Of Lions and Dragons

Chapter 5

Disclaimer:

Mou, I'm running out of ideas, neither CCS nor Syaoran belong to me. *Little Sakura grins evilly as a plan begins to take form*yet.

Author's Notes:

Wow, I wrote this chapter in the same day as chapter 4, that's a new record for me! This story is going to take longer than I expected and one more thing. In my summary, I said I would have S+S, E+T and Y+C well; it's not exactly going to work out that way. You see, Chiharu and Yamazaki will be featured later on in the story but they won't play a large part. Gomen nasai for any confusion but this IS as with every other one of my stories, S+S so enjoy and REVIEW!

Chapter 5

"Mou, Syaoran!"

Syaoran, who was leading the small faction, turned around irritated to face Meiling. "Nani?"

Meiling slumped to the ground and rubbed her ankles, giving Syaoran her attempt at a puppy dog face. "My feet hurt too much, I can't walk anymore!"

Syaoran fell to the ground anime style. "Meiling we've only been walking for two hours!"

"Datte…" Meiling stuck out her lower lip in a pout and frowned.

Syaoran heaved his shoulders and looked back to his dragon guardian, now to medium size, just the size of a large dog. "Rhyu, will you carry Meiling?"

Rhyu shook his head, little green ears flapping. "Iie, I'm already carrying her."

Tomoyo put her hand behind her head and grinned sheepishly. "Gomen ne."

"Can't you carry Meiling, too?"

Rhyu put a claw to his mouth. "Hmmm…on three conditions."

"Nani?" Meiling inquired.

Closing his eyes, Rhyu began to count off on his claws. "One, will you be willing to feed me? Two, will you be willing to scratch behind my ears? Three…"

"What in the world are you? Some kind of dog?"

Rhyu glowered back at the Chinese teen and flipped his claw in the air. "That's it, that brat's walking on her own two feet."

"MOU!"

"Meiling you shouldn't have made him mad." Syaoran alleged, quietly.

"Demo my feet still hurt."

Syaoran kneeled to the ground, back facing Meiling. "Meiling."

"Nani?"

"Climb on."

Meiling's cheeks turned pink and she smiled happily as she climbed onto her strong fiancé's back. Syaoran stood up and walked effortlessly on.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sakura's eyes fluttered open, and she stared down in surprise at the loud grumbling sound coming from the golden lion beneath her. "Kero-chan?"

Kerberos grumbled. "Sakura, I'm hungry."

Sakura held her stomach as it too grumbled in response to lack of food. Reaching into her backpack, she produced a piece of cake, Kerberos's eyes lighting up in present surprise. "Wai Cake!"

Clamping her hand over her guardian's mouth, she put a finger to her lips. "Shhhh! Kero-chan look around everyone else is asleep!"

Kerberos looked around, Tomoyo and Eriol were fast asleep on Rhyu's back and Meiling was snoring rather loudly from her piggyback position on Syaoran. Putting a paw behind his head, he began laughing guiltily. "Gomen ne Sakura…Sakura?"

Sakura walked softly over to Syaoran and motioned for Kerberos to follow her, to which he did reluctantly. Tapping him on the shoulder, she held out her piece of cake to him. Syaoran looked down to the cake and back up to her face. "Nani?"

Sakura smiled and closed her eyes. "You must be hungry, ne Li-kun?"

Syaoran shook his head and slowed his pace just a bit, just enough to keep Sakura by his side. "Iie."

"Then you must be tired."

"Iie."

Sakura frowned and stepped in front of his path. "Why are you so contrary? I don't care how strong you think you are, carrying someone for three hours is arduous enough for anyone. Even you."

Syaoran blinked repeatedly, golden amber wide with shock. "Nani?"

Sakura gestured for Kerberos to stand behind Syaoran and underneath Meiling. "Let Meiling-chan ride on Kero-chan."

A vain popped on Kerberos's head and he went livid with anger. "I'm not carrying loudmouth!"

"Hai you are, poor Li-kun here will collapse soon and we don't want that happening now do we?"

Kerberos grumbled irritably, "I wouldn't care."

"Kero-chan!"

Pink began to rise in Syaoran's cheeks as Sakura turned to smile at him warmly. "Demo…"

"Iie, it's settled. Kero-chan you WILL carry her."

Syaoran sighed defeated and slid Meiling off onto the great guardian's back, letting out another sigh of relief this time. "See now isn't that better?"

Eyes darting to Sakura, Syaoran blushed lightly and nodded.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

After another few hours, Kerberos had fallen back in line with Rhyu and both guardians chatted about who knows what. Food probably. (AN: Kero-chan's pudding and cake obsessions are just so kawaii!) Sakura and Syaoran had taken lead of the small expedition and both walked on in pleasant silence; a bit awkward but still enjoyable. Every now and then, both would turn to look at each other, always missing the other's gaze. Now it was Sakura's turn. She stared at him from the corner of her eyes and noticed that despite being the most handsome young man she had ever met, he never smiled. She cocked her head to the side and looked at him curiously. "Why don't you ever smile?"

Syaoran looked down; taken aback by Sakura's words. "What do you mean?"

Sakura tapped his lips gently with her finger, causing his cheeks to redden. "You know, when your mouth tugs up like this," Sakura playfully tugged his mouth into a smile and pouted when it reset itself back into a firm line. "You're a tough case to win over, Li-kun."

Syaoran chuckled lightly and slightly smirked, Sakura pointing excitedly to his face. "See! See there! You smil---well, almost smiled, a guess a smirk is kind of a start. Demo I wonder…"

Sakura began to circle Syaoran mischievously, educing a look of perplexity from him. "Kinomoto what are you doing?"

Stopping dead in front him, Sakura grinned roguishly and place her fingers on Syaoran's bare chest; tracing them gently over to his vest. Every toned muscle her fingers came into contact with quivered gently under her touch and she giggled quietly. Syaoran lunged forward but Sakura darted expertly from his grasp and looped around to his back; fingers gently trailing up and down the young warrior's sides, eliciting small chuckles from the fighter. Syaoran panted for breath; desperate to escape Sakura's tickling onslaught and anxiously looked around to where she would appear from next. A small flash of pink, caught his eye and he dashed over to the large oak tree; seeing Sakura peer smugly from the other side. Silently as he could, Syaoran stepped up behind Sakura. Before she could face him, he grabbed both her wrists and pinned them to the tree above her head with one hand. She panted nervously, Syaoran's face growing ever closer to hers until she could feel his warm breath tickling her face. His hold on her loosened and she could feel his muscles slightly relax. Syaoran's warm amber eyes gazed directly into Sakura's emerald ones the corners of his mouth tugging up into a genuine smile.

"My, my, we fall asleep and they run off together."

Sakura and Syaoran blinked and turned their eyes away from each other to find the source of the voice. Eriol grinned wickedly, Syaoran's half smile turning to a scowl. "Shut up Hiragiizawa."

Tomoyo came up behind her boyfriend and looked to her best friend and the handsome warrior, Syaoran's hands still holding hers, and their bodies still only mere inches apart. Irritated, Tomoyo bopped Eriol on the head and lead him away. "Next time don't bother them." She whispered chidingly.

Eriol grinned and glanced back behind them. "But dear, it makes it so much more interesting that way."

"Demo…"

Eriol put a hand to Tomoyo's cheek. "Because unlike us, they don't have the ability to see the one they love most, right in front of them."

Tomoyo blushed and kissed Eriol's hand. "Alright you win."

"Nani? Win what?" Meiling grumbled sleepily from Kerberos's back. Kerberos "accidentally" bumped her off and whistled innocently.

The ebony haired teen looked back at Kerberos and then down at her dress, covered in golden hair. "NANI? WHY THE HELL WAS I JUST---YOU!"

Kerberos rolled his eyes and pointed to Syaoran and Sakura. "Dunno, don't ask me. Ask your boyfriend. Huh?" He did a double take and saw Syaoran standing dangerously close to Sakura, the same thing on Meiling's mind.

Unfortunately for Syaoran, the Beast of the Seal was rather light-footed and in a few seconds, the Chinese warrior was imprisoned under the great lion's paws. "What in the hell do you think you are doing kozou?"

Syaoran glared back. "What do you think I was doing?"

"Putting the moves on Sakura that's what!"

Amber and emerald widened in embarrassed surprise and both blinked, blushes rises to the sorcerer and sorceress's cheeks. "Iie! Li-kun and I were just playing---we…" Sakura trailed off as Meiling stood in front of Sakura, her hand coming into contact with Sakura's cheek. (AN: Gomen nasai Meiling fans, I know she seems really mean now but she will get better.) Sakura held the spot where her cheek throbbed and a few salty tears sprang to her eyes. "Gomen Meiling-chan."

Meiling looked stunned. Here she was the one who had just slapped Sakura and now the very person who had received her wrath was apologizing to her. "Nani?"

Syaoran bolted up from the ground and glowered at Meiling. "Meiling! What the hell did you do that for?"

Scuffing her toe in the dirt Meiling shook her head. "I-I-I don't know…"

A bird chirped overhead and flew off into the setting sun, dusk beginning to fall upon the forest. The last bit of orange disappeared from the sky, turning the woods over to twilight. Various shadows fell over the evergreen trees and the thick canopy hid the scanty amount of light left of day. Eriol looked around them and nodded his head to Syaoran. "I think it's best if we camp out here."

Syaoran spun around, eyes wide with shock. "What do you mean stop?"

Eriol gestured around at everyone's weary forms. "We've had a long day." He stated simply.

Sinking to her knees Sakura shivered and yawned, causing Syaoran's stern face to soften and a consenting nod to ensue.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Gomen to any Meiling fans for this chapter but like I said she gets nicer. And in answer to one of my reviews, yes it would be the BEST thing in world to find a guy like Syaoran! *Little Sakura goes into Syao-chan mode and stars form in eyes*

I' writing the next chapter as you read this so patience I might have two up today!

 Onegai Review!