Syaoran looked at the dolphin uneasily as it nuzzled Sakura's hand.
"Have you ever riden before?" she asked. Syaoran swam backwards a little. Ride them? He shook his head as he aproached the dolphin once more, reaching out to pet it along the muzzle. Noticing his uncertainty, it butted into his chest sharply, pushing him back into a support beam.
"Yakkai-kun!" cried Sakura, swimming to his side, "Are you hurt?"
As Syaoran shook his head Sakura put her hand over the dolphin's muzzle, looking right into its eyes.
"You're going to let Yakkai-kun ride you!" she told it sternly. Not wanting to recreate yesterday's shark encounter, Syaoran aproaced the animal cautiously, "Now, it's very simple," explained Sakura, "Just swim into the saddle so that you're seated comfortably... That's it! Next, just take the reins and make sure th-- Yakkai-kun!"
The instant Syaoran's hands touched the reins, the dolphin took off at an amazing speed. Plants, people, and booths were blurs as they sped down the market place. He pulled back, but that only seemed to make it go faster and it wasn't long before his hands lost their grip on the reins. Syaoran tried his hardest to wrap his arms around the dolphin's body without hurting it as its tail flapped against his own in an attempt to throw him. Finally, with one last swift buck, Syaoran was thrown from the dolphin's back and into a crystal display set up in the middle of the market.
"You need to learn to controll your animals!" scolded the busy merchant as he watched the dolphin swim away. Syaoran blinked up at him with his big brown eyes between the fins of his tail that was crunched up by his head.
"Excuse me!" came Sakura's apologetic voice as she tied her dolphin up outside. She bowed deeply, "I'll pay for everything, I promise!" she offered as she knelt down beside Syaoran. She pushed his tail away from his face and helped him sit up.
"This toublemaker is with you?" asked the merchant, his tone suddenly kinder, "Don't worry about it, kid. It was an accident. No need to pay for anything your highness."
"Thank you very much, sir!" she looked to Syaoran, "Are you all right? Can you swim?" Nodding, he held himself completely erect. He bowed his apologies as the two of them left.
"Let's get something to eat, shall we?
"Now," began Sakura, laying a blanket down on a sunny patch of coral, "We're going to sit down, and I am going to guess your name."
Syaoran looked a little confused as he helped her set out the lunch supplies for a small picnic.
"The best place to start would be to find out what sea you're from! Are you from Japan?"
While that's where he was living, that was not his birthplace. Syaoran shook his head.
"I see... somewhere in Asia?"
Yes. Syaoran nodded.
"Thailand?"
No.
"Mongolia?"
No.
"...Russia?"
Syaoran blinked at her for a few seconds before shaking his head.
"China!"
Syaoran nodded excitedly.
"Yatta! Show me what your name means, okay?"
Syaoran nodded. He held his thumb and index finger an inch apart from each other.
"Uh, squished, compressed, little..."
Syaoran nodded.
"Little? Okay... that's 'syao' in Chinese..."
Next, Syaoran ran his fingers across his other hand.
"Something that walks on land..." at Syaoran's nod she continued, "A human... no. Okay uh... Show me what it looks like!"
It was then he realized Sakura may not know what a wolf was. He tried his best anyway.
"Um, something that has pointy ears...and fur... a cat? No. Something that calls into the sky, or howls at the moon. A wolf!"
Syaoran smiled and nodded. Sakura laughed.
"That was a great performance you made! Wolf in Chinese is 'lang'. So your name is Syao-Lang... Syaoran-kun!"
The two of them sat in silence as they finished their lunch. Syaoran couldn't take it anymore. He had to find a way to tell her who he was and leaned in closer to her.
"What is it, Syaoran-kun?" Sakura asked. Before he could stop himself, Syaoran's lips were pressed against Sakura's in what felt like the longest three seconds of his life. Sakura shoved him away, holding her hand over her mouth as she turned a deep red. She quickly gathered up their half-eaten food and shoved it back in the basket.
"I-it's getting late," she stammered, not looking him in the eye, "I should get home before big brother worries." With that, she slung her basket over her shoulder and began to swim away, "You don't have to follow!" she cried behind her.
He didn't follow, he didn't move at all. It was all over for him now. He remembered the chained man in Tomoyo's lair that announced his arival and imagined himself as him. He now had five days to win her over and they were worse off than when they met. She had only known him for a day and a half and he had made her miserable with everything he did.
Now is the time to make up for it, he thought to himself as he got up from the coral bed and began to swim toward the castle.
If there was one thing Syaoran was good at, it was discovering the prettiest of sea shells. He explored the darkest of caves and smallest of crevases for trinkets that would surely please her royal highness. Now, he was back at the castle, looping each shell onto a thin but strong sea weed rope. He flipped his tail contently as he admired his handywork. He would have rather appologized verbally, but he had to admit, this was a pretty darn good substitute! He was quickly up to Sakura's room, knocking on the door. There was no answer. Confused, Syaoran opened the door a crack and peered inside to see that her room was empty. With dissapointment he put the necklace in the pocket of his jacket and swam down to the kitchens.
"You look pretty down," said the kind palace cook as she handed him a squid to cut. She was young and couldn't have been much older than himself. Her long black hair was pulled into two braids and her eyes were red like rubies, "But if you're going to be depressed in here, at least do something constructive."
On land, Syaoran would usually hang around the kitchens where he learned how to cook. It was where he felt the most comfortable. He skillfully began cutting the squid into even parts.
"You're awfully quite... Say, aren't you that mute boy her highness found yesterday?"
Syaoran nodded. The cook studied him for a few seconds then smiled wryly.
"Ah, I see why you're so down in the dumps. You look like a lovesick baby manta ray. You're in love with the princess!"
Blushing, Syaoran nodded again.
"She was talking about you this afternoon. Said you get followed by bad luck a lot. I said to her, I says 'Well your highness, it seems like his heart is in the right place'." she peered over the counter at his cutting, "You're good at that. For someone who can't speak or read, you seem pretty intelligent. But, I've seen a good many idiots that would talk yourtail off," she thought for a few seconds, "Like me, for example."
Syaoran smiled as he took another squid and began to cut it as well.
"I don't think it's a case of you won't speak. It's that you can't speak. Her highness said you didn't cry out once when you were being chased by that shark. Try and scream for me. As loud as you can!"
Syaoran opened his mouth wide, trying with all his might to get a sound out of it, but not even a squeak left his lips.
"Well whadaya know. Neptune forgot to give you vocal cords, boy!" she chuckled, ruffling his hair, "It'll be nice to get to know you. My name is Meiling!"
