Chapter Six- Meetings

~*~*~*~*~*~ = Sakura's POV

I==D====== = Syaoran's POV

------;---@---;------ = Eriol's POV

o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/' = Tomoyo's POV

^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* = Nakuru's POV

'___' = Thinking "_____" = Speech

Thank you very much to everyone that reviewed! ::sniffle:: Wahhh!! I'm just...so...touched...hehe, well anyways, I hope you'll stick with me through the whole story, no matter how cheesy, typo filled, and cliche it may be! ^-~

Note: I know I really should have dropped a hint about this earlier in the story, but I forgot, and plus, I couldn't really fit this into the story, but I'm taking this opportunity to tell you, Sakura still has her magic.

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"Well, come on, it's time to go meet the other..er, residents of this humble abode", the cat beckoned. I looked back towards Tomoyo, but she just smiled and nodded at me, and continued walking toward the stables. I noticed she wasn't really limping that much, and breathed a sigh of relief. I hoped she would be all right going back home all by herself. I turned back around to face the cat, and nodded shyly.

The cat seemed nice enough, but very mysterious. Of course, I suppose any talking animal would be, but there was just something a little different about it's royal blue fur, and dark blue eyes. Plus, it talked legibly, with no meowing or anything. If I had only heard its voice, and didn't know it was a cat, I would have thought it was a man. In short, it was almost nothing like a cat, more like, a little person. People have names, I wondered if this cat did.

"By the way, my name is Hiragizawa Eriol. What's yours?" the cat asked. I blinked, a little surprised at how it was almost like he had read my mind, but I shook it off as a mere coincidence.

"Kinomoto Sakura", I replied, a little shakily.

"Ah, Sakura, what a beautiful name", Eriol smiled. 'How does he smile in a cat body?'

I blushed at the compliment and smiled. "Arigato, Hiragizawa-san."

Eriol grinned. "You may call me Eriol, Hiragizawa-san is too long, and it makes me feel old. May I call you Sakura-san?"

I nodded. "Hai, Eriol-kun!" He didn't seem so bad. 'Maybe this won't be so bad after all.' We got to the big heavy doors of the palace, and I wondered how we would open them, of course, I could always use my magic, but then, Eriol walked forward and muttered something under his breath. The doors flew open, and we walked in. I stifled a gasp. 'Eriol knows magic, too!'

Suddenly, a butterfly flew over, it darted to and fro around me, and I swear I heard it squealing something like, "Ahh!!! So kawaii!!"

"Ah yes, Sakura-san, I would like you to meet Akizuki Nakuru", Eriol gestured towards the butterfly with a paw. Then, he turned towards the butterfly, "Nakuru, this is Sakura."

Talking cats, sentient butterflies, I almost expected something like this, so I calmly curtsied to the butterfly. "Konnichiwa Akizuki-san. I am Kinomoto Sakura."

"Ahhh!!! Sakura-chan is so kawaii!!!!!!" Then seemed to calm down a bit. 'So I did hear it talk', I mused. "Please!! Call me Nakuru-chan!!" I could almost see the butterfly's giddy grin. The butterfly called Nakuru then proceeded to continue flying around my head yelling "Kawaii!!!!!!"

I giggled, blushing a bit. It seemed pretty nice. Hyperactive, but definitely nice. "Hai, Nakuru-chan!"

Eriol smiled, things were coming along nicely so far. Suddenly, we heard a sound like thunder, coming down the stairs. All I could see of the figure was a long satiny cape, and also, a tail? 'This must be the monster!'

The smiles were wiped off all our faces. Eriol cleared his throat quietly, and announced, "Sakura-san, may I present to you, the master of this mansion-"

He was cut off by a gruff voice. "Li Syaoran." I gasped when I saw what 'Li Syaoran' was. 'A giant, wolf!' I tried to stop staring, and tried to be polite to this...animal.

I curtsied. "Kinomoto Sakura. It's a pleasure to meet you sir", I whispered timidly. Li simply glared at me, and if looks could kill, I'd be lying on the ground by now. (A/N- I know, I know, very cliche! Gomen!) He was examining me, like he was deciding whether or not he would let me live, or eat me for dinner. The seconds ticked by like hours, but finally, he looked away from me, and stalked back upstairs.

For a moment, nobody said anything. I suppose even after living with this cold wolf for a while, like Eriol and Nakuru had, he could still be quite scary. I broke the silence. "Eriol-kun, Li-san, he is your master?"

Eriol blinked, then smiled at me. "No, he is not. We simply live in the same mansion, roommates."

"Souka." I smiled, still a bit shaken by my encounter with Syaoran.

"Speaking of rooms, Nakuru, would you please show Sakura-san to her room?" Eriol asked politely.

"Oh!! I forgot my stuff! It's all outside, on the horse I rode, I'll go get it," I exclaimed.

"You brought your own things? Sakura-san, it's all right. You won't need them," Eriol smiled.

"Hoe..?"

"I'll have them sent up to your room though."

Nakuru flitted impatiently in front of my face. "Sakura-chan, come on!!" She flew off up the stairs.

"Nakuru-chan!!! Matte!!" I raced off after her, the wolf was forgotten.

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"She has magic?!" Syaoran thundered. I had followed him upstairs, after Nakuru took Sakura to her room.

"Why do you ask me? You do to. Undoubtedly you could sense hers", I replied calmly. Irking him was one of my favorite activities, and few pleasures I had. Sad, isn't it?

Syaoran glared at me. I ignored it, since I was already immune to his famous death glares. "What was the reason for even inviting her here? Do you mean to mock me?!" Syaoran roared.

"Ah, so you've figured out her magic is stronger than yours?" I said smugly.

Syaoran was silent. His claws twitched. Suddenly, I feared I had pushed it too far. However, he seemed to control his temper. "Just tell me why you invited her to my mansion."

'Crap! I can't tell him my real reason! Then he'll throw her out! What do I do?? Think Eriol, think.' "Well, you know how we're not exactly in our true forms right now? You know how we only have one year left to turn back?"

Syaoran lifted an eyebrow at me. 'Wolves have eyebrows?' I mused.

"I was hoping that perhaps Sakura-san could help us break the spell. Four magic users would certainly be better then three, right?" I lied. 'Hey! That was actually a pretty good excuse. I was out of the fire now.'

"Then why is she here?!" Syaoran went into a closet, and came out with a tied up, and very scared looking Daidouji Tomoyo. '...And into the pot.'

I darted over to Tomoyo as fast as my little cat paws could carry me. "What did you do to her?!" 'How dare he tie up a lady!'

"Nothing, yet! Unless you explain why she's here!" Syaoran barked.

"She's here because she injured her ankle, and so I told her she could stay until she's well!" I know she actually wanted to keep an eye on Sakura.

"Her ankles are fine!!" Syaoran pointed to a bruise on his arm. "Could she have done that with an injured ankle?!"

I blinked in surprise at Tomoyo. 'Wow.' "Well, I guess she got better than.."

(A/N- Tomoyo's thoughts will be in ~'s, ok?)

Syaoran glared at me, while Tomoyo's eyes shone with tears. I took the opportunity to read her mind.

~Oh God! They're going to kill me now!~

'I don't think she trusts me too much...'

"Li-san, what does it matter to you if one more person stays in your mansion? You've got more rooms than you need, enough for a royal family and all their courtiers. She probably could have just wanted to keep an eye on her sister or something. Also, as an apology for tying her up like that."

~He knew, he knew all along~

'Syaoran, please be in a good mood today!'

Syaoran glared at me for a moment. "Why do you care so much? I thought you 'preferred your solitude'" Then he went out of the room.

"Phew!" I looked over at Tomoyo. "My lady, I do apologize for my friend." I took out the cloth in her mouth delicately with my mouth, and spit it out so she could talk. Then, I unsheathed my claws and carefully cut away her bonds.

She shakily took a breath. "Domo arigato..."

"Hiragizawa Eriol."

"Hiragizawa-san", she finished. She smiled at me. "Daidouji Tomoyo."

I smiled at her. 'She's staying!' "Well then, Daidouji-san, if you'll follow me, I'll show you to your room."

o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'o/'

Well, I guess I won't have to sneak around, and I suppose Sakura will be all right if she's with this cat. I just hope she'll know to take care around the wolf. It's a good thing it was feeling kind today. I'm glad the cat figured out my real reasons for staying, but..'OH! What about Otou-san?? He thinks I'll be back in a few days, but I know, I'm going to stay here until the year is over! He'll worry when I don't come home!!'

"Daidouji-san..." He looked at me with concern.

"Nani?"

"Don't worry about your father, I'll send him a note, and explain the situation to him", Eriol smiled.

"Arigato!" 'How did he know.....?'

"Well, here we are", We came to a violet door, with a plum blossom engraved into the wood. The door swung open, without either of us touching it, and I was surprised a bit.

"It's all right, go on in. This will be your room for the rest of the year. In case you're wondering, Sakura-san's room is right across from yours." He motioned to another door behind us with a cherry blossom engraved in the cherry wood.

"All right", I smiled.

"You may do whatever until dinner, which will be at 8 o'clock."

"Arigato! I'll see you then?" She curtsied slightly.

"Hai", Eriol lowered his cat head, making a feline bow.

"Ja ne!"

"Ja."

I==D======I==D======I==D======I==D======I==D======I==D======I==D======

I brooded in my room after dealing with that Daidouji and Hiragizawa. 'Damn! One girl is enough to deal with, but two?!' I shuddered, remembering the first girl I ever knew, besides my mother of course, who was scary enough.

~Flashback~

"SYAAAOOORAAAANN!!!" A raven-haired girl with ambitious red eyes ran up the pathway to the gazebo a young boy was standing in, and leaped on him.

"Mei-ling! Get off me!" The amber eyed boy yelled. His already messy brown hair flew in even more disarray as he tried to rid himself of his pesky cousin.

"Demo! Syaaaooooraaaan!!!! You're my fiancé now!!!!" Mei-ling shrieked lovingly.

"I don't care! I never wanted to be married in the first place, especially not to you!" Syaoran glared.

Mei-ling clung on to ten-year old Syaoran, and grinned widely, completely ignoring his words.

"Mei-ling I said, get off me!! We're going to fall in the-"

Splash! The young princess and prince fell over the railing of the gazebo, and into the lake. Mei-ling still gleefully hung on to Syaoran. Syaoran undignified, stood up, and made to walk away.

"Syaoran! Help me up!" Mei-ling giggled.

The young Syaoran groaned and reached out a hand to his annoying cousin. A prince is still a prince after all. Mei-ling suddenly pulled on his hand hard, causing Syaoran to fall back in the lake.

"Mei-ling!!" Syaoran glared at the still giggling girl.

"Gomen Syaoran! I couldn't resist! Demo...I'm still wet and sitting in the lake.."

Syaoran glared at her again, then sighed resignedly. He sloshed through the knee high water, and picked Mei-ling up. Then, he set her down on the bank.

"Arigato Syaoran!"

Syaoran ignored her and began walking back to the palace.

"Oi! Syaoran!! Matte!!" Mei-ling scampered after her fiance. She caught up with him, and hooked her arm in his, much to his protests.

They walked back to the palace wet and soaking. Mei-ling couldn't have been happier, walking side by side next to Syaoran. The latter however, was grumpy and uncomfortable, not to mention annoyed to a certain extent which made him potentially dangerous.

~ End Flashback~

I smiled slightly at the memory. I had been fond of Mei-ling, she being family and all. She loved me to the point where I almost cracked. I barely ever had time for magic, since I was spending so much time trying to get away from her. She hadn't been so bad though, now that I thought of it, and I kind of missed her, too.

'Get a grip Syaoran, just because you see a human girl again, doesn't mean you have go take a stroll down memory lane! Besides, you'll never see her again. Remember? You're a hideous monstrosity now. They broke the engagement off because off that!...O..wait a minute...'

I smiled. I remember that after I had become enchanted, the only good thing that came of it was that they had broken the engagement. 'I guess it's alright to reminiscence a bit....'

Suddenly, I heard a half-stifled sneeze. I turned around in the direction of the noise. It was that girl! How dare she spy on me!!

"What are you doing here?! Explain yourself!" I thundered, mad as heck.