts like a loner, but all of the sudden, he pops up with all these new friends, some of which, may I remind you, are quite a bit younger than the rest." Ellis pointed out. It was Micha, who noticed that Marcy was becoming uncomfortable.
"What is the matter, Marcy?" He asked. She blushed and looked away.
"No…nothing, sire. I…I was just thinking how strange it was that you are oblivious to all the obvious. But…then again…to you it may not be quite as obvious…" She murmured walking away. Everyone was staring after her, a look of astonishment on her face.
"Why do I get the feeling that she knows something we don't?" Micha asked. Ying-fa shifted uncomfortably.
"I…I think that we should go and check on Lilly. I have…a feeling that something isn't right." She whispered. They all looked at her in alarm and then quickly made their way up to the little princess's room, unaware that they were being watched.
~*~*~*~
"You are mine, Aya! All mine! And there is nothing that your future forms can do about it!" A voice hissed.
"And when you finally claim her as yours, you will allow me the pleasure of claiming Princess Ying-fa as mine." Another voice sneered.
"All in good time, my friend, all in good time." The first murmured in a slithery voice. Evil black eyes searched through the darkness.
'All in good time.'
~*~*~*~
"Shhh! She will hear us!" Ying-fa hissed.
"None of us said anything!" Rina whispered back. Ying-fa looked sheepish.
"I was just warning you." She retorted, quietly opening her little sister's chamber door and leading them in.
"Oh my!" Ying-fa exclaimed, drawing back in shock. Everyone else looked over her shoulder and gasped. Lillian was in her bed all right, along with every other friend of hers! Princess Sora was beside her, and they were holding hands. Little Nira was on the other side of Sora, and next to her slept Lord Regen; They too, were holding hands. On the other side of Lilly slept Prince Symian. His arms were about her tiny waist, and she wore a contented look on her sleep-flushed face. On his other side slept Lord Tarnor. At the end of the bed, Prince Derrick could be seen sleeping. His arms were about the beautiful Trista, who was sleeping peacefully at his side.
"Well who would have thought!" Ellis whispered, looking down at his little brother in wonder.
"They look so…peaceful!" Aya breathed. Dedra, however, did not seem pleased.
"Oh, how could she?! She should know better than to…allow a Prince to hug her…I mean, she is just a servant, and…oh, what is she thinking?!" Dedra moaned in a distressed voice. Ellis looked at her compassionately.
"Don't bother yourself over it, Dedra. I know for a fact that Derrick wanted to hold her. I don't know how I know, it is just a feeling." He whispered. Suddenly, little Sora moaned and began to cry softly.
"NO! Please don't hurt them! I'll do anything you want, just leave Xiao- lang alone! Ying-fa, run!" The little girl shrieked in a voice very un-like her own. The group of older people quickly shuffled into the shadows as the little girl continued to cry and beg for help. Suddenly, Lord Tarnor sat up and looked over at the little girl, his blue eyes wide and worried.
"She's having that dream again!" He mumbled, loud enough for them to hear. He quickly climbed over the other sleeping forms and put his arms around her.
"Shhh, Nora! It's all right! It is only a dream. Oh, Ellanora!" The boy suddenly moaned. He buried his face in her shoulder, and rocked her until she fell asleep. When his finally raised his head, there were tears on his face. He was obviously worried, and he wasn't the only one. They waited until he had fallen asleep again, and then they came out of hiding.
"Something is definitely wrong, and I want to know what it is!" Xiao-lang hissed.
"Tarnor never cries! And did you happen to catch what he said? That she was 'having that dream again'! How would he know what dream she was having?" Lucas asked. Everyone looked uncomfortable.
"I think that we should keep a good eye on them when we go to your Palace tomorrow. I don't want anything happening that we don't know about." Ellis said, and everyone, after agreeing, left the room to prepare for bed. Little did they know just how much they were missing!
~*~*~*~
Daphne: "Hi!!!! I hope that you enjoyed it! I am sorry that it was so short, but I am sick and I need to rest. Anyway, I really want to thank all of you for reviewing, and please review again!