Chapter 7-Yue
It was a Monday morning. Syaoran didn't go to school for two weeks. He was in no condition to go anyway. Most of the time he was quiet, smiling sometimes, and curls up on Yukito's lap at naptime. He was quite adorable, especially when he sleeps, now that I think of it.
He was just so calm, so innocent, so pure and worry free when he was asleep, as if nothing in the world has or will harm him.
Sometimes at night, when he was curled up in my arms, breathing deeply, in deep slumber, I would stroke his hair and wonder how I had ever had the heart to challenge him at the Final Judgement. But then, I didn't have much of a heart. Nor did I know how much trouble my child has within him.
I vowed to protect him. No matter what happens. Even if it means turning against my mistress.
He needs food.
Hai, food, for living. He's hungry.
God, how do you know? I asked. But the dead know everything.
" Syaoran, are you hungry?" I asked.
" Hm? Hungry?" The boy blinked. " Hai." And just then there was a nice growl.
See what we mean?
Hai, hai, I thought with annoyance. They are always so proud, the dead.
" What do you want to eat?" I asked.
Give him noodles.
Why?
He needs to eat something besides medicine and chocolate.
He does eat others.
True, but noodles is fast. Especially instant.
The logic was so annoying.
The child needs rest.
I'd think the dead would trust me that I am able to take care of my own son.
" Syaoran, you look a little tired." I said to him.
The dead are as much of his parents as I am. I thought. " Do you want to take a
nap?"
Syaoran had actually slept truly frequently during the daytimes. Mostly on my lap, as if doing so made him sleep easier. It was actually quite touching. And the sleep made him look better anyway. Much more rested.
He nodded, we made our way to the couch and I sat down, Syaoran curled
up on my lap. He fell asleep immediately.
Adorable, isn't he?
I thought you have no emotions.
We didn't, until the child came.
Do you despise the emotions? I asked.
No, actually, we don't. The dead answered eerily. We are fond of him, Moon
Angel.
I guess I should be happy.
This is the first time we have ever aided the living, Moon Angel. But we love the
Half Mortal. He does not deserve to remain in our world. He deserves to be in the
world of light.
So he does.
" Konnichiwa, Yuki-san!" Touya called, shutting the door behind him. I was slightly
startled.
" Touya. I didn't hear you coming." I said softly.
" Of course you didn't. You were talking with those dead spirits, weren't you?"
Touya wiped some leaves off his jacket as he set his bookbag down. Then he saw
Syaoran.
" Oops." He whispered. " How many times has he slept today?"
" It's nine." I told him. " First time."
" Good thing it's May." Touya grumbled. " And summer has started for college
people. Otherwise, I don't think the kid's going to sleep a wink."
Touya sat down beside me. " How kawaii." He muttered, brushing a strand of
hair out of Syaoran's face. " Children look the same when they sleep, eh? I'd swear
he was Sakura."
" I suppose." I said uneasily, keeping my voice down.
" How much does he sleep nowadays anyway?" Touya asked.
I ignored the question. " It seems the sleep is a much better medicine. A lot of
stress has been falling off. I still miss his cello playing."
" Hai, he's pretty good." Touya nodded. " The Mozart and the second Yo Yo Ma.
Maybe you can change your last name to Ma instead of Tsukishiro."
Somehow, the name of " Yukito Ma" was not intriguing.
" That is an idea." I said uncomfortably. Syaoran shifted on my lap.
For a moment we were silent.
" Touya?"
" Hai?"
" Do you think Jingxi could ever live normally?"
" Hey, for once the great Yue, Guardian of the Clow Cards, is asking me the
question, and is doubting himself! This is a start!" But Touya quickly calmed down.
" That's a hard one Yue. It depends if Syaoran has the strength."
" He had the strength. I know he still does. But he's so tired Touya."
" Aren't we all Yue?" Touya stroked Syaoran's dark hair as he leaned back, looking
at the boy. " Syaoran is taking all of our strength. It is even more tiring than when
Sakura has her fevers. Because Syaoran is..."
" The child of everyone."
" Hai."
" I hope he lives long enough at least...to be happy."
" Without all those creepy caves." Touya sighed. " Even that seems too much to
hope for, but anyway. How old is he?"
" He's still eleven. He's going to turn twelve in two months."
" There you go. He fought this disease for twelve years. Surely he'll live long
enough to find a cure. And with the dead and the dragon protecting him, as well as
a very loving father, the odds are even now."
" I guess I should feel proud."
" You should. If you didn't come here we would have lost him by now. And Kero
and I would never have known what a boy he is!"
" He certainly didn't seem like a good boy in the beginning." I faced Touya. " He
hid it so well Touya. What if we hadn't realized it now? Then...then..."
" Forget it, we realized it, that's all that matters." Touya said quickly.
" Honestly," I sighed, Touya was the only one I could trust my feelings with other
than Syaoran, " I don't know what I'm going to do if I lost him."
" You shouldn't think such thoughts."
" But...I can't stop. The odds...they're not even. Syaoran is in grave danger of losing
his will. He lost it once."
" And recovered. Because of you. How come we can never get those two
together?'
I knew he meant Sakura and Syaoran.
Jingxi moaned and opened his eyes sleepily. He gave a wide yawn, stared
straight up at Touya.
" Hi." He said in Cantonese. " Touya-Touya?"
" Hehe," Touya sweatdropped. " Gomen. Did I wake you?"
" Iie," Syaoran gave another yawn. I honestly never saw him yawn before the
summer of last year.
" What are you doing here?" Syaoran asked sleepily.
" Visiting." Touya chuckled. I'd swear he would have said kawaii if he could.
" Do you have any gum or candy?" Syaoran yawned again. " I'm hungry."
He had a good dream for once. The dead whispered.
" Any ice cream, Daddy?" He asked in Chinese, stretching out his full length on the
sofa. Touya laughed at him.
" Ice cream?" I lifted Syaoran's body off, then got up, setting him back down. Ice
cream! I was certainly in the mood for it.
Xuyan came home from school at about three fifteen.
" That's it, I'm going to tune my violin, and if anyone asks ' how's school' I will
personally put him in a headlock." He stormed to his room.
Eriol appeared at the doorway, smiling, pretty amused. " Wow, he actually
learned a phrase, and translated it well too! But he did have a horrible day, kept on
falling asleep. How are you, Syaoran-kun?"
" Fine." Syaoran said, and remained silent. He was reading on the couch.
" Well, he seems to be getting better." Sakura appeared behind him.
" Is Tomoyo there with you?" Syaroan asked, not looking up.
" Wherever Sakura-chan is, I'm there!" Tomoyo hopped in, video camera once
again up in her eye. " Konnichiwa, Syaoran-kun!."
" Konnichiwa. Shizuka ni, I'm reading."
Touya and I just stared at the scene. Something really happened here. The
mood lightened dramatically.
" Who made a dent in my tuning fork?!" Xuyan yelled.
" Oh." Syaoran looked up. " Ano, Gomen nasai! I accidentally stepped on it. You
left it on the carpet."
Xuyan had this strange look that made everyone laugh, and then he growled,
reentering his room.
" What's wrong with him?" Syaoran asked going back to his book. He had a grin
on his face, because I think he was up to the part where the duke and the duchess
were fooling Don Quijote into thinking his Dulcinea would be disenchanted. Or
maybe they were fooling Sancho Panza.
Yukito always did love that book.
" What are you reading?" Eriol asked curiously.
" The adventures of Don Quijote."
" Oh that book, I always loved that book. Mi quiero este libro."
" Damare. I don't understand Spanish."
" Oh, right, you're more of a chaligraphy type, not characters..."
" Spanish isn't hard." I blinked.
" For people who speak a language that was mothered by Latin, iie." Eriol smiled. "
But Syaoran speaks Chinese."
" I speak a little English, actually."
" You do?" This time, Eriol had spoken in English.
" You know," Syaoran smirked, speaking in English, with a slight accent, " The
dead has taught me much."
Eriol grinned, pointing a finger at him, smiling at me, " You son never ceases
to amaze me. The cello was a shock enough. Looks like his name fits him better
than I would have guessed."
" Shizuka ni! I'm reading."
" Alright, alright, geesh, he has a temper."
Tomoyo giggled.
He's getting stronger now. Must go to the cave with him.
But he doesn't want to.
True, but he must go. And you must take him.
Why?
Because now there lies a cure, Moon Angel. If you trul love your son, you will do
as we command.
But he is terrified of that place.
He must face his fear.
Why?
Because he must survive. And he cannot survive without courage.
True, I thought to myself. He's been afraid lately. But one cannot blame him. Who was that voice that scares him anyway?
And then I heard something very reassuring.
Do not despair, Moon Angel. The forces of fate are on your side. Your child has yet to live.