Sakura and the Big (Slightly) Bad-Tempered Wolf

Chapter 4

Hmm, I just noticed that I haven't been naming the chapters (it took me 4 chapters to notice that???) …maybe I'll name them later, but I can't think of anything right now…

Umm thanks heaps to Sakuragirl14, fire-storm, Lady AA-chan, PrincessLesse, SapphireStar, Lian Leviathin, Blue Pheonix, Wings of Fire, Unicornhime, Four of the Apocalypse, SueHime and Plumblossom for the reviews, MUCHLY APPRECIATED!!

(sorry if I missed anybody…^-^) oooh, i even had some q's ^-^…

PrincessLesse: make Kero like he was in the Cold and the Cardcaptor?? I'm not quite sure what you are getting at…do you mean make him act like he did when he saw Syaoran's 'bare naked ass'??? (crying in his cookies, mumbling to himself etc…)coz if you are…you've given me an idea… D if not…what do you meeeaaaannnnn???!!!

SapphireStar: In response to your question about whether I'm familiar with the Harry Potter series, I have one thing to say…NORBERT IS SOOOOO CCCCCCUUUUUUTTTTTTTEEEEE!!! ::starts giggling:: hehehe he's all green and cute and scaly and cute and has wings and is cute

(and the most disturbing thing you'll find is that I'm being serious…^-^)

Okay…I think that's it (Thanks again to all the people that reviewed!) on with chapter 4!!

…

What did I write for the last chapter again?? ::every one falls over anime-style:: …ooooohhhh that's right…the dragon (::nervous laugh::hehehehe)

(oh, and I don't own nuthin, in case you were wondering…)

~~~~~

I spun around and sniffed the air "I don- HIT THE DECK!!!"

I slammed my body into Sakura, causing her to fall to the ground as the others ducked…just in time to miss the searing blast of flame that would have hit us if we had been standing.

Leo rolled away from a burning shrub, she screamed, her eyes wide as she pointed to something from the direction the flame had come. "DDDRRRRRRAAAAGGGGOOONNNN!!"

~~~~~~~

3rd Person POV:

The dragon was massive; easily five times taller than your average human, and was covered from tip to tail with shiny silver scales and a multitude of sharp spikes, spines and horns. But that little fact didn't seem to be registering with Syaoran. It seemed some sort of protective instinct had kicked in at some point, and he was challenging it. His teeth were bared, his hackles were raised and his fur was standing on end…despite the minor detail that the dragon was big enough to inhale him and not realize it.

Syaoran growled and leapt forward and, as it was really the only thing he could actually reach, latched onto the dragons' ankle…perhaps in an attempt to discourage it by making the dragon bleed very slowly to death.

There was a rather startled yelp from the scaly beast.

Then a loud voice bellowed, "CUUUUUUUTTTTTTTT"

Everyone, besides the dragon who just lifted his foot to investigate what was attached to it (Syaoran was still stuck fast, gnawing enthusiastically, but not doing much damage), stood up and gaped in mild shock as a short plump little man wearing a beret and jodhpurs came stumbling out of the bushes carrying a megaphone. "WHAT'S GOING ON HERE!"

The dragon replied in a bored tone as he plucked Syaoran off his leg with his claws and deposited him on the ground in a rather ungraceful heap. "You don't need the megaphone when you're this close Carl…"

"WHAT?? OH SORRY!"

There was a crackle, then a whine and Carls' voice returned to a volume that was bearable. "Right…" He glanced at Syaoran, who was looking thoroughly confused and was muttering something to himself (such as 'What just happened?' and 'Why do I have a scale stuck between my molars?'), then locked a glare onto the rest of us. "That little prank of yours just cost us a lot of money in film you know"

The dragon rolled his eyes slightly and replied. "I don't think they did it on purpose," He paused, leaned down and sniffed the air around us then replied. "They look lost." He propped his hands on his hips. "And you didn't have to scream so loudly, I don't eat human'." He placed a hand on his chest and replied proudly, "I'm a vegetarian…If anything, I prefer tofuman."

Tomoyo asked the question that everyone was probably thinking. "Tofuman?"

"Yeah, tofu human. It's nice, you should try it sometime."

Carl seemed to be getting a little irritated by the all the small talk and was going red in the face. "Enough with the talk, we're loosing light here people!"

Leo frowned slightly and brushed her messy hair out of her face, then tried to brush out the wrinkles and mud off her clothes. Admittedly a pretty sad attempt to look regal…

"I'm terribly sorry for our intrusion sir, but we were travelling and had lost our way."

Carls eyes widened, his face turned white and he stuttered "P-P-Princess Leonora!! I-I-I didn't recognize you in that…outfit"

…but effective nonetheless.

Leo stuck her nose in the air, looking every bit the stuck up princess and quite snootily replied. "Why on earth would I wear my gowns outside where they would get fouled up by all this…" her snooty demeanor faltered for a second as she searched for a word, " uhh…nature!"

True, but if Carl had been thinking and not cowering under Leo's pseudo snooty princess act, he probably would have realized that a princess with that kind of attitude would also not want to walk and by all technical stereotypes, should be seated in the cushy comforts of an elegant horse drawn carriage.

He bowed enthusiastically and back away. "Many apologies your highness, I am so very sorry, perhaps I can make it up for you and your companions…I'm afraid we don't have much, but if there is anything you need, please don't hesitate to ask…"

~~~~~~~~

Sakura's POV:

"Why couldn't you make him give us some food?"

I sighed and shifted around in the saddle, trying unsuccessfully to get comfortable. Leo had used her authority to acquire us some horses to ride back to the castle, (which she would have returned as soon as we arrived) but hadn't asked for anything else. It was only a 2-hour or so ride back, so we weren't really desperate for food or much else. And besides, the film crew needed the provisions themselves. Keroberos and Syaoran on the other hand, didn't quite agree with that decision.

"Yeah, do you have any idea how much energy it takes for me to fly?"

I smiled and replied. "But you haven't been flying, so I don't know what you're complaining about…"

He opened his mouth to comment, but snapped it shut and snorted. Syaoran snickered and was about to comment when-

"There's no use complaining my cute furry descendent, there is nothing that can be done until we reach the castle."

Syaoran looked up and glared as Eriol trotted past me and caught up with Tomoyo. (Eriol was riding a chestnut called 'Reggie', Tomoyo was riding a Palomino called 'Nova', I was on a horse named 'Phillip' that was almost completely black besides the white 'star' on his forehead, and Leo was riding a creamy white mare called 'Mist').

I patted Phillip on his mane. "So, how much longer until we reach the castle?"

Leo, who was riding beside me, arched her neck and tried to see over the hill we were riding up. "We should be able to see it when we get to the top of this hill." She brushed a loose strand of hair off her face and continued. "The hill leads down into the forest that's behind the castle…that was were I was training when everything went wrong. There's the markets and village on the other side, but if its okay with everyone, I think I'd rather have a long bath than play tour guide…"

I smiled. "I can sympathize…"

Tomoyo stretched and replied. "I can't wait to get a change of clothes, these are starting to get itchy."

Eriol nodded then turned to face Leo, looking a little perplexed. "Just out of curiosity Leo, what happened to that bag of clothes and souvenirs we gave you?"

Leo shrugged. "I'm not sure, it must have been sent somewhere else like the rest of us…it's a shame to, I really liked some of those outfits."

Tomoyo smiled. "That's okay, it won't take me long to whip up some more."

Everyone continued to chatter for a bit, Syaoran and Keroberos grumbling every now and then about their empty stomach's, but I was idly thinking about what Eriol had brought up.

* I wonder where it ended up…*

~~~~~~~~

Garrets POV: Forest outside the castle

I needed a distraction.

It had been about 3 days since we had contact with Leo, almost a week since she had disappeared, and I was getting worried again. She should have been back by now. The King and Queen kept telling me not to worry, that she was safe with Master Eriol and the Card Mistress Sakura. But still, I know Leonora well, and although I don't really like to say it, she isn't exactly the best when it comes to magic.

She tries so hard. I have been out with her to help on every single night she stays up practicing her magic, but for some reason she just…manages to mess up.

Secretly though, I like that about her. It means I can make up excuses to be around her. Although I chose to be a knight, I can still work magic well and probably know more than I should about magic for someone who is supposed to be specializing in weapons. Even though the majority of people of our world posses magic, you only develop the areas that are useful for your career. But being the eldest child and future heiress to the throne, Leo needs to have a general knowledge of magic in all its forms. She gets some things, but others…

And the thing that annoys me the most is that it just seems to come so easily to me, I haven't actually told her yet that I can work all the magic she tries so hard to master…I don't want her to get upset.

I sighed and urged my silver mare 'Strike' to go further into the woods at a trot. The small clearing I was heading for came into view and I dismounted when I reached the centre, and breathed in the scents of the forest. That always relaxed me. I tied the reins to the saddle, then let Strike wander. She'd come back when I called her.

I watched as she disappeared through the trees then drew my sword, pushing all thoughts but the training exercise out of my mind and started to swing it at my imaginary opponent.

I had visited this area on many an occasion; I knew where everything grew so a lot of the time I could just close my eyes and block out everything else.

On this occasion however, I probably should have used my eyes.

I was picturing in my mind the trees and bushes, so was able to avoid them by memory as I ducked, jabbed, flipped and parried.

Of course, my memory didn't include a large sports bag…

"::parry, parry, jab, TRIP:: "WWWHHHHHHAAAAAA- ::THUMP!::"

I groaned and rubbed my head. "Ooww…that was stupid…"

I pushed myself to my knees and re-sheathed my sword, then looked down at the thing I had tripped on. It was partially hidden by a bush; that's why I hadn't seen it when I had come into the clearing in the first place. I pulled open the zipper and examined the contents.

The most notable of the contents were the clothes. I was familiar with the fashions of both worlds, but still, they were pretty unusual for both our tastes. I pushed them aside and pulled out a few video tapes labeled 'CardCaptures.' The last item was a photo frame with a star, moon and sun design around the outside. Inside was a picture of Sakura, Tomoyo, Kero; from whom I recognized from the 'call' the other day…Master Eriol…and Leo.

This bag must belong to her…or one of them…so what was it doing alone in the forest near the castle and why hadn't they gone straight to the castle?

Something wasn't right.

Re-zipping the bag, I pulled it into the centre of the clearing. I needed answers and I needed them now.

I summoned my magic and pushed it towards the bag, wrapping it in a pale blue light. My magic formed a bubble around it and lifted the bag off the ground, making it rise to about my waist. Holding my hand over the top of it I started to chant the spell that would pick up and indicate any magical residue left on the bag, a way of 'dusting' for magical fingerprints.

The blue light intensified, then flared, before changing to the crackling sparks I recognized as a dimensional transportation spell.

A rather messed up dimensional transportation spell.

That could only mean one thing.

I wrapped my magic around the bag again then snapped my fingers, sending it to my bedchambers, then stuck two fingers in my mouth and let out a shrill whistle. Hoof beats thundered in response and a second later Strike came galloping out of the trees. Without waiting for her to stop I grabbed the saddle as she came past and hoisted myself onto it. I grabbed the reins, yelled "YA!", then wheeled her around to go to the castle.

Strikes' hooves clapped loudly on the stone ground as I entered the castle courtyard. Ignoring the people giving me strange looks, I leapt off Strike mid gallop and landed gracefully on the steps that led to the throne room.

The door hit the wall with a resounding bang as I bolted through. "Your Majesties! I found a bag in the forest that I believe belonged to Leo an I think she's in trouble!" I stood panting as I glanced frantically from the Queen to the King to see their responses.

The King merely raised an eyebrow and glanced to the Queen. Her lip twitched in a smile, not looking as worried as I was. "Well? Are you just going to sit there or are you going to order a search party? Come on! I want to go find her before something terrible happens!"

The queen calmly replied, despite my theatrics "Garret…"

Frustrated, I replied in a strangled voice "WHAT?!" My eyes widened as I heard a few gasps around me. "I mean, yes Your Majesty?"

She smiled and continued. "Leo is fine, we just received a call from a director who's filming in the Wildflower meadow a few minutes ago. He said Leo and some of her companions stumbled on a set. They borrowed some horses and will be here in about an hour."

The King chuckled. "The poor man was beside himself, said he didn't recognize her at first because of what she was dressed in, well until he saw her aura."

My mouth opened and closed a few times, but I finally managed to speak. "Oh" I continued in a hopeful sounding voice, "…umm permission to find them and make sure they get home safely?"

The Queen smiled and nodded so the King waved his hand dismissively. "Oh go on then, not that we could stop you if we said no…"

I grinned, then bowed and raced out the room. A second later I was racing through the trees upon my faithful stead, heading in the direction of the Wildflower meadow.

~~~~~

Sakura's POV:

We had entered the forest and where slowly making our way to the castle. From what I could see from the hill, it looked like something out of a fairy tale, with the many tall turrets, the moat, the pointed flags waving merrily in the breeze. Then of course Syaoran and Keroberos ruined the moment by whining about their ever emptying stomachs and how they were 'wasting away to mere shadows'…

With Kero it's understandable, I've always known he's a bottomless pit, but with Syaoran…well, this was a new development.

"Have you always had this much of an appetite, or is this just a 'being turned into a giant wolf thing'?"

Syaoran shrugged as he trotted along beside me. "Wolf thing, I don't normally feel so hungry ::small snicker:: who'd have though that one day I'd have an appetite to match Yukit-" He froze.

I pulled Phillip to a stop. "What…what's wrong…"

His ears pricked up and his nose started to twitch. "…Someone's coming…" He sniffed the air again…then snarled. "Someone's coming here fast…" His voice lowered to a growl, "and they've got a weapon…"

Before I even had a chance to stop him, Syaoran shot of like a bullet. Eriol got Reggie under control after she got spooked by Syaoran and turned to face me. "What's gotten into him?"

"He said that someone carrying a weapon was coming towards us." I urged Phillip into a gallop and yelled out to the others as they caught up. "We better keep up with him before he does something stupid!"

We had managed to more or less keep up with him until Syaoran's tail disappeared through a grove of thick purple coloured bushes. I had the sinking feeling that I had lost him when deep vicious growling filled the air.

"Oh no, not again…"

I slowed Phillip to a trot and directed him through a gap in the bushes and trees as I heard the others catch up.

Syaoran was crouched low to the ground, in the classic threatening pose of the canine world and neither he nor his target seemed to notice me enter the area. His gaze and focus was completely fixed on the man…

…a youngish familiar looking man on a rearing silver horse…

…Garret.

I looked frantically from Syaoran to Garret, growing more panicked by the second, as Garret pulled his horse under control with one hand, and drew his sword with the other. Syaoran tensed, preparing to pounce.

I did the first thing that came into my head.

"SYAORAN! HEEL, BAD WOLF!"

I should have shouted it a bit quicker…

The momentum of the pounce had him flying high above the ground and he was still heading in the direction he had originally intended. His legs however, were quick to obey the command despite the obvious lack of ground. It was quite a site to watch a giant brown wolf, 'death to thy enemy' written all over his face, suddenly look incredibly guilty with himself and try and change direction mid air. His legs just sort of whirred furiously beneath him trying to go in the other direction as he continued to soar. The end result of which was that he fell to the ground with a 'thump' in a tangle of limbs.

Garret just sort of blinked as he re-sheathed his sword, then he glanced up at me.

I sweatdropped, "Um, this might take some explaining…"

He merely raised an eyebrow, then looked behind me.

"GARRET!"

A look of part disbelief and part relief washed over his features. "Leo! You're alright!"

Leo leapt off her horse and ran up to Garret, wrapping him in a big bear hug. "I was so worried about you, I thought we'd lost you for sure."

Leo sniffed and buried her head in his shoulder. "::sniffle:: you know you can't get rid of me that easily…" They both laughed…then sprang apart, bright red in the face.

Tomoyo was looking ecstatic with herself, she had the same starry-eyed expression on her face that she usually had whenever Syaoran and I did something 'kawaii'. Not that I was complaining, it would take the attention away form us for a while…She had her camera out as was as expected, and was it pointing directly at the very embarrassed couple. Eriol was smiling that knowing smile of his again, Keroberos was sitting on the ground still chuckling from watching Syaoran and Syaoran…well Syaoran was just looking confused again.

He seemed to be getting himself confused a lot lately. Like every time his 'wolfish instincts' kicked in, his own conscious was shoved somewhere else…

"::embarrassed cough:: Umm well, it's good to see you and your companions safe and uhhh…" He glanced at Syaoran, "well and …uhh…ummm…" He trailed off and turned slightly pink in the cheeks when he caught sight of Leo's torn, muddied and probably-shorter-than-he-was-used-to ensemble. "…uhhh…"

Leo sighed, "It's a long story…"

Which thankfully kept us all occupied on the short ride back to the castle.

~~~

I looked around in awe as we crossed the drawbridge and entered the castle courtyard. Moss and vines covered in bright purple and yellow flowers grew all over the stone walls, parapets and turrets. There was a large sparkling fountain in the middle, with strange looking fish swimming around in it. I heard a few gasps as we rode in, and a few people ran up a flight of stone steps that was in front of us, and ducked through the massive doors at the top. Leo dismounted and handed her reins to a stable boy. "Take these horses to the stables and make sure they're looked after, they need to be returned to the Wildflower meadow later today." The boy bowed and led Mist off as another group of stable hands ran up and took the horses off us. Tomoyo spun around, looking through her camera lens. "Wow, this place is so beautiful…"

Eriol just smiled. "This is nothing compared to the royal gardens out the back…"

The huge doors swung open and the King and Queen hurried down. The Queen was in tears and she and the King quickly pulled her daughter in a hug. "Oh Leonora, I'm so glad your back home safe…" They both pulled back then looked up at us. Eriol cleared his throat then started to introduce us. "May I present, your Majesties, Lady Sakura, Mistress of the Sakura Cards…" He trailed off and I took it as a hint to step forward and curtsy.

He smiled, then turned to Tomoyo, "Lady Tomoyo, expert camera woman and seamstress," She followed my example, "Keroberos, Guardian Beast of the Seal, and now Guardian of the Lady Sakura," Keroberos bowed his head respectfully as Eriol turned to Syaoran. "And finally, Master Syaoran, future leader of the Li clan and currently having trouble with his physical appearance." Syaoran shot him a dirty look, but bowed to the King and Queen.

Eriol turned to face us. "And everyone, may I introduce Their Majesties, King Traygus and Queen Ophelia." They both bowed formally then the Queen smiled a replied, "Perhaps we should let you all freshen up first before we go to lunch". I glanced down at my clothes. They, like everyone else's looked a little worse for wear. The Queen turned to one of the maids standing dutifully behind her. "Elizabeth, show our guests to their rooms so they can clean up and tell the cook to prepare lunch early today."

Elizabeth bowed and turned to us. "This was please."

I lost count of how many stairs we walked up and how many halls we hurried down, but by the time we were led to our rooms, I was thoroughly lost and not even sure which floor we were on. The others were led of to other rooms down the hall, (although after much insistence, Syaoran and Keroberos were to be led to the kitchens for a 'light snack' before lunch.) Elizabeth stopped in front of a door. It, like all the doors, had a small blank plaque in the centre at head height. She tapped it with her knuckles; it shimmered for a second then the letters spelling 'Sakura' appeared. She grabbed the handles and pushed it open as I started to protest. "Umm, we don't really need our own rooms…just somewhere to clean ourselves up a bit."

Elizabeth reached in and flicked a bunch of light switches on the wall. All the candles, torches and the fireplace lit up revealing a vast richly decorated room. "Their Majesties expect you to stay for a little while, they wish to properly thank you for helping out Leonora, and it will take a while before we can get a Mage to sort out your wolf friends problem."

She walked past the king sized four poster bed (covered in expensive looking sheets and many cushions) and pulled open the heavy curtains on the other side before going over to a small door next to the bed. "This door will take you to your private bathroom and walk-in closet. All you have to do is face it and say which one you want to go into. The closet will have a range of clothing you can wear and will adjust them to your size."

I looked a little awe-struck so she faced the door and said. "Closet", then pulled it open. I glanced in. The left wall was taken up by a huge range of elegant floor length, medieval style gowns, the right wall was covered in shelves which held shoes, hats and other assorted accessories to match. "Wow…"

"I'll leave you to choose something you like. When your done, close the door, say 'bathroom' and go through." I nodded, still in a bit of mild shock. "Umm thank you…"

She smiled and bowed and walked over to a chord next to the door. "If there is anything you need, just pull this chord and I'll be right up."

"Umm thank you." That seemed to be the only thing I could really say at this moment…

She bowed again then walked out, pulling the bedroom door shut behind her. I turned back to my closet and walked in. I was browsing through the dress's when I heard an excited squeal from down the hall, "I take it Tomoyo's found her closet…" Smiling to myself I picked out a pale green off-the-shoulder style dress. It was a little unusual, but I liked the look of it. I found the matching shoes and belt and walked out, closing the door behind me.

I turned and scrutinized the door then said, "Bathroom", and walked back in.

Even though I was expecting it to have changed, I definitely wasn't expecting what I actually saw.

"HOE!"

I must have said that louder than I had expected, or Syaoran just had really good hearing. I heard the sound of claws clicking rapidly against stone floor of the hall.

'…ta-tic-ta-tic-ta-tic-…SCRITCHASCRITCHASCRITCHA-THUNK…'

The door shuddered as something big and I assumed wolf-shaped slammed into it. I heard a moan and quickly lay the dress on the bed and jogged over to the door. Syaoran was laying on the other side looking a little more disheveled than he usually did and more than a little dazed. "Are you okay?"

He shook his head, then got back on his feet…err…paws…

"Yeah, just remind me never to run on stone floors again…" His look changed to worry. "What happened? I heard you call out…"

I sweatdropped and blushed a bit from embarrassment. "Sorry, I was just a bit surprised that's all…"

"By what?"

"Come in, I'll show you."

I led him to the bathroom. His 'eyebrows' rose so much they almost cleared his head.

The bathroom; if you could really call it that, looked like someone had taken a chunk of the forest outside and relocated it in the room. I ran my hand down a 'tree trunk' and found that it was smooth, cool and flat.

It was all a painting. But you had to touch it to believe it.

I watched a painted bird fly through the painted treetops then land on the top of the painted rocks of the waterfall at the far end of the room. The water coming out of this, however, was real and poured into the 'bath' that was designed to look like a small lake sunk into the ground. Well…small for a lake, big for a bath…you could easily do laps in it. The stone floor was painted too; if you hadn't touched it, you would have been convinced it was real grass.

Instead of candles, the room was lit up with hundreds of different sized glowing balls. Some were as small as fireflies, others as big as your head. They floated around creating a mystical feeling to the room. Mist rose from the lake/bath as a final touch.

"Wow…"

I nodded. "Yeah…wow…"

"Hello?" I turned and saw Leo poke her head around the corner. "I was just checking on everyone before I had my bath, I saw your door open, is everything okay here?"

"Yeah…this bathroom is incredible, are they all like this?"

"They're all big and fancy, but every bathroom is designed differently." She smirked, "One of my ancestors was an interior decorator, she specialized in bathrooms…insisted that she used the castle as a display home for her work."

"Oh okay then."

Leo glanced down at Syaoran. "The cook said it will still be a couple of minutes until your 'snack' is ready, we've got your room and your bath set up."

Syaoran looked a little unsettled for some reason when she mentioned the word 'bath'…couldn't think why…I've always known Syaoran as a clean person…, but he got up and trotted out the door after saying a quick 'bye'.

Leo turned to me as she was leaning out the door. "Mother said the Mage that can change Syaoran back won't be here for a couple of days, he's out in the next town on a house call, so you're all welcome to stay for as long as you need. And don't worry about you're Dad and brother getting worried about you being missing. Master Eriol just sent home a few letters saying you're all staying with him at his holiday house for a week." At my confused and slightly worried expression she quickly explained. "He said that it was easy saying that than explaining that you had been sent to another dimension…oh, and you can send objects back in time so they'll arrive there just after we got sucked into the portal in case you were wondering about that too. Um, I believe my parents are talking to Syaoran's mother as we speak so that's all sorted out too."

"Oh, okay…that's good…"

She smiled. "Well, I'll leave you to your bath then." She pulled the door to and once again, I was left to my own devices.

I picked up my change of clothes, and wandered back into the bathroom to investigate more. I found a raised rock pool/basin next to the waterfall and a closed off area that held the toilet. (I was relieved to find that it wasn't just a tree to…::cough::…err use, but a fully functional dual flush toilet.)

I found a branch that actually stuck out from the wall (not painted, it was a clothes hook), and hung my clothes on it then thankfully pulled off my dirty outfit and slipped into the bath. The water was at a perfect temperature and I sunk gratefully into its depths. I waded out and sat underneath the waterfall, letting the warm water wash over my shoulders. Pulling my hair out of its tie, I leaned back and let the water wash through it then went to put the tie on the side of the bath. It was then that I noticed an ornate tap sticking out on the edge. Thinking out loud, I muttered "I wonder what that's for…"

I jumped when Elizabeth's voice replied. "It's a tap that pours out bubble bath and soap"

I spun around, but couldn't see anyone else but me inside the room. "Where…where are you?"

There was a small chuckle. "I'm not in the room, I'm talking through the intercom…it switches on when you ask a question."

"Oh…" I relaxed. "What kind of bubble bath does it have?"

"Any you want. Just touch the tap, say what kind you want…rose, strawberry, dewberry…with bubbles, without…whatever your heart desires. Then all you have to do is turn the tap."

"Oh okay, thank you."

"No problem, enjoy your bath."

I turned and looked at the tap thoughtfully, touched the top and said, "Strawberry with bubbles," then turned it.

Pink coloured bubbles poured out as well as a stream of pink, strawberry smelling gel. The bubbles floated up and around the room as I switched the tap back off. I waded over and stuck my head under the falling water again to wash my hair.

I was soaking in the warmth of my much needed bath relaxing when my mind decided to pick up on something Leo had said earlier. * wait a minute…she said that Eriol's writing the letter to my Dad…and he knows that Touya is likely to read it…*

I felt my face drain of colour.

* uh ohh…*

~~~~~~

3rd Person POV: Sakura's home, several days previous

Just as the sounds of yells and harshly blowing wind died down, an envelope appeared out of thin air and floated down to the floor just inside the front door. A key being slid into a lock broke the momentary silence, as well as two male voices, before the door was pushed open. Fujitaka stepped aside and let his son Touya go through first, so it was he who saw the envelope and picked it up. The writing was neat and easily recognizable as Eriol's.

Touya frowned slightly and pulled it open.

The letter read as follows:

'Dear Dad and Touya,

Syaoran has returned. We've eloped and are honeymooning in Hawaii.

We'll send a postcard.

Lots of love and kisses,

Sakura and Syaoran'

Touya's face was alternating between white, red, and an interesting shade of blue, so Fujitaka plucked the letter and read it himself He, however, wasn't so enraged by the small starting paragraph to notice the little 'P. T. O.' at the bottom. He flipped the page as Touya started to spout various curses and torturous ways to kill the 'sister stealing gaki', and finished reading.

'Just kidding! I'm actually staying over at Eriol's holiday home along with Tomoyo and Kero for a week. I'll call you in a few days to chat.

Love Sakura'

Fujitaka glanced at his son and sweatdropped. Touya had somehow acquired a chainsaw and had a determined 'death to all Chinese gaki's' look in his maniacally twitching eyes.

"VV-NN-NN….VV-NN-NN…VV-NN-NN-NN-NN!!" (chainsaw starting noises ^-^)

Even before Fujitaka had a chance to call the proper authorities to have is son temporarily restrained, Touya was out the door, waving his weapon of 'gaki massacring' above his head and shot off down the road heading for the airport.

Presently he's down at the police station trying to explain that he wasn't out to kill everyone at the airport, just one guy that's supposedly married to his sister. It took a lot of explaining and more than a few tranquilizers to make him see sense.

~~~~~~~~

Eriol's POV:

I walked out of my bathroom that looked like a small section of the universe (Supernova's, Milky Way's, small planets etc. scattered around the walls) feeling refreshed and cleaned and much more comfortable now that I was in a fresh set of clothes. I had chosen a set of robes similar to that which I wore when I taught magic here before. They were long and dark blue with silver symbols embroidered on the shoulder and along the hems. The pants underneath were black and simple, as was the warm cotton shirt. I pulled on my boots and strolled over to the room opposite, from which a lot of splashing and the sound of people trying to reason with someone, their voices just beyond sounding angry.

I pushed open the bedroom door, then went over to the door beside the bed that was ajar. I looked in to find the bathroom; this one designed to look like some sort of mountain hot spring, a group of slightly damp maids crowded around a hydro-bath (the one they use for dogs) and an angry looking wolf struggling to jump out of the aforementioned tub.

"Why can't I just use the fancy bath, why do I have to have a stinking hydro-bath!"

One of the maids grimaced slightly and pulled on the leash they had somehow managed to get around his neck. "We told you Sir, it's because fur clogs up the water filter and pump in the bath."

"So?…this is demeaning!"

I decided it was time to butt in. "That's what you said about having to wear a pink gown and long golden hair in that play, this is merely good hygiene…"

A few of the maids looked relieved as they saw me, but stumbled and tightened their grip on the soaking wolf as he tried to jump out again. I walked over and looked at Syaoran condescendingly, "Now now descendent, stop squirming, you want to smell nice for Sakura don't you?"

I noticed with a bit of a smile that although his face was fixed into a glare of complete and utter hate towards me, his tail started wagging furiously as Sakura's name was mentioned. I had noticed it before, but he never really seemed to realize the actions of his 5th appendage.

I reached and took the leash from one of the maids who looked thoroughly exhausted and managed to keep the still struggling, glaring and above all unhappy looking wolf under control for the moment, and leaned over to quietly tell her something. "If you would be so kind as to fetch Sakura for me, it would be much appreciated." She looked relieved and walked out the door as fast as she could without running as Syaoran gave me a questioning glare. I simply smiled as the air filled with the smell of peach scented soap.

~~~~~

Sakura's POV:

I had finished getting dressed and was sitting at the mirror brushing out the tangles from my hair when there was a quite knock on the door.

"Come in…"

The door opened to reveal a frazzled and noticeably damp looking maid. "Master Eriol wishes to see you Mistress Sakura…" She glanced at the brush in my hand the rushed over, "Oh here, allow me…"

I was about to protest but she had already taken the brush out of my hand and was gently running it through my hair. "So, do you know why Eriol wants to see me?"

She shook her head, "He didn't say…" She finished brushing out the knots, then slipped the small circlet that hugged my forehead and sat back. "There, perfect!"

I glanced in the mirror and smiled. She had left my hair out so that it reached mid back and it shimmered in the candlelight. "Thank you"

She smiled and waited at the door. "Come, we must go to Master Eriol.

I followed her out, making sure to pick up the front of the dress so as not to trip on it as she led me down the vast hall and into another bedroom.

~~~~~~~~

Eriol's POV:

I heard footsteps down the hall and a second later the maid I had sent off returned and bowed; then stepped back from the door. I tightened my grip on Syaoran's collar, bracing myself if he tried to jump out and make his escape through the open door, when Sakura strode through looking a little confused, but very beautiful none-the-less.

Syaoran bolted upright with a start…causing me, because I was holding on so tight, to fall headfirst into the tub. I heard a few smothered giggles from the maids as I stood up with as much dignity as one could muster covered from head to toe in scented soapsuds. Syaoran's gaze was wide and fixed on Sakura; his tail was wagging so much it was actually making his whole lower end wiggle.

Sakura blinked and glanced from the 'stunned-to-silence' wolf then to me. "Um, you wanted to speak to me Eriol…?"

I smiled and pulled myself out of the bath, drying myself off with a little magic and replied. "ah yes, I was hoping you could help us with our little problem here. Syaoran is being disobedient…and he seems to only listen to you…"

Syaoran's gaze was broken as he turned to give me a dirty look, but froze when Sakura walked over and stopped in front of him. She smiled and said in a sweet voice, "Are you going to be good Syaoran?"

His expression was one of extreme guilt and he nodded his head franticly.

She smiled and gave him a quick kiss on his forehead, "Good wolf" before turning to me. "Is that all that you needed?"

I smiled and bowed. "That was all M'lady."

She grinned and exited.

I turned back to Syaoran; his expression was dreamy. "See what happens when you're good?"

He glared at me slightly, but obediently sat still as the maids finished soaping up his coat and rinsing off all the grime and dirt.

I decided to stay on stand-by in case Syaoran decided to get difficult again, but he didn't and was finally allowed out of the bath to dry off. Unfortunately for me, I forgot the thing that all dogs/wolves do when they're wet.

Syaoran grinned maliciously and stood right in front of me…as he started to shake himself off. Water flew everywhere.

Maids that weren't that wet before got soaked, and I got drenched once again for the second time that day.

I sighed and wiped my glasses on my robes as I once again dried them with the spell, then extended the spell so that it would dry everyone else in the room.

Syaoran's fur puffed up like a Pomeranians.

I ignored his started yelp and nodded at one of the maids. She smirked slightly, and picked up a brush.

~~~~~Minor Time Gap~~~~

I met up with Tomoyo on the way out, she was looking exceedingly beautiful in a lavender coloured gown, and we made our way to the dinning room. Leo was standing by the entrance talking to Sakura and both looked up upon our arrival. Sakura smiled. "Wow, you both look great in those clothes!"

Tomoyo giggled and pulled her camera out of a fold in her dress and started taping as she answered. "So do you two! How lucky am I to be able to tape Sakura in such pretty clothes…HOHOHOHOHO!" Leo was dressed in a royal blue coloured dress that short sleeves that ended at a point on her wrist. She smiled self-consciously then turned as Keroberos and Garret came walking down the hall. Sakura smiled then looked gazed up the vast hallway. "Where's Syaoran?"

I was about to shrug when a voice echoed down the hall. "I'm here!"

We all spun and looked up the hall and watched as Syaoran; clean and brushed to a point were he wasn't actually scruffy, bounded towards us. He neared, and his expression turned slightly panicked. He stuck his paws forward trying to 'hit the brakes' but failed miserably. We all watched in stunned silence as he slid by and crashed into the door.

"…Ooowwww…"

The dining room door opened and Elizabeth stepped out and held it open. "If you will follow me, lunch is served."

Syaoran and Keroberos had started to drool slightly as I caught a whiff of the food that was being prepared.

The King and Queen entered through the door; we all bowed respectfully as they took their seats at the head of the table, then we took ours. Keroberos and Syaoran had a special bench that would allow them to reach the table and they hopped up, apparently too hungry to care that they had to sit in such close proximity.

Once we were all seated, a line of waiters strode in, each carrying a different dish that they placed in the centre of the long table. Keroberos and Syaoran started to salivate but managed to restrain themselves. The King tapped a glass with a fork and smiled, "If everyone is ready, then by all means, dig in!"

A roasted pig was picked clean before his voice had finished echoing around the vast room. Quiet chatter managed to drown out to some extent the sounds of Syaoran and Keroberos chowing down on obscene amounts of food, and continued on until even the two bottomless pits managed to get full.

Queen Ophelia wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin then tapped her glass with a spoon to silence the talk. "A ball has been arranged tonight in your honor, so you have the rest of the afternoon to yourselves. Feel free to explore the castle at your leisure, I'm sure Leo will be happy to show you around."

Leo smiled and nodded, so the Queen continued, "The ball will be starting at sundown so be prompt." We all stood as the King and Queen rose and signaled for the waiters to clear the table. "We have a few matters to attend to so we must be going." We all bowed as the King and Queen left through a door. Elizabeth was holding open the door to the main hall and led us back to our rooms.

"Wow, I can't believe they're holding a ball in our honor" She paused and glanced at Leo "…isn't it a bit…much?"

Leo smiled at Sakura's slightly worried expression. "Not at all, they hardly need any excuse to throw a celebration, at least this time we actually have a good reason. Don't worry about it, just enjoy yourselves!"

Syaoran grumbled as trotted along beside us. "Huh, that's easy for you to say, you're not stuck in the body of a wolf…"

I smiled and patted him on the head, then replied, "Why not try and enjoy it my cute furry descendent, you never know when an opportunity like this will arise again." He glared at me, and probably would have tried to bite me if Sakura hadn't been watching, but simply muttered something incomprehensible.

"Well, I think we should start out in the gardens, the are quite beautiful…does that sound okay with everyone?"

They all nodded but I bowed and replied. "I'm afraid I must decline for the moment Leo, I think I'll catch up on my readings in the library." Tomoyo looked a little disappointed as Leo smiled and nodded. "Okay, we'll see you later okay?"

I nodded and watched as she and Garret led the others down the hall and down the stairs, then headed off down the hall towards the library.

I needed to brush up on some of my less frequently used spells…I wanted to ensure that this holiday would be something Syaoran would never forget…

~~~~~~

::clenches teeth and glares in general direction of step-dad:: We're going to the shops this 'arvo…and I said he has to wait until I finished this chapter…which unfortunately took a wee bit longer than I expected…and for the last half an hour or so he's been making beeping noises and saying "on the third stroke, the time will be approximately 30 minutes since the last time you said you'd 'just be a minute'…BEEP BEEP BEEP"…and saying other things such as "::makes kangaroo noises:: what's that Skip? 1 hour since she got on that computer…oh no, WHAT WILL WE DO SKIP!!"

BLEH!!! He's getting irritated coz I'm taking so long, and I'm getting irritated that he's distracting me and making me take so long…IT'S A VICIOUS CIRCLE I TELLS YA!!

Ah well, tis done now…so, what did you think? Did I make too many spelling/grammar mistakes in this one? Well, knowing me, probably, but you get that…

Umm, next chapter…next chapter…not sure really…I might get into explaining just why Syaoran is suddenly so hungry and why, when he changed, he didn't turn into a little wolf (as his name would suggest)…How many people were wondering about that? Everyone? No one? -_-; well I thought it would make an interesting point…

Anyway, sorry it took so long to get this chapter out, but hopefully it'll come out quicker than this one.

Righto then! Ciao till later

StarDragon ^-^