Chapter Sixteen
The Savior's Arrival
Syaoran stood in the library of the Li Mansion in Tomoeda, Japan. He was ready to go and rescue his precious Sakura. He was dressed in all black (the clothes provided by Tomoyo, of course) and had his trusty sword strapped onto his back. Syaoran held a bag in his hand that contained food and water. He held in his right palm the key to the whole rescue mission- the transportation stone.
Tomoyo held her video camera in front of her eye and pointed it straight at Syaoran. "Are you SURE you don't want to wear the costume I made for you? I mean, you look great in all the black clothes but . . ."Syaoran sent her a smile. "I'm fine. Besides, the black will help me blend in with the surroundings. I think someone might notice me in neon green." I wouldn't be caught dead in that get up anyway. All of that green fabric would make me look like an Eskimo!
"All right, you ready Syaoran?" asked Eriol.
He nodded. Syaoran turned to his family and sent them a thumbs up. "I'll be back in no time with my fiancée, guys. Don't worry."
Fanren, Fuutie and Feimei burst into tears and wrapped their arms around each other.
Syaoran's mother gave him a kiss on his forehead. "Be careful, my son."
He held the stone out to the wall and a black hole appeared. Syaoran looked down at the board that Alan had given him. Syaoran stepped into the darkness and read the word written on the wood. "Maiya."
That name seems familiar. Where have I heard it? I think-
Before Syaoran could even finish his thought, a hole opened up underneath him. He let out a gasp as he went plummeting to the ground below.
Galen had been praying for hours now, awaiting the Savior's appearance. Many of his followers had gone back to their homes after giving up hope. Only a few remained.
Galen would not give up, though. He knew that HE was coming.
The Maiyan preist walked up to Galen. "Still praying, boy?"
He nodded.
The priest laughed. "If our Savior was really coming, don't you think that I, the priest, would have had a vision or a dream? I have not, and so he is not coming."
"Say what you want, Ballar," muttered Galen to the older man, "but when he DOES arrive, we shall see who has the honor of allowing the Savior into his home, who has the honor to let him eat his food and sleep in his bed. We shall see."
Ballar laughed again and slowly began to walk away. "You are right boy. We SHALL see. But not any time soon!"
Galen shook his head and then lowered his gaze to the ground. Please Savior, we are in need of your help! Come to our aid! Deliver us from the evil that awaits us all! We need you!
A tingly sensation rushed up Galen's spine. He raised his head to look up at the sky and gasped as a black hole appeared in the blue sky above. "Look!" he cried, leaping up from the ground.
His followers looked up. Several people rushed outside form their huts.
Galen smiled in anticipation. This was it! Their Savior had finally arrived!
The people let out cries of surprise as a young boy about Galen's age fell from the dark hole in the sky and landed on his rear right at Galen's feet.
The boy stood up. "Maybe I should have worn Tomoyo's fluffy get up," he muttered. "I bet my butt wouldn't be hurting as much as it does right now." He looked around him. "Uh . . . hi?"
"It's the Savior!" someone cried.
"He has come!"
More people rushed out of their huts.
"It must be him!"
"He came from no where!"
Galen grinned. He turned to his people. "Bow before your Savior! He has come!"
All of the people dropped to the ground on their knees and bowed their heads.
Syaoran stared in awe as the people fell onto the ground before him. Everyone- adults, kids, the elderly. What was going on?
"Um, can someone please tell me what is going on?" he asked.
The boy he'd fallen in front of stood up. "You are in Maiya, Savior. We welcome you."
"Savior? Wait-"
Another man, his fat face red, pushed his way forward through the crowd. "Wait a minute! How do we know that this boy- yes a BOY- is the Savior? I have had no warning of his arrival, so it cannot be him. Besides, our Savior is supposed to be a fierce warrior, not some scrawny boy!"
Syaoran frowned. "Now hold it right there! Who are you calling scrawny?"
"Now where in the prophecy did it say that the Savior had to be fierce? No where!" protested the young boy.
"I still don't believe it! He cannot be the one we've waited for for years!"
The teen sighed. "Fine, Ballar, if you need proof, then check him for the mark. I'm sure he'll have it on his body somewhere."
Images of a strip search flew through Syaoran's mind. "A mark? What kind?"
The teenage blond turned to him. "Do you have a mark on you somewhere? Can you show us?"
"I . . . uh . . ." Syaoran looked around. He saw the hopeful look in the people's eyes. He rolled up his sleeve. "I have this . . ."
The man called Ballar stepped forward to look at Syaoran's arm. He gasped. "He IS the Savior! Impossible!"
As a shocked gasp rang through the crowd, Syaoran looked down at his arm. All he had was a birthmark that resembled a wave.
The blond boy looked at his arm. "The crest of fire. You are the one."
"The one what?"
"Oh, excuse me, Savior! I have not introduced myself," said the boy. "I am Galen, at your service."
"Okay, Galen. Could you please explain what is going on?"
"Of course, Savior. Our people have been waiting for you for years, ever since the terrible Yukio has taken control of Chiyo-Takura. We fear that the same will happen to us and you are the only one who can stop it."
"I'm in . . . Maiya?"
Galen nodded.
Now Syaoran remembered where he'd heard the place before. It was in Nyoko's diary. These were the people who lived beyond the mountains, the people who had the powers. Now he understood why Alan had sent him here. But was he really their Savior? Maybe if he SAID he was, these people would help him save Sakura. Okay, so it was wrong to use the Maiyans, but wouldn't they get something that they wanted too? Freedom from Yukio's threats?
"Come with me, Savior," said Galen. "I will answer any questions that you may have." He led Syaoran to his hut and shut the wooden door behind him.
"Take a seat," offered the teen.
Syaoran sat at the small table that sat in the middle of the room.
"Well, Savior, what do you want to know?"
He was tired of being called Savior. "First of all, my name is Li Syaoran. You can call me that."
Galen gasped.
Suddenly the hut's door flew open. Ballar, the priest, leapt into the room. Behind him stood several men.
"Ha! He CAN'T be the Savior if he is a Li! The Li's are on Yukio's side," argued the man.
Syaoran sighed. "I am not on Yukio's side."
"Then prove it!" cried a villager.
"I wouldn't side with a man who's kidnapped my fiancée and plans to marry her himself, now would I?" asked Syaoran.
Galen paled. "The new princess in Chiyo-Takura is YOUR fiancée?"
Syaoran nodded. "So you've heard of her? Do you know if she's alright?"
An old woman emerged from the crowed and shoved her way past Ballar. "Get out of here, you fool," she rasped. "You are not worthy to be in the Savior's company."
To Syaoran's surprise the priest back up and left the hut, stomping all the way.
The old woman turned to him, a huge smile on her wrinkly face. She walked up to him and took his hand into hers. "Ah, I can tell by the feel of your hands that you have had experience with a sword. You have fighting experience."
"Uh, yeah . . ."
"I saw your young woman, Savior. Quite a beauty, she is. And powerful too. Even more powerful than Nyoko, the other woman that leech Yukio kidnapped."
Syaoran's face lit up. "You saw Sakura? When?"
"Oh, not too long ago when I was in the market. She's fine, son. You have nothing to worry about- yet. But soon Yukio will begin to drain your lady's magic and take it for himself. I'm afraid that he will be almost unbeatable then," the old lady said.
"How do you know this?"
Galen supplied the answer. "Katara here can see into the future, farther than anyone in our village."
The Chinese boy raised an eyebrow. "So you can see into the future, hmm? Do you know if Yukio will succeed in controlling the universe?"
Katara frowned. "I see two possibilities for the future. But I do not know which will come true. That depends on your actions and the actions of everyone else involved."
Seeing the worried look on Syaoran's face, Galen quickly said, "Our people will be willing to help you rescue your fiancée and defeat Yukio."
Syaoran smiled at him. "Thank you."
Sakura plopped down onto her bed with a sigh. The party was finally over. She'd made sure that Mai-Tai and Alan had danced with each other at least six times.
After seeing to the love life of her friends, she was worried about her own. Syaoran should have arrived in wherever he was by now. Was he safe? Was he hurt?
Syaoran awoke then next morning to the sound of music filtering through Galen's hut. He'd spent the night there, much to the boy's delight.
He slowly climbed out of bed and looked around the empty hut. Where was Galen?
The music was getting louder and louder. Syaoran stepped outside of the hut and gaped at all of the people who stood in front of him. There was a large group of people playing strange instruments to his right and a group of dancers to his left.
"Ooooookay . . ."
"Li-sama! Li-sama!" they all chanted.
"Uh, hi!" he shouted over the noise. "Look, does anyone know where I can get some food? I'm starv . . ."
A young girl dressed in a skimpy bikini like thing danced up to him, a plate full of food in her arms. She smiled seductively at him. "Here you are Li-sama," she said, her voice husky.
The old lady he'd met the night before appeared out of no where and snatched the food form the young girl. She roughly shoved the dancer out of the way. "He's already taken, you hussy!" Katara rasped. "Get your own man!"
Syaoran flushed and a sweatdrop appeared on the back of his head.
"And all of you," she cried, waving her hands at the people, "get back to work! We've got a lot of preparation to do if we're going to attack Yuki anytime soon!"
To Syaoran's surprise, the people all began to shuffle away. "Wow."
"Now, young man, why don't you come with me. I suppose you want to see your young lady . . ."
"Oh, of course!"
She lead him to her hut and forced him to eat first.
"A hungry Savior isn't a good one at all," she said. "Now, I think your fiancée is going to be in the Chiyo-Takura marketplace today. This would be a good time to see her."
"Really?"
"Yes. But . . . we must have a disguise for you. A good one, too. I've sent Galen to get something for you that just might work . . ."
"YOU TWO MUST BE CRAZY!!" shouted Syaoran when he saw the costume that Galen had brought him.
"This is the best disguise for you. No one would think that you would be dressed as a woman," replied Katara.
Syaoran frowned at the plain brown dress, blond wig and black cloak. The things I do for love . . .
Sakura sighed warily as Mai-Tai followed her throughout the crowded marketplace. Where was Syaoran? Sakura had barely slept last night- she'd expected him to climb through her window and rescue her.
THAT hadn't happened.
"We'd better do our shopping quickly, Lady Sakura. It looks like rain," said Mai-Tai as she looked up at the heavy gray clouds that hung above their heads.
Sakura nodded and eyed the stands. She was just about to suggest that they turn around when, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of the old woman she'd met in the market earlier. Maybe she can tell me something about Syaoran . . .
Sakura left Mai-Tai's side and wove through the crowd and stopped in front of the old woman she'd seen before in the marketplace.
"Uh, hello. D-do you remember me?" asked Sakura.
The old lady smiled. "Of course I do! How could I not? You're so very beautiful and all . . ."
Sakura flushed. "Thank you. I-I was just wondering if you could tell me something. I want to know about-"
"Syaoran. Li Syaoran. Is that right?" someone asked in a high pitched voice.
Sakura stepped back a bit when a woman stepped from behind the old lady. "Who are you? And how did you know that?"
"This,' supplied the old woman, "is my . . . apprentice . . . Lisa. Yes, Lisa."
"Well, Lisa . . . I was wondering if you could tell me if Syaoran is safe. I'm very worried about him . . ."
The girl kept her gaze on the ground as she spoke. "Syaoran is watching over you, Sakura. You have nothing to worry about. He is safe."
"Really? Where is he?"
Lisa giggled. "Closer than you think. Trust me- he's very close."
Sakura shivered. This girl sounded very familiar. Who could she be? Sakura shrugged off the feeling.
"Thank you. Both of you have made my day a lot better."
The old lady smiled. "My pleasure, darling."
"LADY SAKURA! LADY SAKURA!"
Sakura turned around to see Mai-Tai forcing her way through the crowd to get to Sakura. When Sakura turned back to face the old lady and Lisa, she gasped. They were gone.
Galen chuckled as Syaoran pulled the wig form his head. "Nice job, LISA. You did great!"
Syaoran glared at the boy. "Whatever. At least I saw Sakura. I was so worried about her . . ."
Katara smiled. Young love . . .
Author's Note: Please RR
