Essence of Blood
He had met girls throughout his life but never had he met a woman as unique as her. Not only did she defy him in an erratic way but her blood held an essence that differed from everyone else. Her blood was special… her blood made her, his.
Chapter Twenty Six
Essence of Confrontation
.xx.
-Sakura-
August 8th, 2001 – 5:09 pm
Xiao Lang stared at me. His body was frozen and I saw the shock that reflected in his eyes. I smiled slightly, whispering those words again—this time, I felt him relax slightly.
"I love you…"
Xiao Lang's eyes searched mine and I didn't dare move. I couldn't hear anything from our surroundings, none of the children yelling, cars honking, birds calling—nothing. His hold on me tightened and before I knew it, he had me pulled into him in a heart searing kiss. I, gladly, wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled him closer to me, my heart exploding with the love I felt for this man.
Pulling back, he trailed a finger down the side of my face, a small smile toying on his lips. "Do you know how long I've waited to hear you say that?"
I smiled back. "I really love you, Xiao Lang."
"God," he pulled me into a tight embrace, "I'll make him pay for everything he's done to you."
I felt comfortable and safe in his arms, as I should. He was created for me and I was born for him. We were made for each other, soul mates from before our very existence. God had planned for us to be together before our bodies were even created, and who was I to fight his plan? I realize that I truly love Xiao Lang, as a being of my own and not a reincarnation of a past lover. The way he made me feel, the way he made my heart race, and the way he made my mind go blank of any coherent thought all were factors that showed me how much I really loved him.
"I know you will," I mumbled in his chest. "Just say you'll never leave me?"
He chuckled. "When have I ever left you, Ying Fa?"
My heart melted.
.xx.
August 8th, 2001 – 8:40 pm
Xiao Lang and I returned back to the house and we were promptly informed that Hiiragizawa was divorcing Yasui (or was already divorced, I didn't understand it that well). Xiao Lang left to go speak to him, not before kissing me. And as such, my two best friends hounded my ass for details.
Which I didn't give them.
Unfortunately Feimei had cracked a rape joke and, due to my recent experiences, it triggered bad memories. I made a dash to my room, followed by Chiharu and Tomoyo and I revealed to them what exactly happened to me when Akuma kidnapped me. The girls were understanding and didn't press me for details. I did end up crying though, but the tears were uncontrollable. It came with the experience of what happened.
Thankfully, my cousin and friend decided to switch the topic.
Chiharu fidgeted and asked Tomoyo and I in a really soft whisper: "What if he shoots me?"
I rolled my eyes at her question. My tears were almost all gone because my mind had switched from the topic of Akuma to the topic of Xiao Lang's judgement over Chiharu. I already knew what it was—he wasn't going to shoot her. She had such little faith in this little gang of ours…
Note the sarcasm.
"Really? Do you really think he's going to shoot you?" I asked her dryly. Chiharu grinned sheepishly at Tomoyo and I.
"… Yes?"
My cousin laughed. "He's not going to. He didn't even shoot us."
"But that's because you two are like fuckable to the max," Chiharu muttered humorously. Tomoyo and I looked at each other and, in silent understanding, we attacked Chiharu with pillows. She screamed but ended up giggling as soon as Tomoyo jumped on her and tickled her. My sides hurt from laughing at the shenanigans of the two girls and none of us realized that Xiao Lang was standing at my door, watching us rather amusedly.
"You three are having fun."
I was the first one to stop and looked at the door to find my Guardian watching us bemusedly. Tomoyo was the next to stop and she grinned at Xiao Lang before tilted her head to the side and saying in an ever-so-sweet tone of voice: "Yes we are, daddy."
Xiao Lang chuckled and I snorted softly. Chiharu blinked confusedly but Xiao Lang paid her no heed. He quickly informed us to come downstairs because we were going to have our talk. Just as he turned to leave, I yelled over to him that there was writing in the Essence of Continuation and he told us to bring the book downstairs as well.
Chiharu stared at the door before looking back at us. "He's a man of many words," she muttered softly.
Tomoyo rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it."
I winked at them and said, "Trust me, he knows how to work his lips—for more than just talking."
My comment caused Chiharu to snort sarcastically. "The day he kisses your vagina is the only time you can boast."
Immediately, Tomoyo and I burst into a fit of laughter. Oh the sarcasm that is from Chiharu has to be the best thing that has ever happened to me.
Tomoyo and I laughed at her comment and quickly headed downstairs to witness the judgement of Chiharu. Tomoyo made a dash to her room to pick up the Essence of Continuation and then we were well on our way.
.xx.
August 8th, 2001 – 9:27 pm
Judgement was passed and Chiharu was an unofficial member of the gang. She was allowed to go home, with a few conditions of course, and she was forbidden to tell my family and Tomoyo's family that we were alive. Xiao Lang went through the Essence of Continuation (which was about us, needless to say) and then we went to grab a little snack, courtesy of Tomoyo Daidouji.
It was half an hour before Hiiragizawa and Tomoyo were supposed to arrive at Xiao Lang's bedroom, so he and I decided to cuddle on his balcony for a little bit. I absolutely adored spending any time with him—it made me forget about all the shit that was presently happening and just concentrate on the good.
On him.
On us.
Xiao Lang was sitting on a chair and I was sitting on his lap. There was a blanket thrown over us and we were watching hues of orange and red dance in the sky. It was the late hours of summer twilight and in mere moments; the sun would be set completely. Xiao Lang was breathing softly into my ear, his arms wrapped tightly around my waist.
"What are you gonna talk to them about?" I whispered.
Xiao Lang shrugged. "About being stupid? I have no idea what Eriol is up to, he usually consults me before he pulls shit like that."
I bit my lower lip. "Isn't it strange how he's divorcing Yasui like that?"
"Yes and no." Xiao Lang kissed the junction between my neck and shoulder. "She was a cheating little slut so I knew this was coming sooner or later. I just thought he'd talk to me about it before doing something so fucked up."
I snorted. "Mind your language, dear."
Laughing, Xiao Lang continued trailing kisses up the column of my neck. I closed my eyes and moved my head so that he could have easier access in pleasuring me. My body tingled in desire and our minds was thrown back to an ancient time… in an ancient place…
.xx.
Unknown date, unknown year – 2:49 am
"Love," Xiao Lang whispered, his arms wrapped around his wife's waist. They were taking a late night stroll because Ying Fa was fidgety; her stomach was bloated due to her pregnancy and she was waddling like a penguin.
"My ankles are sore, I'm fat, and I'm always hungry," she murmured sadly. "Being pregnant was great until the ugliness kicked in."
Chuckling, Xiao Lang kissed her cheek. "You couldn't be more beautiful, you know that?"
Ying Fa sighed. "That's because I'm carrying your child in me, Xiao Lang."
A serene gale lulled Eden and Ying Fa threw her head back and breathed deeply. Xiao Lang could only revel in her beauty; drinking in her milky white complexion, her long tresses of auburn, the arch in her neck. She was a being that was perfect in every manner, from head to toe and everything in between.
And she was his.
"But imagine how you'll feel when our child is born," he whispered. Ying Fa opened her eyes, her emerald eyes twinkling in the moonlight, and smiled.
"I know the feeling will be unexplainable."
Without word, Xiao Lang stopped walking and stood in front of his wife. He trailed a hand down her belly and leaned forward to press his lips softly onto hers. She clutched the cloth of his battle attire and instantly closed her eyes, allowing her husband to dominate her soul.
An owl hooted in the distance and a few crickets chirped. The trees of the forest that they were walking in created a perfect umbrella, where the moonbeams shone through gapes in the leaves. Xiao Lang pulled back from the kiss and placed a hand on her cheek.
"I love you."
.xx.
August 8th, 2001 – 9:34 pm
"I love you, too," I murmured as we both returned from the throwback. For some reason we saw the vision in unison- we both entered a place that we experienced many lifetimes ago. I felt Xiao Lang smile as he continued to trail kisses on my neck. I knew the knowledge of me being completely in love with him sent him on a high, and I loved it. I loved knowing that a man could love me so much that he would wait an eternity for me (minus tidbits like magic, and blood and stuff).
Xiao Lang stopped kissing my cheek and leaned back in the chair. I dropped my head so that it rested on his shoulder and we both stared at the sky, watching the stars beginning to peek through the dying sunlight.
I saw the bright redness of Mars in the distance.
"Would you want to continue living in this time," I whispered, "or Eden?"
Without a second though, Xiao Lang said Eden.
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Humans are selfish and sinful creatures, Ying Fa," he murmured. "You'll understand when your blood awakens—"
I interrupted him. "My blood awakens?"
Xiao Lang smirked. "Yes, your blood remains dormant right now, but when it awakens—when you fully accept your past and who you are—you will have powers unimaginable."
My mouth was agape. "Like God?"
Xiao Lang nodded. "Yes. Like God. You'll see then the tiny things that human's do that will anger you—small things, like walking past a beggar, or not helping the elderly walk across the street. There are billions of people in the world, Ying Fa, and only a handful show compassion."
I merely listened to him, my eyes closed. What he was saying kind of made sense.
"You'll be able to smell their true desires—their lies, their ambitions, the truth."
It was kind of scary how he knew everything.
"Eden was bliss." His voice was faraway now. "It was something that belonged to us. We held the rights to the Gates of Heaven, Eden was our playground. After all this is done and over with, and if we had a choice," he stopped and turned his body slightly so that he could see me, "and if you agree with me, then I would love nothing more than to return to Eden."
I was silent. It was such a huge task to ask for. But first and foremost— "I need to awaken my blood before I can make a decision."
He nodded. "Yes, you do. And I feel like the time is coming close."
Before I could ask him what he meant, there was a knock on his door. It was time…
Confrontation.
Xiao Lang, languidly, went to open the door and I remained seated on the chair he was sitting on. Within moments, Tomoyo took a seat beside me and Hiiragizawa was leaning against the bannister of the balcony. Xiao Lang was standing beside him.
"Why did you call us here?" Hiiragizawa asked. Xiao Lang threw him a nasty look; I was scared for him.
"I want to know what is going on," Xiao Lang stated firmly. Tomoyo looked at me helplessly and I shrugged. I had no idea what Xiao Lang wanted to do exactly, all I know is that he was royally pissed that Hiiragizawa didn't inform him that he had divorced Yasui.
Hiiragizawa raised his eyebrow. "I became fed-up with Yasui's shit. Ergo, I left her."
"Without consulting me?"
Hiiragizawa frowned. "I thought you were already okay with the fact that I would, one day, divorce her. That went without saying when we found out she was pregnant with Yamamato's baby."
Mine and Tomoyo's eyes both widened. So they knew who the baby daddy was?
"Well now Yamamato is six feet under, and headless." Xiao Lang rolled his eyes. "We agreed that you'd keep the shenanigan up until you find you-know-who."
Voldemort? Tomoyo mouthed at me and I stifled my laughter. Both men glanced at me and I instantly went void of any expression. Damn that girl who is my cousin.
"But I did."
"And how can you be so sure?"
Hiiragizawa sighed. "Just like how you can be sure. But unlike you, God isn't mad at me."
Wait.
WHAT?
"Hold up, hold up." I decided to interfere. "I was under the assumption that Hiiragizawa is mortal!"
The aforementioned blue-haired man grinned mysteriously at me. "Assuming makes an ass out of you and me."
"Shut up," I muttered. He laughed.
"I am mortal," he confirmed, "but I am constantly reincarnated with all of my memories. Unlike Xiao Lang, who never dies, I live a normal human lifespan before passing away and being reborn within the year. Normally Xiao Lang finds me and updates me on what I missed when I become old enough to retain my memories."
Wow.
Mind. Fuck.
Tomoyo was silent throughout the entire explanation. I knew everything was sinking in for her—took me a while to sink in everything Xiao Lang ever told me.
"So backtrack." I stood up now. From the corner of my eye I could see Xiao Lang beaming proudly at me. So what if I'm taking control of the situation and demanding an explanation; this regards my cousin. Well somehow at least, otherwise she wouldn't be here right now.
"You're mortal but in an immortal sense, right?"
He nodded.
"You divorced Yasui because she's a liar and a cheater, right?"
He nodded again.
"And, going on a whim here," I crossed my arms in front of me, "but God isn't pissed at you like how He is with Xiao Lang so He told you who your soul mate is, as opposed to Xiao Lang who had to find me, right?"
He nodded, once more.
Xiao Lang had his eyebrows raised and I was trying hard not to crack a stupid grin. Go Detective Kinomoto!
"And, again, going on a whim, we can assume correctly that my younger cousin is your soul mate, otherwise she wouldn't be here right now, right?"
Hiiragizawa's jaw tightened. I didn't think he thought that I'd figure it out.
"Right," he confirmed.
"And when did you speak to God, exactly?" Tomoyo butt in, her voice shaking. This time, Xiao Lang intervened.
"We don't speak to God," he stated. "We receive messages and signals, like the Essence of Continuation for example."
Hiiragizawa continued from where Xiao Lang finished: "I asked God to give me a sign as to who my soul mate could be, because I had a feeling that I had crossed paths with her once at least. The night Yasui and I had our fight," he looked at Tomoyo, "you were present."
"So I am your soul mate?" she wailed.
He nodded.
"That's all fine and dandy," Xiao Lang sounded annoyed, "but why the fuck would you make such an incredibly stupid decision without consulting somebody? You know my mother got you married to Yasui for a reason."
"And you know what happened the last time I chose not to chase my soul mate."
"What?" Tomoyo and I asked simultaneously.
"The First World War," Hiiragizawa muttered. "Don't ask. It just happened."
Tomoyo and I decided not to ask what he meant. I thought the First World War happened because Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated—but I guess I'm wrong? If only my high school history teacher knew about the other side of history; you know, the one that nobody else knows about. History class is fabricated by biased historians.
"So you divorce Yasui so that you can follow your destiny and be with our soul mate," Xiao Lang murmured. "You shipped Yasui to Mexico and you're hoping that she doesn't tell anybody anything?"
"Well she didn't exactly know our mission." Hiiragizawa sighed. "She just knows we have magic."
Xiao Lang was rubbing his temples. "You give me a headache, man. After the boys come back, you and I are gonna have a long fucking talk with my mother, understood?"
Hiiragizawa nodded.
Xiao Lang, then, turned to Tomoyo. "You just had to be his soul mate, didn't you?"
"Hey, the angels in charge of picking soul mates didn't ask for my opinion when they went and did that, alright?" Tomoyo joked. I knew she was rattled up inside; she was blatantly avoiding eye contact with Hiiragizawa.
Xiao Lang snickered. "Get some sleep now. We'll figure everything out when the guys return from Punta Cana. You both may go."
Hugging me without word, Tomoyo zipped out of the room in hopes of avoiding Hiiragizawa. He got the clue, apparently, and waited a few moments before leaving. I looked at Xiao Lang; we were both standing.
"Why is our life so messed up?" I asked. He opened his arms and I walked into them without hesitation.
"Because the ones that are rewarded the greatest," he kissed my forehead, "suffer the most."
I breathed deeply. "I love you…"
He smiled.
"And I you."
.xx.
Special thanks to my beta-editor, Sakura-chan Master of the Clow
Edited/Updated: January 25, 2012
Re-edited: February 09, 2013