The Foundling: AU – In the golden years of the Celestial Empire, 16-year old Ying-Fa is a humble foundling raised in the Jade Temple. She is the object of pity and derision because of her lack of magic and her lack of a dowry--which is as good as a curse in the ancient city of Li-Cheng. Will she find answers in the magical manuscripts of Clow?
General notes: I really appreciate the reviews. Sorry for the late update, I had to cram for my Christmas shopping.
Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP.
Chapter 2. The Battle in the Pagoda
A few days after Mistress of the Temple left for Beiba, the Li King ordered his guards to open the Clow Pagoda. It was located in the extensive grounds of the Jade Temple. Its great doors were only opened in times of great rejoicing, or in times of great crisis. There was a sinister magical force that was hovering above the Li lands—it came stealthily from the sea, almost avoiding detection. Its virulence and its power was great.
The Li King had strong allies from across the sea -- in Nihon -- and the Li elders have tried several times to magically communicate with them but have failed to do so. They all had a very bad feeling that something tragic had happened which was why they needed to go to the Pagoda and try to use the inert but strong magic that was present there to fight the mysterious force which was threatening to engulf their realm.
His attendants had just finished dressing the King in his fighting robes and armor when his wife entered. He then dismissed the attendants to have a private word with her. As soon as the servants left, she immediately held her husband tight. "My husband, can you not let the Elders handle this? I'm sure they're very capable." She knew how selfish she sounded but she had a bad feeling about what her husband was about to do.
The King chuckled lightly. "My dear, I can't breathe." He pretended that he was choking.
Yelan loosened her hold, but only slightly. "If only we could use the magic that is just sitting unused in the pagoda."
"That is why we are fortunate that it is a Moon night tonight when we can use the most magic that's why you don't have to worry too much my love. And in the future I am certain that Xiao Lang will be able to unlock the magic there when the time comes."
"In the meantime can you just let the Elders do the task and wait for them to give you a report or..." She knew her husband did not do things that way, but she was very worried about him.
"Now, now, my dear you know I would always do what is right and defend my people. It is my duty and my pleasure. I promise you that I'll be very careful." He squeezed her shoulders reassuringly.
"There are times when I just wish that you were an ordinary peasant so you wouldn't have to do this." Yelan said, tears falling from her eyes.
There was a glimmer of mischief in the King's eyes. He pretended to sound hurt. "Oh? I don't think you would still love me if I'm just a peasant."
Yelan looked up at her husband's face and saw him struggling not to smile. She lightly punched his armored chest. "How can you do that at a time like this?"
The King chuckled. He was fortunate to find such a wife and to have many fine children with her. He had his own ill feelings about what he was going to do but he did not want to see his wife worry. "I don't want to see you sad, my wife, not ever. It makes me feel that I'm not doing my duty to make you happy like I promised to."
She didn't answer and continued to cry. He gave her a lingering kiss. For his sake, she will try to appear brave. She sighed as her husband lovingly wiped away her tears. It was very hard to resist his charm. "Let's go to the children, they would want to see you before you leave."
They walked hand in hand to the Sun pavilion in the garden where their five children were playing. How they doted on them! Even if he was just past three years old, Xiao Lang was more intelligent than his years and did not let his older, bigger sisters get the best of him. Xiao Lang was presently relating something to his sisters.
"Last night I saw a baby in a crib that was crying so hard. I went to the baby and held its hand then it stopped crying and laughed at me." His sisters then asked with a giggle. He hated it when they did that because it was usually at his expense.
"But you were sleeping Xiao Lang, how did that happen?" Fuutie fought the urge to pinch his cute cheeks.
"It was a dream, Fuutie. You're not the only one who has magic dreams." He replied. He knew she was only teasing him.
"But you're still too young to have dreams even if you are father's heir," Xuehua said.
"I am too! I am 3 ½! I'll be four soon and then I'll be like father and be bigger than all of you!" He frowned, his first infantile attempts at a glare. But it just served to multiply his "cuteness" as his sisters put it.
"Awww Xiao Xiao, don't frown, no girl will like you if you frown a lot. You look so much cuter when you are smiling." Feimei said.
"I don't care. All girls ever do are cry and giggle anyway." He shrugged.
"Oh, but someday you will care if a girl likes you or not, little brother." Huanglian waved a finger at him.
Their parents had lovingly listened to the lively exchange. The children noticed their presence and immediately bowed before the King and Queen.
"I'll be going to the Pagoda children, I'll return as soon as I can. Please behave like you always do my young ladies and try not to annoy your brother too much while I'm gone."
"Yes father." They giggled, which made their brother groan inwardly. His daughters crowded around the King and he kissed their foreheads in blessing. He received the embroidered charms they gave him for good luck. Then he turned to his son.
"Xiao Lang, please take care our five flowers here while I'm gone, alright?"
Xiao Lang nodded, some of his hair falling over his eyes as he did so. "Yes I will, father."
"Do you still remember what I taught you yesterday?" Xi asked him smiling.
"A king is always the first to charge in battle and the last one to leave in retreat." Xiao Lang said breathlessly. Some of the words were still a mouthful for him.
The king ruffled his son's hair and hugged him. They walked to the front gate together to see the king off.
Yelan and her children watched the King as he mounted his horse. He was surrounded by the Li Royal guards led by Wei. They were both magicians and soldiers and looked magnificent in full armor. Xi waved goodbye to his family and led his magnificent cavalry out of the enormous palace gate.
Yelan turned to her five children. "Come children; let us offer prayers for the success of your father and his men." The children went to the Palace prayer room ahead of their mother.
Yelan placed her hand on her heart. "Xi, please come back safe."
FLASHBACK – 3 years ago
The streets of Li-Cheng were again abuzz with festive activity. The King had sent felicitous invitations to his subjects from the different parts of the Li lands for a grand banquet. His beloved wife had given birth to their youngest child and only son 2 months before and he will now recognize him formally as his rightful heir. The King looked dashing in his green Li ceremonial robes as he sat on his large horse. He warmly acknowledged the salutations of the crowd.
The Li clan Elders and their retinue rode ahead to the Jade Temple. The royal family would proceed more slowly for the benefit of the people, who reverently loved their King. Following the King and the Prince was a large open carriage where sat the lovely Queen Yelan who was holding a proudly-wrapped bundle in green silk—their son and heir Xiao Lang. Her four lovely daughters surrounded them and they were all holding dainty fans embroidered with green peonies traced in gold thread. The Li Family's crest is a large green peony traced with gold and this was proudly displayed on the doors of the houses and shop windows and the city gates. The crowd enthusiastically waved and applauded and scattered peony petals on their path.
The "investiture" ceremony was usually held in the Clow Pagoda, which is located in the grounds of the Jade Temple. It was the legacy of the mysterious ancient magician Clow and within resides his well-preserved manuscripts. The pagoda's walls were simply decorated with 52 strange colorless tablets with strange carvings on the surface. A couple of enormous stone statues—one with a sun sign and the other with a moon sign, stood on either side of the ceremonial platform. All these objects were supposedly created using magic by Clow. Nobody has ever deciphered what they meant but legend has it that it was supposed to contain very powerful magic.
For many generations it has been part of the Li family tradition for the King to thank the Jade God for giving him an Heir in front of the strange tablets and attempt to unlock their power. When the Heir was old enough to walk, he would perform the ceremony yearly until he becomes the King. Then the next Heir would perform the ceremony. Throughout the ages, the tradition had become largely symbolic because nobody had ever been able to unlock it—not even the current King who is a powerful magician himself.
The Elders were already assembled inside the Pagoda when the royal family entered. Yelan and her daughters stood around the platform with heads bowed while the King took his infant son from his wife's fragrant arms and carried him in front of the tablets. The King knelt and prayed. When he had finished, the King stood up and walked in front of the assembled crowd of elders and kin. "I, Xi, King of the Li Lands, hereby recognize my son Xiao Lang as the rightful heir of my earthly domains upon my passing. May the Jade God watch over him and may he do his duty well." He then raised his hands in blessing and light came from it and magically formed the Li Crest seemingly on its own volition. It floated near the head of his sleeping infant son and disappeared. The boy then woke up and gave a lusty cry.
The King smiled proudly at his crying son. Yelan climbed the platform and took her son from her husband. The Elders then formed a line to pay homage to their King's heir. And then it happened. All those present felt a rush of wind nobody where the wind came from as it was calm outside. The wind was not too strong and it eventually stopped. But the wonders were not over yet. For a very brief moment, there was a glimmer of light that illuminated the tablets of Clow. The formerly colorless carvings on their surface seemed to come alive, then the light slowly faded and seemed to return to their slumber like it never happened. The Elders then knelt in front of the Heir. The oldest of them then said: "This has never happened before. It must be a sign from the Jade God."
The King and Queen exchanged glances and then looked at their infant son's now-calm face, he was sucking his thumb. This event seemed to confirm what they both felt that their son would be the Chosen One to unlock the magic of the great Clow.
END OF FLASHBACK
XOXOXOXOXOXO
Inside the pagoda, a furious battle raged. The earth shook and the magical aura was heavy and overpowering. A number of the Elders had fallen including some of the elite Royal guards. The dark force, whatever or whoever it was was fighting them from a great distance and has been significantly weakened. It was still putting up an intense physical fight though and they still could not pinpoint it.
The Li King made a drastic decision to draw it out and fight it himself. He knew he was the only one capable of doing so. He prayed silently and pointed his sword with much effort towards Clow's magical tablets to try and draw out more power. They needed to see where the "funnel" was that the dark force was using to release its virulent vapors to them.
A very faint light—almost undistinguishable--illuminated the carvings inside the pagoda then a small black, swirling hole appeared towards the right side of them. "There! Put all your strength there!" The Li King barked. He was feeling the rapid decrease of his magic as he struggled to contain the dark magic and not let it escape. Blood was flowing from his deep magically-inflicted wounds.
A guttural voice hissed from the hole. "How dare you challenge me! I will destroy your lands as I have done to Nihon!"
The remaining elders and royal guards focused all their magic towards the dark force and they felt that it was weakening.
The guttural voice seemed to choke. It sounded very weak when it spat: "Clow's power does not respond to you bastard king!"
The King mustered up his remaining strength though he knew that it would kill him and projected a beam of magic into the hole.
The guttural voice gave an agonized scream—like a hundred wolves dying at the same time. The hole was starting to weaken and fade. The end of this battle is at hand.
"I will find the Chosen One after I kill you Li!" One last surge of magical power came from the swirling hole and hit the weak and injured Li King squarely on the chest, shattering his sturdy armor into dust. At the same time, the hole faded and vanished. It was vanquished at least for now.
Wei, who was also wounded and bloody, ran to the fallen King. "Your Majesty." Wei had been through several fierce battles but this time, his voice broke. The Li King was struggling to speak.
"Train…train…xiao..." And he breathed his last and expired.
Wei slumped like a child to the ground as he reverently closed the eyes of his dead King.
XOXOXOXOXOXO
The sudden and violent death of the Li King was greatly mourned by his subjects. They had built several shrines in his honor and revered him sometimes to the point of folly. The Elders who remained, and there were very few of them, recognized the Queen Yelan as the regent for her young son. Yelan spoke very little when she was told of his death and of her regency. She stood like a statue and held herself upright as a queen should—she did not want to disappoint Xi. Her grief was beyond tears but it was not less deep. She very bravely met with the Elder council for the first time to arrange for her husband's funeral. In private she knew that she had her entire life to grieve for him.
It was right after the Li King was mournfully buried when Mistress Cixi and her entourage quietly returned to Li-Cheng. The Mistress had decided to stay in Beiba until after the funeral. Everyone was too distraught to pay them any attention and for once she did not mind. At least she was spared the embarrassment of returning empty-handed after her visions.
Lady Ziyi murmured a prayer for the King as she held the sleeping infant Ying-Fa closer to her chest. They have all entered the living quarters of the Jade Temple occupants and proceeded to their own chambers with a heavy heart.
TO BE CONTINUED…
I promise happier scenes in the next chapters—including the first meeting of Xiao Lang and Ying-fa. Thanks for bearing with me.