A BLOSSOM'S WHISPER
Summary: A mother yearns for her dead daughter, 2 boys secretly coping with their mother's disease, an orphan girl with no memories from her past with the splitting image of her deceased child.
Chapter 1
Fated Meeting
Present time
"Syaoran… Eriol… Hana's here… she came back to us"
8 years ago
"Syao! Wait for me! He-!" A loud thud was heard as a 6 year old small chestnut haired girl fell flat on her face. Two pair of big amber eyes glared coldly at the small figure.
"I TOLD YOU TO QUIT FOLLOWING ME! NOW LOOK WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU!" The small figure flinched at the coldness of her twin's voice. Watery hazel eyes stared back on a pair of amber orbs. An irritated sigh escaped from Syaoran's breath. He walked towards her and helped her get up on her feet.
"Oi! Syaoraaaan!" Both heads turned around at the owner of the voice. A hue of dark navy blue hair fluttered as the figure came into view.
"Ah- Eriol. What is it?" Syaoran stared lazily at his older brother. A 7 year old Eriol held up his hand and tried to catch his breath before speaking.
"SERIOUSLY, WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU SKIPPED YOUR PRIVATE LESSONS! MOTHER WILL BE VERY MAD! AND EVEN WORSE, YOU DRAG HANA WITH YOU!"
"I didn't drag her, she followed me in her own" Syaoran muttered under his breath.
"Well you should have at least brought her back inside the manor" Eriol sighed defeatedly at his younger brother's behavior.
"Tch… I don't want to be scolded by you right now. I'll do whatever I want" Syaoran darted his eyes sharply away from his brother before started walking away. Eriol sighed and shook his head.
"Come on Hana, Let's get back. Forget hi-"
"Wha-" Syaoran felt a tug from the back of his shirt which made him turn his head around. It was Hana with her hands gripped tightly on her twin's shirt with her eyes glued on the floor. Syaoran gritted his teeth.
"Let go." Syaoran hissed menacingly. Hana didn't budge.
"I SAID, LET GO!" Syaoran yanked himself from her grasp which made her fall flat but luckily Eriol managed to catch her in time. Eriol glared at his younger brother. Syaoran stared at his sister distastefully. He clenched his fist and raised it.
"Syaoran!" A strong feminine voice made him stop midair from hitting his sister. His body trembled in fear. It was their mother, Yelan. Syaoran eyes glistened, with tears visibly starting to well up. He slowly moved his feet and ran away, unable to face his mother. He hated her sister. He always did his best to get noticed by his mother but she didn't see any of that. His mother always loved his sister more than him.
2 weeks ago before the Present Time
"Hwun Lang, updates" Yelan massaged her temples lightly and laid her back comfortably inside her Bentley Mulsanne. Earlier, she was dealing with one of her deceased husband's old partner, Mr. Quinn. Quinn was caught falsifying documents and reports from the previous deals he had closed with invisible partners. She decided to buy Quinn's shares from the company to prevent the old man's business from closing down and removed Quinn from the position of being the head. Her tired eyes darted on the window pane of her car.
It was raining hard.
Just like that time when she lost her only daughter. She was breaking inside, how much she missed her daughter. It's been 8 years since that incident.
"-ime Corp. wants to move the meeting this coming Saturday"
"I'm fine with the date"
"Noted Madame, and here are some of the proposed idea from the marketing department. The new team assigned for the current project wanted an approval for the budget" Yelan browsed through the pages. She was amazed by the unique idea.
'The team leader must be really good' Yelan thought. She was about to give the papers back when something caught the corner of her eye. The car was running slow since the road is slippery. Her steely midnight eyes were glued on a petite girl that was standing alone on the side of the road. The girl was drenched wet and was staring blankly at the sky.
"Stop the car" The car immediately stopped. The chauffeur opened the door for Yelan and escorted her towards the young girl.
"Hello, young….lad-" The girl turned her head towards Yelan. A pair of dull emerald orbs bore into Yelan's steely midnight eyes. Yelan's knees buckled weakly as mixed feelings run inside the pits of her stomach. She gripped too tightly on her fur shawl that it made her knuckles turn white. The young girl in front of her was a splitting image of her deceased daughter.
"Han-…I-I mean… Little girl, can we know where do you live so w-we can accompany you home? Don't worry, we are not bad people" Yelan's voice was in the brink of shaking but she tried not to lose it, instead she pasted a motherly gentle smile on her lips. The chauffeur was astounded by Yelan's change of demeanor. He never saw her smile like that to anyone, not even around with her two sons. The girl stared Yelan for a moment before pointing towards a house that is not quite a far from where they are standing. Yelan held her hand out on the girl and smiled warmly. The young girl stared at it for a moment before she hesitantly held Yelan's hand. Unexplained euphoria erupted inside Yelan's chest. She wanted to cradle this young girl and take her home and claim her as Hana but she can't do that. To the young girl's eyes, Yelan was just a mere stranger. The chauffeur politely opened the door of the car as Yelan went inside first. The young girl stared blankly inside the car. Yelan noticed it and let out a heartily giggle.
"Don't worry child, we won't abduct you" A red tint appeared on the young girl's cheeks. She shook her head as her wet auburn tresses fluttered slightly.
"I'm g..grubby… Your car is clean.." Yelan was stunned at the answer of the young girl. Most kids will be scared right at the moment and run away or take the opportunity to ride in a luxurious car but this girl gave a different answer.
"No No, its fine child, I don't mind. Your safety to get you home is our priority" Yelan flashed a warm welcoming smile at the young girl. The young girl opened her mouth for a moment but she shook her head instead.
"B..but..I can't allow that Ma'am, your car will get dirty and I don't have any money to pay for the cleaning expenses.." Yelan's secretary smiled at the young girl's innocence. Yelan giggled at the young girl's answer instead she stepped out of the car and took the umbrella from the chauffeur. A confused look appeared at the auburn haired girl's face.
"Well then, but you must promise me one thing. Next time we meet again, you'll going to ride in the car with me. So, shall we walk?" The auburn haired girl's lips crept into a meek smile and nodded her head shyly. Yelan smiled and excitedly held her hand out on the young girl, which the girl gladly took it. The rain is slowly stopping. The car was just following behind them. Random thoughts appeared inside Yelan's head. What kind of family does she have? What kind of school does she go? When's her birthday? There are too many questions running inside her head. She felt a tug at her hand which brought her to her senses.
"Ma'am…we're here" Yelan was welcomed by an unfamiliar large entrance. They slowly walked inside, which made Yelan took the time to scan the surroundings. There's a playground on the far corner of the gate, several flowerbed, and a quite big old Victorian house, which is oddly big for a single family.
'Maybe, her relatives live with them?' Yelan asked herself. The doors were wide open and she hesitantly stepped in. Before she could say anything else, the petite young girl ran inside. The warm feeling disappeared in an instant as the girl's hands broke free from Yelan's grasp.
"Ah- young gir-" Her words was cut off as a middle aged woman appeared from a corner. 'Probably her mother?' Yelan was confused since they were nothing alike.
"-here again? Look! You're all wet and muddy. The superior will get mad at you again" Yelan gripped tightly at sling of her bag and cleared her throat to get the attention of the woman.
"Excuse me. Good Evening." Yelan managed to find her voice out of her throat. The woman humped in surprise and shifted her gaze on Yelan's direction. The middle aged woman eyes widen. She recognized this powerful woman in front of her at the very first glance. She bowed her head respectfully a few many times and greeted Yelan.
"I apologize Ma'am but visi-"
"She escorted me.." The auburn haired girl cut off the middle aged woman's sentence. The color from the middle aged woman's face drained as she started to sweat profusely.
"W-We deeply apologize for the inconvenience of this young girl brought to you, Madame!" The middle aged woman nervously bowed her head down which made the auburn haired girl left dumbfound. Yelan blinked a couple of times and let out a nervous laugh.
"No No Not at all. Please don't, I voluntarily accompanied her home"
"If that's the case Madame, w-would you like to have some coffee to warm you up?" The middle aged woman asked politely. Yelan's eyes glint with joy as the corner of her lips crept up and bobbed her head lightly, a reason to stay longer.
"That would be very great"
"This way Madame a-and please do call me Reena" Distant childish giggles and murmurs could be heard as they pass through the corridors, this made Yelan wonder. Reena gestured Yelan & her secretary towards in an open veranda as the auburn haired girl disappeared in their sight which made Yelan felt upset. Reena went towards the cupboard and hurriedly made two cups of coffee. Yelan scanned her surroundings as she patiently waited for Reena.
"Reena, If you don't mind me a-asking, Are you her mother? I mean the girl" Reena turn her head on her shoulder and flashed a smile.
"No Madame, I'm just a mere attendant of this Orphanage" Yelan raised her eyebrows, surprised.
"O-Orphanage?" Reena nodded her head as she gave Yelan's cup.
"This orphanage has been taking abandoned children for the last 40 years but we're afraid that this institution will be closed down since the owner of the land, where this orphanage standing is wants it to be taken down and plans to build a commercial establishment instead. I-I apologize for babbling non-sense Madame" Reena mentally slapped herself. She didn't mean to blurt it out. Yelan's eyes wandered around the establishment. It's true, the building itself is old where some areas really needs to be fixed.
"No, I don't mind at all, I could talk to my personal lawyer about that matter, so we could help you out. We could also add your orphanage on our priority list of the charities that we are supporting" Yelan flashed a gentle smile at Reena. Yelan gestured her head and told her secretary to contact her personal lawyer later so they can talk about the matter.
"B-but Madame this is too much, Sakura already bothered you about taking her back here" Yelan abruptly caught her attention on Reena as she heard her say a certain name, presumably the young girl's name.
"Sakura? You mean the young girl earlier? She h-have a pretty name" Yelan shifted on her seat uncomfortably. The young girl intrigues her so much. She wants this Sakura.
"A-Ah yes Madame, she's been here for the past 8 years. If I am not mistaken you saw her looking up on the sky on the side of the road?"
"Yes, we did" Yelan nodded her head.
"It's just like where we first found her. No traces about her aside from her name which she only knew" Reena looked down. A distant look appeared on her face as she reminisced the past.
"I see that's saddening to hear for the girl's situation" Yelan took a sip on her coffee. She looked at her wrist watch. 7:30 PM. She still wanted to stay longer and ask more about Sakura but that will make her look suspicious. She stood up which made Reena broke from her thoughts.
"Anyways, I'd love to stay a little longer but we're consuming most of your time. Thank you for inviting us Reena. Maybe we'll have some other time?" Yelan smiled as they slowly headed for the door accompanied by Reena.
"Please don't Madame. You are most welcome here in the Orphanage" Reena shooked her head firmly as she flashed a welcoming smile at Yelan. As Yelan was about to get inside her car, Sakura appeared in a corner.
"Ma'am! I just want to say thank you for taking me home." Sakura bowed her head down and pasted a meek smile on her lips. Yelan bowed her head slightly and smiled.
"No worries child, it's my pleasure and don't forget our promise, okay? Have a pleasant evening, Sakura" Sakura nodded her head as Yelan got inside her car. She wants her. She will take her as her own daughter even what it costs.
8 Years ago
"Mother, does Syaoran hates me?" The question made Yelan stop brushing her daughter's silky chestnut hair. Hana turned around and searched an answer from her mother's eyes.
"No sweetheart, your twin loves you of course" Yelan smiled sadly as she tucked a hair behind her daughter's ear. A sad look appeared on Hana's face as she dropped her gaze on her lap.
"But why is he always angry with me? Did Hana do something bad?" Yelan felt sorry for her daughter. She didn't even know why her son is acting like that.
"No, you didn't do anything sweetheart. Syaoran is just shy to show that he loves you" Yelan cupped her daughter's chubby cheeks as she flashed a reassuring smile at her daughter.
"Really?" Hana's hazel eyes glinted with hope as she stared back at her mother's eyes.
"Hai" Yelan nodded happily as she saw a joyous look lit up on daughter's face.
5 Months prior to Present Time
"Hey Eriol, why is the family doctor here? Is someone sick?" Syaoran was busy juggling a baseball ball on their window terrace when he noticed a familiar car coming inside the Li manor. Eriol shut his book as he stood up from his seat.
"Not sure, how about we check it out?"
"Idiot, I don't want to get caught but I guess its fine" Syaoran looked over his shoulder and threw a bored look at his brother. They went out of the library and noticed the doctor went inside their Mother's study room. They slowly tiptoed and opened the door quitely.
"-ildren don't need to know about this" Yelan's voice boomed inside the room. The family doctor sighed.
"But Madame, your children have the right"
"What are they arguing about?" Syaoran's eyebrows furrowed. Eriol glared at Syaoran and slid his index finger across his lips.
"Sshh!"
"For Heaven's sake Dr. Xion, I don't need anyone to look at me pathetically just because I'm dying of cancer" The two boys stood frozen, unmoved of the matter they've just heard.
Present Time
Eriol and Syaoran was left confused at their Mother's announcement.
"Please don't joke around with the dead, Mother. That is quite unpleasa-" Eriol's words was cut off as an unfamiliar auburn haired fellow stepped into the view. The two adolescent males felt cold chills crept up on their back as they drew their gaze on the girl.
8 Years Ago
"M..Mother?" Hana called out her mother weakly. She was hospitalized for months due to anemia. It was raining hard outside. Rain drops trickled down the window pane. Yelan got up as she held her daughter's hands. Her hands felt little cold.
"Yes sweetheart?" Hana opened her eyes and stared at her mother's.
"I..Is Syaoran h..here?" Syaoran's ears perked up as Yelan shifted her gaze on her son.
"I'm here" He stepped beside his mother. Yelan kissed her daughter's forehead and decided to leave the room with Eriol.
"We'll leave you both to talk" Hana bid a weak smile at her mother before turning towards her twin.
"S..Syaoran…D..Do you h..hate me?" Syaoran looked away. He did but after seeing his twin like this, he take those all back.
"No"
"Liar" Hana giggled and coughed a little which made Syaoran panic.
"I-I don't, idiot!" Hana held her twin's hand and let out a small yawn.
"Fine…Hey Syaoran… I have a secret.. Wanna hear?" Syaoran blushed as he felt Hana's hand on his.
"I don't mind"
"Come here" Hana smiled and gestured her twin as Syaoran brought his ear near her lips.
"I love you"
A/N: The characters will be OOC. I hope you'll like this one though this chapter is quite long and maybe will make you get bored a bit to read.
Hana = Blossom/Flower in Japanese.
