Of Lions and Dragons

Chapter 16

Disclaimer:

No…don't make me say it again.

Author's Notes:

Oh……boy. I'm dead, ne? I'm so sorry I haven't updated my story in a really, really, really, long time. I've been really busy with school and it's just been really hectic. Not to mention, I have finals and I've umm…been kinda busy (twiddles fingers)…uh playing Kingdom Hearts. I love that game! Wai! Almost beat it, too! Anyway, hopefully over Christmas break I will be able to write some more to make up for my…umm writing absence.

Chapter 16

            The tiny golden sentinel gripped his stomach in pain, twitching and writhing as a tiny groan escaped his throat. "Argh…too much…" Kero stood on shaky legs and glanced around the expansive kitchens of the Li Clan Estate.

            It was a complete disaster.

Gobs of chocolate pudding splattered the cupboards, half eaten delicacies strewn about the counters. The door to the icebox was slightly ajar, ice cream dripping from the top shelf, a creamy chocolate pool forming on the firm interlocked stones of the floor.

            "Kami-sama…" Kero groaned and flinched. "If Sakura finds out what I did…" He paused and let a sly grin turn up the corners of his mouth. "That is…if Sakura finds out."

            With a final glance around the room, the Guardian Beast began to ascend from the counter and sped quickly from the disastrous kitchen, all the while closing his eyes and smiling to his cleverness and delightfully contented stomach. "Shiawase…"

            The Guardian Beast of the Seal was a tiny yellow blur as he sped through brightly lit corridors, blindly speeding with no direction.

            "ITAI!"

            Kero paused and blinked his beady blank eyes in perplexity. Where had that sound come from? Stealing a glance at his surroundings, the Beast blinked in confusion. "Where in kami-sama's name am I?"

            "We're in the library baka." Stated an injured Rhyu, rubbing his head where a small red lump had begun to form.

            A tiny vein twitched on the side of the golden guardian's temple and he faced his insulter with a vicious glare. "Nani?!"

            "Ne, your stupidity impairs your hearing, too?"

Kero glared back but said nothing. Instead he carefully scrutinized his surroundings. The two guardians now occupied a large room, impressive by all standards. A slightly domed ceiling above permitted golden rays of light to pour into the room, the warm paths lying upon the stone floor. Marble columns rose from the stones to support the elaborate ceiling above and endless rows of bookshelves stretched as far as one could see. "Sugoi…" He whispered in a near hush.

The warrior's guardian nodded with a proud smile. "Hai, it's pretty impressive, isn't it?"

Kero blinked and for the first time noticed the pile of worn, ancient tomes in disarray around the minute dragon. He faintly recalled seeing them somewhere. "Hmmm…those old books seem so familiar," he mused. "I think they're—"

"They're Clow-sama's notes."

            "I was just about to say that!" He calmed slightly and descended to the ancient texts, lifting a paw under the worn cover and gazing intently to the kanji characters etched onto the yellowing pages. "Clow and his sloppy writing…"

            "What d'ya say?"

            "Nothing much…just remembering."

            "Remembering what?"

            "Memories of my old master…Clow-sama." He paused and flipped a page. "Just the way he did things was so…off. Even his handwriting was eccentric."

            "Well…I'll give you that much."

            Both guardians paused; seemingly deep in thought. Suddenly the Beast of the Seal turned to his companion and studied him carefully. Sensing his new scrutiny, Rhyu turned to Kero. "What?"

            Kero concentrated his magic solely on the being in front of him, noticing the pale blue aura radiating about the minute dragon. The golden beast faltered and recoiled slightly.

            "You…" Kero seated himself on his bottom and rested his chin on his hands. "You're not a guardian of Clow are you?"

            Rhyu shook his head in negative as if embarrassed. "No."

            "Well if you don't mind me asking—"

            "I do."

            "Oi, oi hear me out."

            The dragon sighed, a small puff of smoke escaping through his fangs. "Fine."

            "Then…" Kero paused for a minute and then raised his tiny eyes to the dragon. "…What are you?"

            "A Li Clan guardian."

            "A wha?"

            "Would you like me to spell it out for you?"

            "Hai, like you could!"

            Rhyu sighed. "Will you ever shut up long enough for me to talk?"

            "Probably not."

            "Thought so."

            "But I can try!"

            Rhyu fidgeted until he appeared comfortable and sighed again. "Ever since the beginning of the Li Clan, there were always legends about Great Dragons that guarded the family. They were massive and wise and full of untapped power. They would aid each new sorcerer born into the family in everything he did; providing both a companion and Guardian." Rhyu paused and continued. "But somewhere along the way…the legends of the Dragon Guardians were forgotten and the Clan was left with only faint recollections of the beasts, leaving the family to fend for themselves."

            "So that's why the Clan is so powerful today…" Kero breathed. "Did Clow have a Dragon Guardian before, too?"

            "No…that's why he created you and Yue…by the time Clow was born, the legends of the Dragons were long forgotten. No one remembered until one day, a young Yelan stumbled upon ancient texts describing the legends in detail. She showed everyone but they all dismissed her discoveries as folly and insisted she return to her training. But she didn't completely forget. Everyday after her studies were over she would pore over the books, trying to find how these great beasts had come to be."

            "See where the Kid gets his perseverance, huh?"

            "Hai…anyway…after Yelan had assumed control of the Clan, she found she was expecting a Son. She wanted him to be strong without the power of a Dragon…both physically, mentally, spiritually and magically. So she created me…so I could serve and guard my master, Xiaolang."

            "But…if she wanted him to be strong without you, why the hell did she create you in the first place?"

            "I was to assist him when he reached his full potential. But by age sixteen, Xiaolang was already reaching his full potential. It would be impossible for me to have any influence on him that would make him codependent on me. He was already fiercely independent."

            "Yeah…I can see that." Kero laughed. "Sakura may look like a delicate flower but I believe she has nearly reached her full potential as well. The only difference is her magic is untapped. She doesn't realize just how much power lies in her fingertips." He frowned and his tone became serious. "But…she'll need all the power she can get…soon enough."

            "Is it…him?"

            "Hai…we won't have to wait much longer…"

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            "Sugoi! That was some capture Sakura!" Daidouji Tomoyo gushed happily, her pale hands turning her newest sketch this way and that. "I bet there are only a few cards left, ne?"

            Li Syaoran registered his hyperactive friend's words and stole a glance to the sleeping Card Mistress perched sleeping on his back. He then turned to the young man walking alongside the violet-eyed artist. "Hey Hiiragizawa…"

            "Nani?"

            "You're Clow's reincarnation, how many more Cards left?"

            Eriol laughed and sunlight flashed off his glasses. "Gomen, although I retain some memories of my past life, not all are known to me at present."

            Li Meiling arched an eyebrow. "What do you mean 'not all are known at present'?"

            "Meaning I acquire more memories as time passes, whether they are important or not, pertaining to the Cards or not…that's undecided to me. The memories come back on their own, I can't select what I remember."

            Syaoran grunted and continued walking along with the rest of the small troupe.

            Eriol hovered back a bit and raised his eyes to the pale moon beginning to come over the horizon. He smiled a bit and chuckled. "Three."

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            Kinomoto Sakura flopped down onto the sand and let her emerald eyes rest upon the star studded sky above.  A bird passed overhead and as if by some magical power, a warm and sultry breeze passed over her body. Moments later a strong hand gripped hers and she gazed into the intense amber eyes of the warrior Li Syaoran. Her heart skipped a beat and she sighed as he flopped down next to her on the sand. Her eyes widened and she smiled a little.

            "Syaoran…"

            He turned to her with a smile, sending a chill up and down her spine. "Nani?"

            "Are you feeling alright?"

            "Hai…why would anything be wrong?"

            The Card Mistress turned to face him on her side and rested her hand on her hand. "Because you just flopped onto the sand. Not knelt, not sat but flopped."

            Syaoran blushed a little bit. "Is…is that bad?"

            "No…" and she kissed his softly on the forehead. "It just proves to me that you are getting a lot more pleasure out of life."

            His hand traced a path down her cheek and he brought her face to his. "Thanks to you…you showed me life is about something more than attaining power. Arigatou."

            She smiled and closed her eyes as he gathered her up into her arms, pressing his lips softly to hers.

            The aquamarine waves, darker in color by Night's touch lapped onto the shore repeatedly, not daring to touch the gently embracing pair on its shore. Soft moonlight shone down upon them, turning them into ethereal beings under the magical illumination. A kiss there, a touch here, each and every movement was loving and tender.

            Drip

            Sakura paused for a moment and mentally ignored it.

            Drip

            Drip

            Syaoran felt a drop on the tip of his nose and smiled into the kiss as Sakura gently brushed it away, running her fingers through his silky chestnut hair.

            Drip

            Drip

            Drip

            Drip

            Drip

            Both teens paused as darkness washed over them, the Moon's light hidden behind dense clouds. The sand was now being littered with tiny dark spots, the rain falling hard and more forcefully.

            "They always pick the absolute perfect times to strike, don't they?"

            "Hai…" Sakura carefully grasped the Key around her neck and stood to her feet. "This shouldn't be too hard." Her eyes closed and an otherworldly glyph appeared beneath her steady feet, a ghostly mist sweeping around her body once more. "Rain."

            "How did you—" The warrior never finished; in mere seconds a torrential downpour seemed to have intentions of drowning the handsome sorcerer.

            "Syaoran!? Daijobu?"

            Syaoran brushed a few soaked chestnut locks from his golden eyes and turned his glare to the giggling spirit above him. His finger pointed upwards. "Capture this evil little Rain giver, please."

            The physical representation of Rain made a small sound to express her displeasure and floated down to the warrior's level. Her pale blue eyes smiled happily and Syaoran lowered his sword for a moment as the adorable spirit hovered. Just hovered there, playing with the tiny raindrop shaped charm dangling from the tip of her forehead.

            "Kawaii…" Sakura breathed. "Just like a child."

            Rain giggled and a small blush appeared on her cheeks.

            Syaoran grunted. "Hmmph…more like a demonic child."

            The tiny spirit frowned and put a hand forward, a small blue glow appearing in her palm. It began to glow and expand into a small fountain that rose upward, pooling in the sky over the group gathered on the beach. Amber and emerald stared on in wonderment as Rain made tiny and delicate movements with her fingertips.

            Suddenly she clapped and the airborne pool shattered into thousands of raindrops, further drenching the sorcerer and newly soaking the sorceress. Syaoran raised an eyebrow. "Cute, huh?"

            Sakura giggled and blushed a bit. "Well…" Her mind distracted itself from the incredibly appealing vision Syaoran made while completely soaked and desperately tried to focus her mind back to the Card. "It was kawaii."

            "Yeah well it's not anymore. This little thing's getting captured." He flicked a yellow incantation paper from his vest and pressed it the blade of his sword. "King of Thunder—"

            "Stop Syaoran!"

            "Nani?" He asked bewildered.

            "If you call upon Thunder, you might kill it!"

            The warrior blinked and he lowered his sword in near shame. "Gomen ne, Sakura…I wasn't thinking…"

            Sakura shot him a reassuring smile and passed her hand over her pocket, summoning one of the Clow Cards into her waiting hand. "Perfect."

            With a graceful flick of her wrist, the Card flew from her hand and spun wildly in midair; her hands raised the Sealing Staff high above her head and she brought it upon the Card, the tip connecting with the seal and releasing the Spirit within.

            "Watery!"

            The tendrils of magic warped and writhed, taking the form of an otherworldly being, made of the purifying essence of water. Sakura pointed to Rain. "Bind Rain!"

            Watery obeyed and enveloped the tiny Rain spirit in an iridescent bubble. She struggled and struggled but the bubble was unbreakable. With a frustrated sigh, she fell back onto her knees and rested her chin in her hands.

            Return to the form you were destined to be, Clow Card!

            Rain faded into a stream of pale blue magic and was inexplicably pulled within the Card pulsing at the tip of the Sealing Staff. The Card shimmered for a moment and became visible, the small form of Rain closing her eyes and smiling. "Watery, you return, too."

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A tall figure clad in white robes stood staring out over the expanse of the beach, his gaze unblinking and stern. Tracing in fingers in an archaic fashion various symbols of unknown origin appeared in midair before him and two glowing rectangles materialized, spinning as they hovered. The being frowned and his blue ice-like eyes narrowed. "Too easy, it's too easy for them."

            He passed his hand over the rectangles and two beings of complete opposite balance appearing within the intricate border. "But it won't be so easy for much longer…this will be their hardest yet."

Locks of silver hair blew across his face and the pale moonlight passed over his body, washing him in its ghostly light. Yet under the Moon's power he seemed to glow with an aura of his own…a pale silver aura. He watched as two fingers strolled down the beach, hand in hand. "Demo…They haven't dealt with me yet."

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            AN: So…what did everyone think? I'm sorry, this isn't a very good chapter, but I've had the worst writer's block and I feel like this is the worst thing I've written yet. I'd also like to point out that I'm a baka and a half and really do need to research things before I put them online and make a fool out of myself. In my other fic, Hanging by a Moment, I said that Yoko Kanno sang Yubiwa, but it was Maaya Sakamoto, ne? I dunno, I'm wrong one way or another so don't bash me for being wrong because…yeah. Lol.  Hmmm…what else? Well, let's see…I'm officially done ½ of my sophomore year of high school and this past semester I got straight A's! *turns chibi and does a little dance* Ahem, gomen…I usually don't dance in public ^_^. Like I said before one of the reasons I haven't updated in so long has been A) Writers Block and B) I've been so obsessed with Kingdom Hearts. If you haven't played it, do so. It's totally worth it. Yeah it's obvious where Disney takes part and where Squaresoft shines ((just watch the opening movie ^_^)) but it's an awesome game. Plus, Sora is a total cutie like Syaoran ^_~. Anyway…I'm obsessed with the Escaflowne movie and the entire soundtrack and…um…I saw Ah! My Goddess the Movie and umm…*running out things to say* and…I lost 37 pounds since I started writing this fic! *Realizes she should probably stop blabbing her entire life to the net and shuts up* Anyway I hope you like this chapter and I will try to have a new one up soon!

~*~*~Merry Christmas minna-san!~*~*~