Sakura and the Big (Slightly) Bad-Tempered Wolf
Chapter Seven: Sheet Syaoran
::snickers at chapter title:: you'll see what that's all about when you read the chapter… ::snicker:: D
::scratches chin:: I think the problem with writing two stories at once is that the characters behaviour from one sometimes leaked into the other…in other words I think I made Sakura a wee bit evil in this chapter…hmm…::shrugs:: oh well, it's entertaining at least (well I think so anyway)
Many large thanks, bunches of flowers and small and expensive boxes of chocolates to:
Trolup, PrincessLesse, Unicornhime, Midnightoasis, Midnight-Hotaru, Lian Leviathan, AA-chan, Sourmuggie, moon_goddess, GodsGirl7, Asatsuyu…is that everyone? (Sorry if I missed anyone!!) anyway, THANKS SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!!
So, without stalling the inevitable much longer (I don't own nothing), I present to you (nope, not a thing) the next chapter (well, I do own some things, I mean I ought to…I worked my butt off for them…) of Sakura and the Big (Slightly) Bad-Tempered Wolf!! (But then again, do we ever really own anything… ::Everyone yells, waving pitchforks 'Monty Python and The Holy Grail' style 'Get on with it!!:: o.O Okay okay…
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3rd Person POV:
The day dawned bright and clear. Only a few white puffy clouds dotted the otherwise vast expanse of crystal blue. Birds sung happily in the trees. The servants and maids hummed to themselves as they carried out their various daily chores. Enter now a room with a giant wolf and a golden winged lion sleeping in front of an unlit fireplace. The wolf was laying on his back, paws stuck up in the air, snoring lightly and the golden winged lion was curled up with its' head resting on its paws. The heavy curtains covering the tall windows magically pulled back to allow the warm daylight to shine through onto the slumbering card mistress in the four poster bed.
Her eyelids twitched and opened to reveal a pair of deep emerald eyes then blinked in the early morning light. Sitting up and stretching, the mistress slid over to the side of the bed and planted her feet softly onto the cold stone floor. The wolf snorted and woke up and groggily looked around the room. He gazed at the mistress and blinked.
"Laa-laa-laa-lala…." Singing to herself, Sakura slipped on her robes and went over to the bathroom/cupboard to find something to wear for the day. The click of the door as she went through woke up the golden lion. Unable to say anything due to the muzzles, the wolf and lion exchanged glances as an overly cheerful card mistress strolled back out carrying a deep blue gown.
She smiled and wandered over to Syaoran, pulled off the muzzle, gave him a quick kiss on the head before moving on and doing the same to Keroberos. "Good morning guys!!"
She started humming again as she went back to the closet/bathroom door and entered the bathroom.
Syaoran, blank faced, turned and gazed at Keroberos, whom returned a very similar expression.
"She seems…happy…"
"Yeah…happy…almost…too happy…"
"Yeah…too happy…maybe…maybe she forgot what happened yesterday…"
"Maybe…or maybe she just…needed sleep…" Keroberos paused and gave the door a wary expression, where cheerful singing drifted. "Or maybe…I dunno, you don't suppose" he paused and titled his paw a couple of times in the 'drinky drinky' gesture.
Syaoran's answering tone couldn't have been drier if he'd been severely dehydrated. "Somehow Sakura doesn't strike me as the sort of person that would turn to booze in times of high stress."
Keroberos just shrugged and headed for the door. "Yeah, you're probably right, but if you find any inconspicuous paper bags get rid off them for me k?…I'm going to get food…"
Syaoran shook his head ruefully as he watched Keroberos exit the room. The cheerful singing continued and a few minutes later a smiling Sakura strolled back into the room with a trail of skirts and a strong scent of strawberries.
She walked over to Syaoran and leaned her hands on her knees. "It's such a nice day today Syaoran, why don't we go on a picnic?"
"what…just us?" His tone sounded hopeful, but it was lost in Sakura's euphoria. "Oh no silly, I'm going to ask Leo and Garret and Hallanna…oh and Eriol and Tomoyo of course. But that's so sweet that you'd think of them though."
Syaoran's protest of 'No, what I meant was…' was drowned out as Sakura started to sing again. She paused at the door and smiled. "I'm going to find Leo so we can get things organised…you get ready and I'll meet you in the courtyard in about an hour okay?"
Of course, what she meant by 'you get ready' was 'go have a bath'. The Syaoran's (and the maids that had to assist) least favourite thing to have to do.
About 45 minutes later Syaoran, looking none-too-pleased, was sitting amidst a cloud of sweet smelling bubbles and water. The maids chatted happily amongst themselves as they tugged out the various prickly plant-life that had been snagged in his thick fur coat. One of them, that was tugging at a mat of fur on his shoulder, paused and waved one of the others over. "Hey, look at this." Syaoran's ear pricked up and he turned his head to see what was going on. The maid parted the wet fur and pointed at something just out of Syaoran's vision, so he had no choice but to listen. There was a small gasp from the onlookers. They were looking at the spot where Syaoran had been stabbed, but according to the healer, there shouldn't have been a scar. But under the fur was a long thin line. It was strange though. It wasn't actually the usual skin discolouration you see with scars. It was more an…aura scar, if there exists such a thing. It was a faint but very noticeable pink.
"…You don't suppose it has anything to do with the mistress healing him do you?"
The eldest maid shrugged. "I'm not sure…maybe…she might have just done something wrong whilst healing and left it there by accident…I don't think it will cause any problems though…" She leaned over to look directly at Syaoran. "You haven't felt unusual lately have you?"
"Uh…no…I've felt fine…do you think it's something I should get checked out before I see Master Felix this afternoon?"
The maid pulled the fur aside again and ran a finger down the thin line of transparent pink. It shimmered and warped out of shape, but returned to its original form. "Hmm, I don't think so…from what I can see it's just a part of you and your aura now…if it was going to cause problems, you would know of them already. But since you said you felt normal, I don't see it as a problem." She shrugged and stepped on the button that drained the water from the tub, then waved a glowing hand over Syaoran's back, drying his coat. "But I would probably mention it to Master Felix anyway…"
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Syaoran's POV:
Leo had recommended going to a place just beyond the nearby town called 'Butterfly Meadow,' called that due to the sheer amounts of butterflies that could be found there. Sakura and the rest dismounted from their horses and started to find a nice spot to set up the picnic rug. Because there wasn't really anything I could do, I sat in the shade and tried to ignore the overwhelming urge to chase the butterflies. I had no idea why…but there was just this small voice in my mind excitedly saying 'Chase it! Chase it! Chase it!.' I looked away from the floating insects and looked over to Sakura. She was laughing with the others at something Eriol said and I was becoming mesmerized by her cheerful face when her image was blocked out by something small, winged and butterfly shaped. It fluttered its bright yellow/orange wings and landed on the edge of my nose. I stared at it almost cross-eyed. The voice in my head, something I supposed you'd call my 'inner puppy' just got louder and more insistent. 'CHASE IT!CHASE IT!CHASE IT!'
The butterfly's wings twitched.
I subconsciously licked my lips.
The butterfly fluttered into the air and started to dance around in front of me.
My paws twitched and I felt my back legs tense up…a feeling of bottled up excitement started to bubble over…
"Syaoran! Lunch is ready!"
I sighed mentally. I had found out (the hard way) that it was hard to stop myself…I just kept getting taken over by these instincts that were near impossible to stop. At least I could remember what I did now. There was a time in the beginning when I'd snap out of a trance and find that I'd done something stupid like try to maul a dragon. I trotted over and sat down next to Sakura on the rug. She smiled and placed a plate full of food at my paws. I smiled at her gratefully then saw something that Hallanna had sitting just in front of her as Sakura was saying, "If you want anything else, just tell me and I'll get it for you…" She paused and looked at what I was staring at. "Oh, you haven't seen Hallanna's pet before, it's a Phen. His name is Hiro…" A Phen was a small furry creature that looked remarkably like Suppi. It was cat-like in appearance and had fairly big butterfly-like wings on its back, black fur with deep purple tiger stripes and a tail like Kero's. The little voice in my head said 'oooh, small and furry…that looks fun to chase!' I tried to ignore it again and dug into the plate of food at my paws. I couldn't help it that every now and then me eyes would flick up and stare at the bundle of fur on the rug…I tried not to lick my lips every time I did…
I turned my attention back to the story Leo was telling, "…then Shay tried to drop a whole handful of jelly down his back as revenge when Stevie…oh look! Hiro just fell into the bowl of applesauce!! Ha ha ha!"
"Ha ha ha!"
My eyes widened and my paws twitched as the winged-cat-thing, smelling strongly of cooked apples screeched and ran off scared by the stuff that was stuck to its coat. Hallanna got up to go after him…I was already gone.
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3rd Person POV:
Syaoran came back a few minutes later with an embarrassed look on his face carrying a struggling Hiro by the scruff of its' neck. He dropped Hiro on the ground, looked even more embarrassed and slunk off to hide behind a bush. Sakura looked as though she was about to get up and follow him but Keroberos shook his head and got up himself. He had a small smirk on his face and as he passed us, he stooped down and picked up the small red ball that belonged to Hiro.
The group watched him disappear.
Keroberos found Syaoran pacing back and forth, looking frustrated. Syaoran glanced at him and said in a gruff voice. "What do you want…" Keroberos smirked and sat on his back legs, dropped the little red ball into his paws then started to toss it back and forth. Syaoran's eyes followed the ball as it bounced from one paw to the other. Keroberos' answering voice was wounded in a smug sort of way. "Can't I talk to my favourite furry Chinese gaki once in a while without getting into a fight? Hm, I would have expected better from you…" Syaoran tried to glare at him without removing his eyes from the red ball. "What do you want…"
Keroberos smiled, displaying an impressive array of sharp teeth, then held the ball between his claws. He started to shake it in front of Syaoran's face and said in a slightly high, excited voice you'd associate with talking to small cute puppies. "You want the ball? Huh? huh? You want it? Oooh you want the ball, go on! Go get the ball…!" Keroberos twisted and hurled the ball back through the bushes. Syaoran's eyes (still fixed in a glare) followed it; his paws twitched, he whined, then shot off after it.
Meanwhile back at the picnic rug…
Tomoyo clapped her hands together and all but squealed, "Oohh!! I'm going to call this one 'Syaoran plays fetch with Hiro!'"
Sakura looked slightly confused. "Fetch?"
Tomoyo nodded happily as Garret chuckled. "I think he's finding it hard to ignore his 'wolf instincts' he can't help but chase anything small and-" His sentence was cut off as a small red ball shot out the bush where Syaoran had hid. There was a small whine…then Syaoran shot out to chase it.
They all gaped as he bolted down the field after it. The wolf was about 10 metres away when he suddenly realised what he was doing, hit the brakes and whipped around to give the hysterically laughing bush where he had come from a very dirty look. Sakura gave Keroberos a stern look as he walked out. "Stop teasing him Keroberos."
"Why? It's just so much fun!"
"You do realise that you're going to get your comeuppance sooner or later don't you…"
Keroberos just shrugged as he chewed on a piece of cake. "Yeah, but I can at least have a little fun till then…"
~~~~~~~~Time Gap~~~~~~~
Sakura's POV:
I dodged three maids and two young boys that were carrying assorted flowers, candles and lengths of material and side-stepped a butler who was carrying a tray of name cards as I made my way to the stairs. We had arrived back from the picnic a few hours ago and it was time for Syaoran's appointment with Master Felix, but he wasn't in his room. A maid had said that she had seen him heading towards the dungeons a while ago so that was where I was heading. As would be expected, the dungeons were deep below the castle, damp, dark and had a strange smell that I couldn't quite figure out (and didn't really want to know). I found the guards at the bottom playing cards.
"Umm, excuse me…but did Syaoran come down here?"
One of the guards looked up from his cards and nodded down the hall to his left. "Yeah, he went to talk to those bandits that tried to ambush Princess Hallanna's coach the other day. Just look for the cell with the door open…"
"Open? Shouldn't it be closed…and-uhh-locked?"
The guard had his attention back on his cards but managed a distant. "Usually…"
I hesitated for a second, but realizing that I wasn't going to get any more information from the guards, I slipped by and headed down the dank corridor. Two doors down, I came upon the open one and gingerly stepped inside.
Syaoran was sitting in the middle of the room…smiling.
Syaoran, as a wolf, could do with a smile what it usually took others a lit canon to achieve. All six bandits were trying unsuccessfully to get away from the smiling wolf and had squished themselves into the far corner. It was actually hard to distinguish between each individual…all you could really make out was a trembling thing with six heads, twelve legs and twelve arms.
I coughed discreetly and got Syaoran's attention. "Um, Master Felix is ready to see you now…unless you're happy to stay here for a while longer…"
One of the bandits towards the back said quickly in a panicked voice. "Oh no!! He can go!"
"Yeah, we won't go anywhere!"
"Nope, never! And we will never do anything illegal again…ever"
"No no no, never!…In fact I've heard that knitting is a good hobby…very relaxing and definitely legal…"
Syaoran silenced them with a look. One of them squeaked.
"Ah good, thank you for telling me Sakura…" He gave the bandits a long glare. They tried to shrink because it just wasn't possible for them to push themselves into the corner anymore.
We headed back upstairs in comfortable silence and were just walking down the hall towards the study when Tomoyo stepped out her bedroom and grabbed my arm. "Come on Sakura, we need to get you ready for tonight! Syaoran knows where the study is"
I glanced down at Syaoran but he paused and replied. "It's okay…see you tonight at the ball..?"
I nodded as Tomoyo dragged me into my room. "Um yeah…see you…" Tomoyo giggled and pushed me into the bathroom then closed the door behind me. I stumbled then called through the closed door. "Tomoyo…the ball doesn't start for a couple of hours!"
Her cheerful voice floated back through. "I know, but we've got to get you ready, then I have to get ready, so that's going to take a while!"
I sighed and undressed, then slipped into the warm water. "As you wish Tomoyo…"
She giggled as I heard her walk away from the door and start to shuffle around my room.
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Eriol's POV:
Master Felix was scanning over some scrolls and Keroberos and Neeko were chatting about something when Syaoran finally arrived. "Aww Master Syaoran, I trust you are ready to be changed back?"
"You have no idea Sir."
Master Felix chuckled then gestured for Syaoran to come and sit in front of him. "I need to do another quick health test just to make sure everything that's supposed to tick is ticking, and so on…"He paused and parted the fur on Syaoran's shoulder. "And one of the maids mentioned that you had an unusual scar on your shoulder that I should check ou-hmmm…"
Syaoran looked slightly panicked. "Hmmm?"
Master Felix wrote something down then touched the scar with his forefinger. I leaned forward to get a look. Other than warping out of shape a bit before returning to its original appearance, nothing happened.
Master Felix shrugged slightly, his one not sounding too worried. "It's unusual, but nothing to be concerned about." He shuffled through some papers again. He did that a lot, but that's mainly because his profession involved a lot of paperwork and careful calculations so he always had a pile of papers surrounding his person. "Anyway…I'm going to sedate you a bit so you don't feel any pain like you did when you changed the first time. The last thing we want is for your aura to go crazy again and mess the spell up to change you back…is that okay with you?"
Syaoran answered back quickly, "Uh yes. That will be fine…"
Master Felix smiled and turned to Neeko. "Neeko, if you can do the honors..." The little dragon grinned rather sadistically and flew over to the now slightly uneasy looking wolf. "Um on second thoughts…I think I've changed my mind…"
Neeko looked slightly hurt. "I'm insulted, and I wasn't even going to make it hurt…but now…"
"Neeko…"
Her shoulders and wings slumped slightly at the warning tone in Master Felix's tone. "Okay okay…" She sighed then flapped her wings so that she hovered eye level with Syaoran, then raised a clawed hand and placed it on his forehead. Syaoran blinked a few times, then his body drooped slightly and his eyelids slid half closed. Neeko smiled and pinched him on the nose. Syaoran didn't even flinch.
"Yep, he's out of it…"
Syaoran blinked…slowly then said in a slow drowsy voice. "Heeeeeeeeeeyyyyyyyyyy…"
Ignoring the wolf (who was starting to sway slightly), I turned to Master Felix who was standing up as he went over some calculations. "Did you find any side-effects in those tests you ran?"
"A couple…nothing too bad…though some side-effects we won't be able to see until he changes back. I know that's not very scientific but it's the only way."
We both turned to look at Syaoran. He was staring hard at Neeko, she was backing up. "Woooowww Maasssssster Felixsss…you have real pwitty eyes…" He sniffed the air then backed up shaking his head. "But WOO! You're breath sure does STINK hahahahahaha!!"
Neeko snarled and was about to launch an attack when Master Felix picked her up and placed her on his shoulder. "Neeko, leave him alone, he doesn't really know what he's saying…"
Syaoran, still watching Neeko, started to sing. "U-G-L-Y, You ain't got no alibi…You ugly hahahahahahaha!!"
Master Felix cringed as Neeko growled low in her throat and dug her claws in his shoulder. Keroberos covered his mouth with his paw in a sad attempt to cover up his laughter.
Master Felix plucked Neeko off his shoulder and placed her on the table. He gave her a stern look, her growling stopped and she turned around arms crossed, and started to mumble something to herself.
Master Felix coughed, then turned to me. "Right…now, do you have that bed-sheet I asked you to bring?"
I nodded and patted the sheet that I had on my lap. Keroberos frowned and said. "What's that for?"
Master Felix answered as he checked Syaoran's pulse, and respiration rate etc. "Well, Syaoran's technically naked at the moment, his clothes disappeared when he changed and grew all that fur…a sheet will have to do until we can get his proper measurements for clothes…"
Keroberos' fur turned slightly green. "N-n-NAKED"
I nodded. "Yes…you're technically naked too you know…"
Keroberos started to hyperventilate. "All this time…and he's been…and I-I touched him ::high pitched girly scream:: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!" Keroberos bolted out the room leaving a trail of dust, his scream of absolute terror echoing up and down the hall. It seemed in his panic he was running around in circles…
Master Felix sweatdropped. "Oookkkaaaayyy…uhh, let's get on with things shall we…"
I nodded and threw the sheet over Syaoran so that only his head, chest and forelegs were visible. (It took a few seconds to register this and he protested by saying very slowly 'hhhhheeeeeeyyyyy')
Master Felix stood in front of Syaoran his hands together like he was praying. He started to chant something that I couldn't quite hear as his hands started to glow. Slowly, he spread his hands, a blue-white light appearing between them. He pushed his hands towards Syaoran, whose aura glowed bright green, then started to get a blue-white tinge to it. He spun his forefinger of his right hand in the air; a purple coloured herb that had been sitting in a bowl on the desk floated up and started to spin around Syaoran's head. It glowed then turned to smoke as another herb; this one green, floated and joined it. The air started to smell sweet as more and more herbs, elixirs, powders and even a few crystals started to turn to smoke and spin around Syaoran's head. I glanced down and saw Syaoran's paws started to twitch, then elongate. Either his fur shrank into his body or his body grew out of the fur; whatever the case, more skin started to appear on his face, forelegs and chest as his features started to warp. Master Felix mouth was moving so rapidly now that I couldn't even try to distinguish what he was saying. He clapped his hands together, there was a loud 'pop', Syaoran's image sort of shuddered then there was final bright flash of light.
I blinked to get rid of the bright spots in my vision, then looked down at the unmoving figure underneath the sheet. Syaorans' very human head and an arm were poking out of the sheet. A finger twitched, he stirred, groaned and rubbed his head, then paused. His eyes shot open and he looked at his hands. "I-I-I-have hands!"
He jumped to his feet laughing in happiness…at about the same time Tomoyo walked into the room. "Hey, does anyone know what's wrong with Kerober-WWAAAAAA!!" Tomoyo froze, her eyes widened and her camera crashed to the ground. She had actually dropped it in shock.
I sighed, rubbed my temples and said in a calm but dry voice. "Sheet Syaoran…"
He looked down, "AAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH!!!" picked up the sheet, fumbled as he tried to wrap it around his waist and bolted out of the room. Neeko was rolling around on the ground laughing, Tomoyo still looking a little shocked, sat on the spare seat…then started to laugh herself.
And if you think that was the icing on the cake…
As Syaoran's yell echoed down the hall there was a small shriek of fright from a maid; a clatter (as though the maid had dropped whatever she had been carrying) followed by a scream (from the same maid) then a final high pitched, ear-bursting, glass-shattering shriek of absolute terror. I leaned out the door and replied in a louder but still calm and dry tone. "SHEET SYAORAN…"
This was answered by a yell that sounded like a whine. I turned back around when someone hiccuped and a second later Kero (in his false form) flew through the door and flattened himself up against the wall panting. "He was-he-was-he-was-he-was hic (changes into his true form) he-was-he-was-he-was hic (changes back to false form)he-was-he-was-he-was…"
I took my glasses off and wiped them on a corner of my robes. "naked?"
"hic-hic-hic-hic-hic-hic-hic…" Every time he hiccuped, he changed form. Master Felix muttered 'oh dear…' as I shook my head and went out into the chaos in the hall. Tomoyo and Neeko's laughter echoed behind me.
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Sakura's POV:
I peaked open an eye when I heard a yell; a shriek followed by a clatter then another scream. Another high-pitched shriek followed this then Eriol's calm voice above it all saying 'SHEET SYAORAN'.
I decided I just didn't want to know.
Sinking deeper into the warm water, I closed my eyes to think. Syaoran would finally be human at the ball tonight. I'd finally be able to see what he actually looked like now. * I wonder if he's changed…*There was a quiet knock on the door. "Have you finished in there Sakura?" It was Tomoyo.
"Yeah…just give me a second…" I sighed and pulled myself out of the bath, dried off then slipped on the warm heavy robes that were hanging on the clothes hook on the wall. I noticed; when I walked out, that Tomoyo's cheeks had a slight red tinge to them. "Tomoyo…why are your cheeks red?"
Her cheeks just got redder. "Umm…oh I was…umm…I'll tell later…"
I looked at her suspicious. "It doesn't have anything to do with all that yelling and screaming I heard out there does it?" She rubbed her upper lip and tried to reply innocently. "Umm…no?"
I could tell she was trying not to laugh. I glanced at my bed where Tomoyo's camera (looking a little beaten) sat. "What happened to your camera?"
She threw her hands up in slight irritation. "OKAY OKAY! I'LL TELL YOU!"
I pealed myself off the wall where I had been flattened by the sheer decibels of the outburst as Tomoyo spilled. "WellyouknowhowSyaoran'sgettingchangedbackright?WellhedidandhewassortofnakedandIsortofwalkedintheroomwhenhestoodupwithoutthesheethewassupposedtobecoveredwithandIkindasortasaw…well you know…"
I paused and mentally added in the spaces and appropriate punctuation. "…You saw WHAT?!" I covered my mouth giggled. "Oh dear…"
She giggled. "You should have seen the look on his face when he realised...then he ran out of the room in a panic, bumped into a maid, dropped the sheet again and that was when Keroberos came down the hall again…"
I smothered another round of giggles, and tried to reply with a understanding voice and serious expression "…Well that explains everything I suppose…"
We glanced at each other, then burst into another round of laughter.
"Anyway, we've got to get you ready for tonight…"
~~~~~~
Syaoran's POV:
I bolted into my room, slammed the door shut behind me and leaned against it panting. That had to be the most embarrassing thing that's ever happened to me in my entire life. Tomoyo and Eriol were never going to let me live it down. I was just thankful that Sakura wasn't there to witness my little escapade…
I sighed, pulled the sheet tighter as it started to slip, then walked over to the closet thankful that it magically took your measurements when you walk into the room and would already have a large selection of clothes to wear. Before it had displayed a range of collars, leads and armor-like items for me as a wolf, but now the rows were covered in pants, shirts, tunics and robes. I selected a loose cotton shirt and a pair of dark coloured pants and dressed, then moved over to the mirror. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but I couldn't help but feel that I looked different somehow from how I did before I had been turned into a wolf. I was still the same height; my hair was as long and as messy as it always was. My eyes…I leaned forward to get a better look…then turned as I heard footsteps coming towards my room. A few seconds later Eriol, smiling serenely, entered. I glared at him, feeling the hair on the back of my neck stand on end for some reason. "What do you want…"
He smiled, waved his hand in the air with a flourish, and said in a sing song voice. "Why Cinderella, I'm here to help you get ready for the ball!"
I really really wanted to bite him…
~~~~~~
3rd Person POV:
The dress Tomoyo picked out for Sakura was a rich emerald green in colour, heavily embroidered with silver. The skirt billowed out, made of seven layers of material, each more delicate than the la-
RRRRIIIIIIIPPPPPPPPP…
"Heh heh…oops…"
Six layers more delicate than the-
RRRRRIIIIIIPPPPPPP…
"Err whoops again?"
Tomoyo sighed and rubbed her temples. "Okay…it's ooookkkaaayy Tomoyo…just get her into the closet so it can fix the damage…everything will be ooooookkkkkaaaayyy…" Sakura started to back up…she knew talking to oneself was the first sign of madness… Sakura stepped into the closet and Tomoyo closed the door as she said through slightly gritted teeth, "Closet…fix up her dress and lose some of the skirt layers please…" Magic flowed around Sakura and the dress shimmered for a second. The dress was the same, but the skirt was flatter. Sakura twirled around a bit, the skirt spun out, then settled back down. A satisfied smile on her face, Sakura stepped out and paused as Tomoyo gave the dress a scrutinizing look. "Hmmm, yes that will do nicely…"
She nodded and ushered Sakura over to the seat in front of the mirror. Sakura uneasily eyed off the various containers of make-up and hair accessories, tiara's and ear rings that covered the table. She glanced up and watched as Tomoyo approached with a brush, a hairdryer and a slightly scary grin. Sakura gripped her hands on her lap to stop from shaking.
Meanwhile, in Syaoran's room…
"I'm not wearing tights…"
"It's the fashion descendent…no one will think you weird for wearing them…"
"So, I don't care about what other people think. I only care what I think and I think they look stupid."
"::sigh:: Fine…what about these?" He held up a pair of dark grey slightly loose fitting pants; similar but a bit dressier than the ones he was already wearing. Syaoran looked them over and nodded. "…They will do…"
"Okay…now Tomoyo said that she was going to get Sakura to wear something emerald green, so we need to find something to match…"
Syaoran gave Eriol a suspicious look. "Why?"
Eriol shuffled through the racks of clothes and replied calmly, "It's nothing that concerns you…"
Syaoran frowned at him. "Everything that you two plan concerns me…what's the importance…"
"Just trust me descendent…it's entirely for your benefit."
"Okay, now I know I can't trust you…"
Eriol rolled his eyes and dumped a bunch of tunics and assorted robes into Syaoran's arms then walked out. "Try some of those on and choose one that you like…I'll be waiting outside."
~~~~~~~
Sakura's POV:
My rapid footsteps echoed down the empty halls…
I was late…I had been ready about an hour early, but I still managed to be late. Wasn't that just my luck? Well…not so much luck…I had actually gone for a walk in the gardens to calm my nerves and I had lost track of time as I strolled down the paths, breathing in the various scents of the flowers. If it wasn't for the little bird (literally) that told me the ball had started, I would probably still be wandering through the gardens. I skidded around a corner and ran as fast as my shoes and dress would allow towards the ballroom where I could hear the minstrels playing. I stopped just outside the door and stopped to catch my breath.
"Are you okay mistress?" Elizabeth was looking at me concerned as she stood by the ballroom doors. "Oh um, I'm fine thanks Elizabeth…just lost track of time that's all…"
She smiled kindly. "It's okay Mistress…if anyone asks we'll just say that you wanted to be fashionably late…"
I grinned and straightened myself out. "Do I look okay?"
"You look beautiful Mistress, your friend won't know what hit him…" She gave me a slightly impish grin and pulled open the doors before I got a chance to say something back. The ball was already in full swing and I scanned the crowd of dancing couples to see anyone that I knew. Leo and Garret where once again dancing together off to the side, I saw Hallanna talking to a group of people her age. I think I spotted Eriol, but he disappeared into the crowd before I could confirm my suspicions, and I couldn't see Tomoyo anywhere. It was then that I saw him…Syaoran.
He was standing amongst a group of people so I didn't get a good look at him. I was watching him, then he looked up and our eyes locked across the room.
~~~~~~~
Eriol's POV:
I smiled as I saw Sakura enter at the top of the grand staircase. She scanned the room looking for us so I stepped behind a group of people and went to get Tomoyo. "Tomoyo, our dear friend Sakura as finally arrived…and might I say that you're looking even lovelier than usual my dear."
She grinned and took the arm I offered. "Why thank you and on that note, you are looking as handsome as always. Now shall we put the first part of our plan into action?"
I nodded then turned to a group of people milling around the room. A lady with moss green hair caught my look and grinned. Treela turned and said something to her group who split and started to mingle. Contrary to popular belief, fairies aren't always small and winged. In this world at least, they can actually choose what size they want to be, it's just they can only have the wings when they are small because the wings can only support them in flight when they're little. Something to do with weight ratios and the strength of their wings…anyway, when human sized they just look like normal people, besides the pointed ears.
I smiled as I watched a tall white blond haired male fairy called Solaris make his way up the stairs and tap Sakura on the shoulder.
~~~~~~~~
Sakura's POV:
We had been gazing at each other for a while when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. I turned and came face to…well neck to be accurate; the guy was really tall…anyway, he had long blonde hair and was quite…okay very attractive. (::cough cough:: legolas ::cough cough::) He bowed formerly and offered a hand. "A dance my lady?" I smiled shyly and placed my hand on the arm offered and he escorted me down the rest of the stairs to the dancing people on the floor. I noticed as we waltzed around the room that his ears where pointed…and when another guy cut in, he too had pointed ears…I wasn't too worried or anything though. People with pointed ears was the least unusual thing I'd seen in this place…Anyway, they were both quite charming, good dancers (hadn't stepped on my feet once) so I wasn't going to started complaining…but still, I had really wanted to find Syaoran…
~~~~~~
Syaoran's Pov:
I spotted Sakura at the top of the staircase and our eyes had locked. She looked gorgeous but then again I always thought that. I was about to go up and ask her to dance but I missed my chance when a blonde haired guy cut me to the chase got to her first. I felt a growl well up in my throat for some odd reason, but before I could go and do…something most likely not nice, someone grabbed my arm and tugged me into the thick of the dancing couples. I turned and looked at whoever had my arm. It was a pretty girl that looked about my age with long fiery red-orange hair that had white streaks throughout. Her eyes were a similar colour to her hair but seemed to shift colour from red to orange depending on which angle you looked. She smiled and said in a bubbly voice. "Hi! My names Feyfox! You don't mind if we dance do you? I mean I just saw you standing there and I thought to myself 'Hey we're supposed to be at a celebration, so why is a handsome guy like him doing just standing all alone like that?' So anyway, you know my name, what's yours?"
I blinked. "Umm it's Syaoran"
"Little wolf? Wow, that really suits you" She smiled brightly and titled her head to the side. I noticed as her hair moved that her ears were pointed. "A handsome name for a handsome guy ::giggle::" We were now in the thick of the dancing couples and before I even had a chance to gain my bearings she had grabbed my hand and started to swing me around to a beat that wasn't even in the same genre to the song that the minstrels were playing. We were doing something akin to a swing dance while everyone else was doing a waltz. She giggled and smiled. "Isn't this fun?" I was about to answer, but my voice ended up somewhere around my nostrils when she dipped me, pulled me up and spun me around. She spun me back and I finally found my voice. "Ahh no offence or anything, but isn't a guy…I mean me…supposed to be leading??" I wasn't really sure if it was rude to bring up, but you have to understand…I had only been human again for a little while and I was still gaining my bearings on two legs. The way she was dancing wasn't really helping…
She spun me around again then said in a mysterious voice, her eyebrow quirked. "What makes you think I'm not a guy?"
The expression on my face must have been pretty funny because she burst out laughing and patted me on the shoulder. "Kidding! I was just kidding you! ::giggle:: hihihi you should have seen the look on your face though!" She grinned as she turned to the minstrels and waved. They nodded and the current slow waltz sped up to something more suited to the speed that we were dancing. Feeling slightly nauseous, I said. "Umm, I really need to go find a friend of mine now…" She spun me around then nodded to the side. "Not now you can't I'm afraid…I think you've got some admirers…"
I looked to where she was indicating. A fairly big circle had opened around us and I noticed with a bit of a sinking feeling that several ladies were awaiting a dance. Feyfox grinned and pushed me towards them. I barely had time to catch me breath when a giggling girl with moss green hair took my arm and pulled me back to the centre. All I could really do was go with the flow.
~~~~~~~~~
Sakura's POV:
My current dance partner spun me around to the fast beat then pointed our joined hands over to something in the middle of the dance floor. "Hey look at those two go…::chuckle:: Poor guy, I know that girl and she can be…tenacious…" I looked over and spotted Syaoran being swung around by someone with blue hair. Although he seemed to be getting whirled around rather enthusiastically by the girl, he still seemed to be having fun. He was actually laughing as his current partner spun off only to be replaced with someone else. I giggled at the scene. "Wow, I never knew he had it in him"
"You know him do you…"
I nodded smiling shyly. The guy chuckled. "Ahhh, I see…well I don't think you'll be able to pry him away from his adoring fans just yet ::big sigh, wink:: looks like I'm stuck with you for a while…" I mock glared at him as he chuckled again.
~~~~~
Eriol's POV:
Everything was going accordingly to plan. The female fairies had intercepted Syaoran and Feyfox, being ever the party animal she was, had gotten Syaoran up and dancing. Syaoran wasn't too bad either (once he actually got some control of the situation) and besides the fairies we had already planned to dance with him, several other ladies were waiting for their chance. I glanced over and spotted Sakura dancing with a male fairy called Rayven and smiled. The main part of my plan wasn't going to be into effect until later; it was too crowded to go ahead here but at least Tomoyo would have something interesting to tape until then.
I spun Tomoyo around as we danced to the beat then noticed Leo and Garret make there way over. Leo grinned and pulled something from the folds in her dress. "Master Felix had to go to another town on an appointment but he told me to give this to Syaoran." She paused and glanced in his direction. "But I think he's having too much fun to interrupt…" I smiled and looked at the scroll Leo had handed me. It was a list of do's and don'ts (…don't eat anything with spicy for at least a week after you have been changed back, as your aura is sensitive and chilly peppers tend to effect that. Can turn your skin unusual colours…). At the bottom of the page was a list of complications. There were a few written by Master Felix himself. (…Senses heightened: Smell, sight and hearing especially. Approx. four times that of average humans.) Underneath was a space to add any we come across. But at the very bottom was a sentence in bold letters. 'Avoid exposure to the light of a full moon if possible'
That was it. My eyebrow rose up as I muttered to myself. "Well…that's interesting."
Tomoyo peaked over the side of the scroll and read the line at the bottom. "I wonder what it means…" She looked up at me with a sly grin. "Looks like we'll have to find out for ourselves won't we…"
"Indeed, but the next full moon isn't for a while…we'll just have to wait…"
~~~~~~~~~About an hour or so later~~~~~~~~
Tomoyo and I were dancing close together when Treela came over and tapped me on the shoulder. "Master Eriol, the cherry blossom and the little wolf are outside in the garden. Feyfox is ready and I just spoke to Celscia and her group and they are ready to go."
"Aahh good…" We moved off and headed quickly through the crowd and over to the stairs. "So how did you get them outside?"
Treela smirked. "Oh Syaoran wanted to get some air so he went out voluntarily, Phoenix conveniently made sure Sakura saw that and she followed him."
I chuckled as we passed the main garden entrance and headed further down the hall. The side door came into view and we slipped through. Treela muttered something and was suddenly surrounded by green mist and immaterial leaves. There was a 'pop' and Treela, a foot tall and winged, grinned and flew off up into the trees. Tomoyo and I moved along and crouched behind a bush just on the edge of the open expanse of the garden. Syaoran and Sakura were sitting on the edge of the fountain talking quietly to themselves, too far away to hear clearly. I didn't want to use my magic to hear their voices as they would have sensed it, but I spotted one of Feyfox's tiny cameras hovering just behind them in the water. Tomoyo tapped me on the side and pointed up into the branches of the big tree we were next to. "I can't get a good shot from here…can we go up in there?"
I nodded and gave her a boost, then followed her up. The view was better up here and Tomoyo giggled slightly as she watched through her camera screen. I saw some movement to my left and looked to see Treela. She nodded slowly, then disappeared. I smiled and sat back against the trunk as soft music started to drift throughout the clearing.
~~~~~~~~~
Sakura's POV:
I paused mid sentence as I heard the soft keys of a piano start to play. The sound echoed throughout the area we were in; as if drifting on a wind, so I couldn't tell what direction it was coming from. A soft voice started to sing.
Oh, thinkin' about our younger years,
There was only you and me,
We were young and wild and free
Now nothin' can take you away from me
We've been down that road before
But that's over now,
You keep me comin' back for more
Syaoran sighed and mumbled. "Looks like Eriols' up to his old tricks again…"
I frowned confused. "Eriol? But I can't sense him…"
Syaoran glanced at me and grinned slightly. "He may not be actually doing this per se, but I'll bet he's got other people to do it for him…" He stood up and offered his arm. "May I have this dance?"
I blushed as I stood and placed my hand in his. Our fingers entwined as he lead me away from the fountain.
Baby, you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe
We're in heaven
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see
We're in heaven
I sighed and rested my head on his shoulder and he pulled me close as we slowly danced to the song. I heard other people enter the garden and start dancing themselves, but I only wanted to concentrate on the feeling of being held so lovingly in his arms. I felt him kiss the top of my head and I sighed once again in complete happiness.
Oh once in your life you'll find someone
Who will turn your world around,
Pick you up when you're feelin' down
Now nothin' can change what you mean to me
There's a love that I can see,
But just hold me now,
Coz our love will light the way
He let go of my back for a second, leaned over to pick something from the garden. I watched, a little stunned, as he plucked a flower from the bushes and tucked it into my hair. I blushed as he smiled and pulled me close again.
Baby you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe
We're in heaven
Love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart
It isn't too hard to see
We're in heaven
~~~~~~~~~
Eriol's POV:
Tomoyo almost went into convulsions when Syaoran kissed Sakura delicately on the top of her head, and would have squealed out loud when he tucked the flower into Sakura hair if I hadn't quickly covered her mouth with my hand. I let go and put a finger to my lips to indicate silence and she nodded enthusiastically. I smiled and turned back to the scene unfolding in front of us. I had to say; I was mildly surprised. Syaoran actually had a clue after all…
I've been waiting for so long
Something to arrive
A love to come along
Now our dreams are coming true
Through the good times and the bad
I'll be standin' there by you
Syaoran slowly spun Sakura away, then pulled her back close but instead of placing his hand back on her side, he rested it on the side of her face. They gazed into each other's eyes, seemingly oblivious to anything but each other. Tomoyo gasped and leaned forward. Without taking my eyes off the slowly dancing couple, I grabbed the back of Tomoyo's dress so she wouldn't lean too far forward in her excitement and fall out the tree.
Baby you're all that I want
When you're lyin' here in my arms,
I'm findin' it hard to believe
We're in heaven
I heard Tomoyo suck in a breath at about the same time I did as Syaoran, gazing deep into Sakura's eyes, started to lean closer. I tightened my grip and pulled back a bit as Tomoyo started to lean forward herself, trying to get her camera as close as possible. They were less than 2 inches apart and closing…
And love is all that I need,
And I found it there in your heart
Less than an inch…
It isn't too hard to see
We're in heaven
I held my breath…
They were about a centimetre apart when they…
…disappeared…
We're in heaven…
~~~~~~~~~~~
MWAA-HAA-HAA!!!! That's it for this chapter!! ::gets attacked by angry mob:: AAAAARRRRRGGGGGHHHH!! OKAY OKAY!! Sheesh, I was just kidding! Oh come on…as if you didn't see that one coming. Remember the evil person writing here…I do this on purpose just to see if I can annoy anyone… D I know, I know, I'm evil… ::gets pelted with rotten foodstuffs and is pulled off-stage by giant novelty hook::
~~~~~~~~~~
Just disappeared. One minute they were about to make Tomoyo's favourite taped moment 'hall of fame', and poof! they were gone.
Heck, there wasn't even a poof. Just there one second, completely gone the next. I frowned, then glanced over to Tomoyo. Her face was ice, her expression was frozen in one of wide-eyed rage, and her cheeks were going this interesting white-blue colour.
"Uh Tomoyo dear…are you okay?"
The hand holding her camera started to flex, scratching roughly on the plastic cover. She blinked, her nose crinkled in a snarl…and she let out a loud, echoing, animalistic roar of pure rage. "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGH-" Treela popped into the air next to me and gave Tomoyo a strange look. "Uhh…she didn't take that well…"
I quirked an eyebrow. "Ahh…no…she's a little…uhh…mad…you seem awfully calm considering…"
She grinned and sat cross-legged in the air. "That's because Feyfox will be able to follow them and tape whatever they're doing now…"
A hesitant voice spoke up next to us. "Um…that's not entirely accurate…"
We spun around to face the owner of the voice. Feyfox was standing on a branch, twiddling her thumbs. Four tiny video cameras were hovering around her head. "I ahh…kinda lost them…"
Tomoyo looked almost rabid. "WHAT?!"
She just looked guiltier. "Well, I can usually sense people anywhere…but I don't know were they've gone…um…sorry…"
I took of my glasses and rubbed the bridge of my nose. "Uh boy…"
~~~~~~~~~
Sakura's POV:
I burst out laughing as Tomoyo's screech of outrage echoed up to the roof where we were sitting. I sat back down on the grass (there was a big 'rooftop' garden up there) next to Syaoran and leaned back against the parapet to watch the clouds as they drifted by the half moon.
He spoke up after a moment. "They'll be able to sense us eventually you know…"
I bolted upright. "Oh! I almost forgot…" I smiled to myself and ripped a section of material from the underskirt of my dress. Syaoran watched me with a strange look on his face. "What are you doing…apart from doing something else to get Tomoyo mad…"
"Just a little trick Eriol taught me…"
I ripped the section of material in half and handed Syaoran a piece then placed my part on my palm. Gathering my magic around it, I concentrated on an image in my mind. The piece of material started to glow pink, then floated above my hand. I mumbled the activation words, "Sayphenii-ay-colleytim" I wasn't really sure what language it was in, but according to Eriol it basically means 'send through and convert.' The scrap of material twitched, there was a flash of pink light and in its' place was a huge pink butterfly. I smiled in satisfaction as the butterfly flew up and landed on Syaoran's nose. I giggled as he went cross-eyed and tried to blow the butterfly off. It eventually fluttered up in the air and danced around my head.
"Umm, it's nice and all…but how is making a butterfly going to help our situation?"
I grinned slightly and replied. "Try and focus on my aura…" He glanced at me then frowned in concentration. His eyebrows shot up in surprise a second later. "Oh…wow…that is a neat trick…" For reference, the butterfly acts as a sort of channel for my magic. If anyone tries to sense my aura, they'll be drawn to the butterfly and not me. A handy trick to get away from people when you don't want to be found. And you can use any form you like; I just prefer the butterfly. "Your turn. All you have to do is concentrate your magic on the material; have the image of whatever you want to change it into in your mind, then say 'Sayphenii-ay-colleytim.' Simple."
He nodded and I watched in silence as the scrap of material in his hand glowed green, then started to float. He muttered the phrase and in a flash of green light a large, electric green dragonfly was sitting on his fingertips. He grinned.
I quirked an eyebrow and teased. "A butterfly not manly enough for you?"
He chuckled quietly as we watched the butterfly and dragonfly fly over the parapet, dancing around each other.
"How long does the spell last for?"
"About an hour…unless someone touches it…then they just change back into the material and people can sense us again"
He looked slightly confused. "Okay then, but why didn't it turn back into the material when the butterfly landed on my nose?"
I blushed, avoided eye contact and said in a shy voice. "Well…I'm not trying to hide from you…"
He searched my face for a second then a slow gentle smile spread his features. I almost squeaked when he wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer (we were sitting next to each other) so my head was resting against his chest. "Makes sense…" He looked down at me and smiled again before leaning back on the wall we were up against.
I sighed in contentment then looked up at him. "What was it like…being a wolf?"
"…Different…that's for sure…Everything was so…" He paused, trying to find the right word, "intense…I dunno, it's hard to explain…"
"Go on, we've got time…"
"Well, it's mainly the senses…I could see everything really clearly…and I could hear things better too…I'd hear running water, but it would be really far away. But it was the smells that were the strongest…I don't know if it really makes sense, but it was almost like I could see them…without actually…seeing them…" He glanced down at me. "That doesn't really make sense does it…"
"No…but I think I understand what you're getting at…"
He chuckled then continued. "And everything is different. Even a two flowers on the same bush don't smell exactly the same…it's the same with people too. I noticed that a persons scent is made up of something that's uniquely them and a mixture of smells that they picked up from wherever they'll been recently. Eriol kinda smells like a library…I'm not really sure if that's just him or whether its because he actually spends so much time in them…"
I laughed as he continued. "And Tomoyo…I dunno, something like a cross between some sort of flower and that camera of hers…You have to take it from me…it's a weird combination."
We were both silent for a second before I got the guts to ask. "What about me..?"
"You..?" He blushed and pulled me a bit closer, I wasn't sure if it was intentional or not. "You're…" He paused and gazed down at me. "…sweet…and…nice…" His voice lowered to a rumble "…intoxicating…"
My face went bright red. My conscious thought it a nice time to pay a visit.* …hoe…is it getting hot out here or is it just him-I mean me! Is it hot out here or is it just me…eh he he… *
I snapped out of my trance when I felt his breath on my face. His eyes seemed to gaze deep into mine; then they flicked down, towards my mouth. He leaned down and his lips captured mine for only a second before he pulled back slightly. My conscious, now beyond coherent thought, was sounding something like a stuck record. *-ohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboyohboy-*
His hand unwrapped from around my waist and he ran the back of it delicately along the side of my face before he buried his fingers into my hair and pulled my face forward again. His lips pressed firmly on mine, but this time he didn't pull away.
~~~~~~~~~~
Hmmm…see, this is what happens when I have pizza for dinner then indulge in a killer python (30 cm of sugary goodness for those not in the know…). Combination of too much sugar and junk food…::shrugs:: Ah well.
Whoa…15 pages long, hey that's pretty good!! Hehehehe I had fun writing this chapter… and now it's finally done. YAY!!
Anywho, gotta go, so don't forget to review (^_^) and I'll get the chapter up nice and quick (well, as soon as I post up the next for 'Revenge, A Dish Best Served Bent'…I'm alternating chapter updates ^_^)
Ciao!
StarDragon ~_^