Hope: Fatherly Advice continuum
By Shirono
Chapter 11
Syaoran's father sighed.
"Such a weak little boy," he said, turning on his heel.
"You are already 7, shouldn't you have learned not to cry
by now?"
Syaoran was deep in his dream. He sat in the same rocking chair,
that years before, he had held baby Nadeshiko in. Now he slept
there alone. Nadeshiko was in her bed, staring at the cieling,
wide awake.
"How ...is it possible?" she whispered to herself. She
began to cry again. She sobbed quietly, so as not to disturb her
father who was watching over her.
She was glad he was there.
~
Li was tossing in bed. He hadn't talked to Nadeshiko in two days.
Not since her girlfriend, Sakuri died. He was so distraught. He
didn't know why.
"Nadeshiko..." he sighed.
She really treated him badly. Messing up his hair and knocking
his off of his bike.
But then again, he kinda liked it.
He felt terrible now. He wanted to help her so badly. He wished he could have saved his mistress from this pain.
He looked at the clock. It was 11:23.
He couldn't take it anymore. He got out of bed quietly and
went to the window. He tried to open it. It wouldn't budge.
He paced for a second. He didn't want to make any noise, or Touya
could wake up (Yukito was a very heavy sleeper...).
He decided to give it one , hard go. He grabbed onto the edge
and pulled up, hard, in one swift blow.
But not without toppling backwards with a klunk on the floor.
But at least it was open.
He rubbed his head.
"Oi...."
He heard a door open. He had woken Touya.
He leaned out the window, but realized his shirt was still on.
"Baka..." he said, pulling it over his head quickly.
He streatched out his wings and as soon as her touched the windowsill...
His bedroom door opened.
"Li-kun? What are you doing?" asked Touya.
He sighed.
"Wait...I don't wanna know.."
Li turned, suprised. "You..."
Touya waved his hand. "Its late. I'm tired, and I'm sure
you have a good reason to jump out of the window at 11:30 at night.
But next time you feel like going for a late-night fly, tell me
first."
With that, Touya yawned, and closed the door.
Li stood there, aghast. Usually, Touya wanted to know where he
was going and when he'd be back, who he was with and why he was
leaving.
He shrugged this off, and decided to ask him in the morning.
He jumped out bthe window, falling a few feet before catching
the warm summer air in his wings, and flying up into the sky.
Touya hopped into bed next to Yukito.
"Well, you were right, he was about to jump out the window
when I opened the door." He buried his head in Yukito's nightshirt,
taking a deep breath.
Yukito smiled. "He felt really bad when he couldn't help
Nadeshiko. I bet he's had it by now. He wants to see her terribly."
"Such a nice kid." said Touya, his voice muffled, already
half asleep.
"I think Usagi may care about Nadeshiko more than he thinks."
Yukito turned off the light.
Li hovered by her window. He could hear her quiet, gentle sobs.
"Nadeshiko...." he whispered.
He observed Syaoran, sitting in the corner, a look of grief painted
on his face.
"Nadeshiko!" He whispered louder.
He could hear a pause in her breath. She sat up and looked around.
She caught sight of him. He golden wings glistening in the moonlight, now as if they were sliver. More accurately, as if they were made of light themselves.
"Usagi?"
He usually would have been miffed at this address, but he was
so happy to hear her voice again, that he smiled back at her.
"Hey."
She got up and ran over to him. He stepped inside her window and
she embraced him.
"How are you doing, Nadeshiko-san?"
"Terrible," she sniffed, "I still can't believe
what happened. It happened so...quickly..."
He held her tighter. "I..."
"Shut up."Nadeshiko said.
"I...know you're aorry, but there was nothing you could do."
"N...Nadeshiko..."
"Just shut up and let me cry on you..."
And he did.
"But...father...I cry when I hurt!" Little Syaoran
cried. "Everyone does!"
He turned back, angrily.
"No, Meirin cries when she is hurt. Your sister cry when
they hurt, " he stepped closer to Syaoran with each example,
"but YOU, Syaoran, are the leader of this clan when I die,
and you are NOT permitted to cry!"
The tears stopped. It took all his strength to keep them in.
He stuck his finger in his mouth and sucked on it.
His father scoffed at him, and turned to leave again.
Syaoran stood up.
"Why?"
His father stopped at the door.
"Why?"
"WHY?!" Syaoran yelled.
His father turned back suddenly, waving his arms violently. Syaoran went flying into the sword rack with a loud crash.
Now his finger wasn't the only thing bleeding.
So was his heart.
~
Eriol was still standing in front of the fireplace.
"How could she?"
he shook his head.
"How could she die?"
Tomoyo put a hand on his shoulder. "It isn't your fault.
You did the best a father could do."
"That isn't it , Tomoyo. Clow Read could have stopped it.
I made it so that the Daidouji clan and the Kinomoto clan would
meet and fall in love. They made it so that they wouldn't. If
Only...I hadn't been so rash....and forced them to meet after
every generation..."
Tomoyo wrapped her arms around her husband.
"Stop worrying yourself. What is done, is done. We can go
on. And besides, would I be here if I hadn't met Sakura?"
Eriol sighed.
"Okay. The wake is tomarrow. We will bury Sakuri, and we
will bury the past. We still have much to look forward to."
We let go of his wife and went over to the phone.
"But I can't bury anything until I talk to someone."
"Who?"
~
A bike bell rang outside.
Nadeshiko hung out the window.
"Gomen! I'm running late! I'll be there in a second!!!!"
She bounded downstairs. She was a little lonely when she woke
up, and neither of her "Guys" were there. But someone
had layed her in her bed carefully, and she could have sworn she
felt a kiss on her forhead before she drifted to sleep. That made
he a little happier.
She ran downstairs.
"Ohayo, Mama!" She said, grabbing a piece of toast.
"Where is Daddy?"
She hurriedly put her skates on, and Li repeatedly rang his bikebell.
"He wen't to Eriol-kun's home. Remeber not to stay late.
Sakuri's wake is at 4:00."
Nadeshiko almost fell over.
"W...wake?"
"Yes, its where we view her resting body before she is buried.
Its...a mourning party."
"I....dont' want to go."
"But, you were her girlfriend. Don't you wish to say goodbye?"
"I said goodbye already!"
Li rang his bell again. "You comeing , Nadeshiko??"
"YEES!!! WAITAMINUTE!"
Sakura leaned back in her chair.
"We will talk when you get home."
Nadeshiko bounded out the door.
"USAGII!!!!!"
He just smiled back.
"Come on."
"Where's Ihyou?"
"She's preparing for the wake."
Nadeshiko was silent.
"You are attending, right?"
"I dunno."
There was a long pause.
"Nadeshiko. Take your skates off and get on the bike."
"Why?"
"I don't think we're going to school today."
"What?"
Li grinned at her. She blushed.
What was up with that?
Next:
Li and Nadeshiko play hookey, only to end up revealing hidden
feelings and emotions to one another. Eriol comes back to Syaoran
for "Fatherly advice, " and the final stage of Syaoran's
horror with his father is revealed. Sakuri's wake comes, finally,
but why isn't Nadeshiko there? Or Li? Or Ihyou???
ALL in the next chapter!