My Little Wolf

By SibylSofiana

Chapter Seven

Clueless

Xiao Lang ponders on the relationships he has with certain persons, but really can't see that when he's not thinking about the Cards, he's thinking about the Card Captor Sakura.

Oh, yeah.  We really don't own CCS.  So no talk of suing, please.

~0~0~0~0~

Xiao Lang was thoughtful as he made his way past Penguin Park on his way home.  For once Meiling was preoccupied with something else and not hanging like a leech on his arm. 

It had already been a year since he arrived in Tomoeda and challenged Kinomoto Sakura.  He had been fully trained and ready, but he still hadn't been prepared for the fact that even if Sakura had no training, she had an innate sense of magic. 

And Kinomoto was getting stronger day by day.  Sure, she still didn't know a lot of things about the cards during the first few months he had known her.  But since then, she just kept on being determined to complete all the cards.  He had to admire that in her. 

But the Cards were meant for me.  I musn't forget that.

If only I wasn't distracted by Tsukishiro-san.  

The errant thought made him go red in the face. 

"I'm cursed."  He said out loud. 

Fortunately, Mei Ling was busy talking to herself and wasn't paying him any attention.

~TSUKISHIRO YUKITO~

The first time he saw Tsukishiro Yukito he felt struck by lightning.  Like something cut straight through him just by looking at that open, smiling face.  All thoughts of violence against the tall, lanky guy (who turned out to be Kinomoto's brother) fled in the face of the offer of a pork bun from this cheery looking bespectacled guy.   (Xiao Lang never did look at a pork bun the same way again). 

But Kinomoto also liked him. 

Now I'm not just competing with her for the cards, I'm also competing with her for Tsukishiro-san. 

He kicked at a loose stone on the pavement in frustration.  And she had an edge, darn it!  She had known him since the third grade, and he was her brother's best friend.  But he knew Tsukishiro-san liked to eat, maybe he could save up more of his allowance to buy  some snacks...

~0~0~0~0~

What was worse, Kinomoto knew he liked Tsukishiro-san.  He remembered the time he captured the Return Card.   He had gone without Mei Ling, and not surprisingly, met Kinomoto at the Tsukimine Shrine. 

They were up in the tree, waiting for a sign that a Clow Card was in the area.  The Plushie, who had come along for the ride, had gone to get them some drinks, and they were quite alone.   Kinomoto suddenly looked at him sideways.

"You like him too, don't you, Li-kun?" 

Xiao Lang looked away quickly and gave a mental groan.

Who the heck gave him the tendency to blush?  Certainly not his mother!  

But he didn't have to ask whom Kinomoto was referring to.  He just gave a sheepish nod before turning his head back to look at her. 

She was looking straight at him with those shining eyes, and at that moment he didn't know what came over him.  Confused, he jumped down from the tree and walked away.

"Li-kun, where are you going?!"  He heard her calling out from behind.

"I'm going to see why the Plushie's taking so long..."

He was heading towards the soda station when he heard her scream.  He turned around just in time to see the Return Card pull Sakura into the Shrine tree.

~0~0~0~0~

Everything seemed a fast-paced drama after that.  Looking back, he marveled at how his actions seemed automatic.  All he knew was that he had to get Kinomoto back.  He had to get Kinomoto back from the past by using his Time Card.  Using the Time Card was always tricky, and it drained a lot from him.  But he got her back, and got the Return Card for his trouble.  But all thoughts of the Card fled as Sakura thanked him prettily and gave him a hug...and he fainted, whether from exhaustion or plain embarrassment he would never know - just that the annoying Plushie wouldn't let him hear the end of it for days.

~0~0~0~0~

"Stupid, annoying Plushie..."  Xiao Lang muttered under his breath.

"Xiao La-a-annnng!..."  He looked up from his thoughts to see Meiling pouting at him.  "You weren't listening!"

Inwardly he shook his head.  So much for a moment's peace. 

"What's bothering you now, Meiling?"  He knew he sounded gruff, but she paid it no mind as she gleefully enumerated impractical ways to beat Kinomoto at getting all the other cards.

"Hn," was all he could say as they headed back towards the apartment.

~MEI LING~

He looked at her across the school courtyard.  She looked so pretty, just sitting quietly.  But he felt sorry for her.  Her laughing eyes were downcast and he was afraid she would break down.  They had argued earlier at home, and right now she wasn't talking to him because she was so upset.

"You don't even want me here!"  she had accused him, her eyes flashing.

"What's wrong, Li-kun?"  Kinomoto asked softly as she came up beside him, Daidouji trailing close behind.

"My Aunt wants her to come home."  He had been surprised that Aunt Mai had called and asked for Mei Ling.  Aunt Mai never called, it was always Mei Ling who called her.  He didn't know the reason his aunt wanted Mei Ling back home, but he knew Mei Ling was sad.

~0~0~0~0~

Before he knew it, Kinomoto had invited Mei Ling over to her home.  It was a kind gesture he had not expected.  Neither had Mei Ling, but she accepted.   And so that night, it was just Wei and him at the apartment. 

He missed Mei Ling already.  His erstwhile fiancee was a pain in the neck at times, but he was genuinely fond of her.  And the place was quiet without her.

Wei patted his shoulder consolingly.  "Don't worry, Syaoran-sama.  She'll be alright." 

~0~0~0~0~

The Twin Card seemed to be gaining the upper hand when Kinomoto suddenly turned to Mei Ling and exclaimed,

"Fight with Syaoran!  You know him best, you know his every technique!"

"I'm not any g-good..."

"Mei Ling, we can do it!"   He never said anything during those martial arts classes with Mei Ling in the past, but now that they were in sync, he felt proud.  When they finally won, he looked at Mei Ling.  They were both breathing hard after their exertions, but smiles were on both their faces.  They did it together.

"Mei Ling, I don't think of you as a nuisance,"  he said quietly.

"Honto, Xiao Lang?"  Mei Ling's ruby eyes glittered.

"Ah."

When Xiao Lang looked up, he saw Kinomoto smiling, holding her staff to her chest.

"Sugoi, Mei Ling!  You were so good!"

As Mei Ling faced her new friend gratefully, Xiao Lang could not help but look also at Kinomoto.  And strange sensations fluttered in his chest.

~KINOMOTO SAKURA~

After that, he noticed her more and more.  The way her face would light up when she talked about Tsukishiro-kun, how she turned as white as a sheet when Naoko-chan told her ghost stories, the way she would get all embarrassed when Daidouji-san followed her around with the videocam, the way her expressive green eyes would turn to him when she needed help...

"Clow Cards, concentrate on the Cards!"  he would grit his teeth and work harder.

But he had lost the compelling need to wish harm on this girl who was his rival.   There was still the obligation to get all the Cards – he was The Li.  But he could not help but admire this girl who was strong, yet kind, gentle and caring.  It was a radical thought for him to feel that she deserved the Cards as much as he did.

There was something about Kinomoto Sakura that drew him.   Probably because of the dream that was still a mystery to him – of a girl with auburn hair and green eyes.  Was it her?  What did it all mean?

But he put it all at the back of his mind.  Time enough to figure it out.

(In later years, he would berate himself for missing all the signs earlier.  It only took the sharp eyes of Tomoyo Daidouji to figure out the truth.)

~0~0~0~0~

Only a few more Cards were still out there.  Both of them had come out nearly even.

What he didn't know was that very soon he and Kinomoto Sakura would have to face the greatest challenge.

Yue.

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Authors' Interlude

Hello, to all the new faces!  Thanks to everybody who reviewed!  It truly warms our heart and keeps us going!  Yup, Sourmuggie and Kawaii Syaoran, we're trying to stay true to the CCS story, or keeping the spirit of it, at least.  We do have the copies of the manga and the anime at our disposal, but trying to find the exact dialogue takes time, and we're just trying to write down what we remember and hope for the best :)

We'd like to update as soon as we can, but really, it's not as easy as it looks!  Sometimes we don't like what's happening with the chapter we're writing so we have to start from scratch.  Sometimes, even a change in perspective helps, like we're thinking – should we do this from Mei Ling's point of view, or Xiao Lang's or Yelan's?

So hope you like this latest installment.  Call it our Pre-Valentines Day gift to all of you.  (Don't you think the subject is apt?  The original title was supposed to be Questions of the Heart, but we settled for Clueless.)

Happy Valentines Day!

Ja Ne!

Sibyl and Sofiana :)