Wake

Wake
Fatherly Advice continuum
chapter12

By Shirono

Eriol sat down in his dark purple armchair across from Syaoran.
They sat, studying each other for a long time.
They seemed to be having a converation without speaking a word. Syaoran studied Eriol's worn eyes. Slightly red. His pink face. His hair (which obviously hadn't been cut recently) was long and just touching his shoulders. Eriol stifled the prospect of letting out a huge sigh. Syaoran, as he studied, was clutching the arms of the chair a bit harder than her probably realized. His breath was quick, nervous. His shirt only half-buttoned.

It had been only a few years ago that Eriol had reminded him of the horror that was his father. Syaoran was jealous of Eriol. Syaoran wanted to have his children grow up happy and safe. To have the happy family he never did.
Now, Syaoran didn't know what to think. Eriol's happy family life had crashed down on him.

What would he say?
Syaoran came to tell him. To tell him that there were more kinds of unhappiness. That Eriol wasn't the only one who felt pain. To show him that at least, he had BEEN a father. Even if his daughter had left so suddenly.
Syaoran wanted to tell him everything.

"Tell me about it," said Eriol suddenly.
Syaoran blinked.
The bastard.
He had been reading his mind the whole time.
Syaoran closed his eyes.
And he recited the whole play.
In his mind.
'I dare you to keep up,' he thought.

Syaoran pushed his body up from the sword rack. He rubbed his hand on his shoulder, only to find he was bleeding there too. A tear ran down his cheek, but he wiped it away quickly.
He stood up, but wavered. His ankle was in great pain. But his heart....was in more.
He watched his father exit the training hall. He chased him (to the best of his ability) outside, where he stood watching him standing in front of the temple.
Mr.Li looked much like Clow. More like his mother with long, black hair, to be exact. A long white temple dress, with all the chinese stitching in black. And those brown eyes that Syaoran himself had inherited.
Syaoran made his way down the steps to the temple.
"What do you want?" said his father coldly, not turning around.
"I want...you to...."
"You want what you can't have."
Syaoran was silent. How could such a handsome, powerful man be so.....evil?
"You will never have my acceptance."

"Why?" Syaoran asked, demandingly.
He immediately rethought this, for that very word was what had brought upon his current injuries.

"Because you are weak, Xiao-Lang." His father replied, standing up.
Syaoran shook his head, trying hard not to cry.
His father took Syaoran's sword, still in his sons hand, and put the tip to his chest.

"I'll bet you can't do it. Thats how weak you are."

Syaoran clenched his teeth, and his grip aruond the sword handle.

"You dont have the heart to make someone hurt."

Thats right. He didn't. He didn't have the heart to see his mother get hurt when father told her that he would find a new wife , that he would take away thier home and belongings. That she would be stuck with five children. That he would get away with it.
Syaoran didn't have the heart to see her hurt.

"Father..." he said, in a near growl, "I dont have the heart to hurt. But at least..."
He put a slight pressure on the sword,
"I have a heart."

With that, he ran the sword through the heart his father lacked.

~

"Usagi, where do you plan on taking me?" Nadeshiko asked, clutching his waist nervously as he rode down the street on his bike.
"Oh, anywhere but here," he said, grinning.
Nadeshiko wanted to be mad at him, but she kinda liked his adventurous nature. So she kept quiet about it.
"Why?"
"Because you aren't stopping me."
They rode down the streets in silence for a while. It was still early.
'you're crazy!' said a voice in his head.
It was Ihyou.
'AM NOT!' replied the Keroberos spirit from inside him.
'you can't make Nadeshiko fall in love with YOU.'
'who said I planned on MAKING her do anything.'
'......'
'I just wanna cheer her up.'

He stopped suddenly.
"What?" asked Nadeshiko.
He looked up. Her eyes followed.
They were in a park.
Cherry trees lining it.
He motioned for her to get off the bike, and she obliged. He leaned the bike against the tree, and took her hand. They ran to the far end of the field, laughing heartily the whole time.

~

"Thank you, Syaoran, " Eriol said.
"I hope...it...helped...somehow..." said Syaoran.
"It helped you." Said Eriol.
He was right, of course. Syaoran had wanted to get that story off of his chest for years.
"How could I have such horrible decendants?" he asked.
Syaoran looked up at him, irritated.
"Nani?"
"I meant Mr.Li, not you."
Syaoran relaxed.
Ihyou walked down the stairs and yawned, a silver-grey blanket in her hand.
"Ihyou?" said Eriol, "What is it."
She ran her fingers through her hair and dropped the blanket.
"I have to go supervise a disaster," she said.
"Ihyou!" Eriol yelled before she stepped out the door.
"What?"
"Be careful, or I wont forgive you, " he added, smiling.
Ihyou smiled back, then went out and shut the door.

~
Nadeshiko was running. Just running.
Where?
No where in particular.
And it made her feel good.
She looked over her shoulder.
"Keep up, Usagi-kuuuuunnn!!!"
LI chased her, but his legs weren't as fast as hers.
Suddenly, she toppled. She rolled on the grass, laughing heartily.
Li came to a skidding stop beside her, which turned out to be a...tripping stop...
He landed with a 'plop' beside her.

"How do you feel, Nadeshiko?" he asked.
She smiled at him. "I feel happy."
"I'm glad, " he said, smiling. But it wasn't just a smile.
Nadeshiko's heart skipped a beat.
That was the same smile...the endearing, loving smile, that Sakuri always gave her.
The one that said, "You're so loveable."
"Are you okay?" he asked suddenly.
"Y...yeah, why?"
"Your face is all red."
Nadeshiko sat up, quickly, feeling her face.
She was blushing.
"Nadeshiko...."
"I...want to thank you."
"For?"
"For....making...me...happy.
He said nothing in reply, but layed down on the grass with his hands behind his head.
He loved Nadeshiko.
As long as she was happy, he didn't need to subject her to any other feelings.

~

"The sad thing is," Eriol said, "is that I knew it was going to happen all along."
"You...did?" asked Syaoran.
"Yes. But I tried...not to believe it. I mean, here I am, the most powerful sorcerer in the world....who can't save his own daughter from the curse he created."
Syaoran tilted his head, concernedly.
"I'm really sorry, Eriol."
"No, it isn't your fault. Sakuri my daughter as much as your daughter is yours."
Syaoran nodded.
"Its still...I mean...I want to believe that I'll wake up one morning...and Sakuri will run into my room to tell me....
something like, 'Nadeshiko is taking me to the shore today' or 'I made a great video of the fair, come see!'"
Eriol was crying, Syaoran noticed.
Syaoran stood up and walked over to him.

He felt like he was watching the 7-year-old Syaoran right before his eyes. Crying.
"I killed him! Daddy!"
He put a hand on Eriol's shoulder.
There was some thing in him that always envied Eriol. That wanted to be JUST like Eriol.
Eriol...was now crying. He was human too. He knew what pain was. Everyone did.

Now Syaoran remembered why the pain was hidden for all these years.
Because he wasn't the only one who felt pain.
Syaoran smiled, and reached down to hug Eriol.
Eriol looked up, into nowhere, and smiled back.
"Thank you," they both said simultaneously.

The best fatherly advice didn't always have to come from YOUR father.

~
Ihyou sat in the cherry tree and watched as Nadeshiko snoozed. Her head was on Li-kun's chest, and he was sleeping as well. They looked peaceful in the sun like that.
Ihyou growled.
She thought for sure she wouldn't have to worry about Li falling for Nadeshiko.
Nadeshiko always had Sakuri.
SO Ihyou always had Li. To take her to school, to hang out with, to do homework with, and to fly around with when they got bored.
Now Li was slipping into Nadeshiko's hands.
And what would Ihyou do about it?
She couldn't do anything.
She just watched, and scowled.

Nadeshiko looked up into the sky.
"Birds..." she said.
"What?" asked Li, his eyes still closed.
"Nothing..." she said. She wrapped her hands around Li's hand.
He blushed, and smiled.
"Li..."she said.
"What is it?"
"Is it time for the wake yet?"

~
Eriol stood in front of Sakuri's coffin, with Syaoran's arm around his shoulder, and Tomoyo holding his hand.
The children were an hour late.
Touya and Yukito had just arrived, saying that Li had not come home from school.
They added thier flowers to the coffin foot respectively.

~
"Yeah, we're late," replied Li. "You still wanna go?"
She leaned up, and hung her face over his.
"Not really," she said.
She leaned her face close to his, then veered to the side, and rested her face on his neck.
Li blushed furiously, and lifted up a hand to run over her hair.
She hugged him tight.

"Li-kun....I..."

"NO!"

Li and Nadeshiko looked up at Ihyou.
"NO! No no no! He's supposed to be with ME! I'm Yue! He's Kero, you're the damned CLOWMISTRESS! You weren't created by CLOW! We were!" Tears were streaming down her face.
"I can't stand it! Yue never gets ANYTHING she wants. She couldn't have Clow, she couldn't have Touya, and now she can't have Kero!"
"Ihyou! Calm down!" yelled Li.
"Its not my fault!" said Nadeshiko, clutching Li's hand.

Ihyou sighed and wiped her face.
"I know....."
Li stood up and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry."

~
Eriol sighed.
"They aren't coming." he said.
"Like HELL they aren't!" said Touya, standing up.
Yukito grabbed Touya's shoulder and forced him back into his seat.
"TEMper, Touya. Temper."
Touya huffed. He TOLD his son to BE there.
"I think they all have something more important they are attending to."

"Oh..." said Eriol, looking right into Yukito's mind.
Yukito knew a little more than everyone else did.

Next:

The final chapter of "Fatherly advice". Syaoran, Touya, and Eriol make clear thier feelings for one another, as Nadeshiko, Li, and Ihyou declare thier true feelings.
And the return on Meiling! And whoever she's bringing with her....