Trials of Love
Chapter 15
A Dream Within a Dream
By: Shichan Goddess
"Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow- You are not wrong who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? And that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream."
--Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within A Dream
"Nani?"
Yelen Li looked intently at her son, baffled. "Nanguni-san spoke of some disorientation, but this!"
"Mother! Sakura. Sa-ka-rah. Sakura Kinomoto, Mistress of the Cards!"
"Xiao Lang, whatever are you talking about? Perhaps you have a concussion.How many fingers am I holding up?"
"I do not have a concussion!" The amber-eyed teen growled as he swatted her hand away. He sat up, and it took him a moment to fully digest that there was no sudden onslaught of pain. There was nothing save the dull pounding of his skull.
"Where is Eriol? He'll talk some sense into you."
"Right here, oh dear descendent of mine."
The words that came from the entrance of the doorway swept a sudden relief through Syaoran. His tone was underlined, however, in a foreign emotion-concern? And perhaps even a bit of sincerity.
"Eriol, what happened to my mother? Did Kero run her over in his desperation to get tapioca?"
"You called? And Master Xiao Lang, I am hurt that you consider that I would do that." He sniffed. "Pudding, perhaps, but never Tapioca!"
Syaoran rolled his eyes. 'Well, at least Kero is normal. Wait! Master?!'
Syaoran's eyes bulged. "M-master?"
"Yes, Master of the Clow Cards. Ring a bell?"
Syaoran gaped at the floating stuffed animal.
Eriol sighed, and muttered to the puzzled Yelen Li, "Why is he acting so strangely?"
The elder sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Eriol-san. He continues to call for a certain-Sakura? What is a sakura?"
"A flower that grows on a tree, if I recall correctly. Rather delicate and a light shade of pink. Very beautiful, or so I've been told."
Syaoran caught on to the last statement and glared at Eriol, stunned, with his mouth agape. "Eriol-what are you doing? Where is Sakura?"
"Well, I suppose that we could go find a tree for you. I'm not certain if this is their season, but-"
Syaoran continued to stare at the three of them incredulously. Kero floated by his head and tapped on it, but to no avail.
"What is this talk about?"
Eriol shot a concerned glance with Yelen Li and nodded almost unnoticeably. "I don't truly know, Keroberous. He insists on babbling on about a sakura.
"Isn't that a flower?"
"Evidently not."
'How can this be happening? Maybe it's a dream.' Syaoran thought to himself. He pinched himself, hard, but felt pain and concentrated on it. 'I suppose not. Were they all brainwashed? Where is Sakura? And why do I feel like I could run a marathon? What happened prior to this- conspiracy?' '
He tried to bring his memories to mind, but they were distorted and elusive, and any time that he thought that he had grasped one, it slipped through his fingers, and the dull throb of his head turned into a sharp, piercing pain. He focused on breathing, in and out and eventually the pain left.
He never even saw his mother plunging the sedative into his system before he fell into the comforting embrace of darkness.
**************************************************************************** ***
"What happened, Doctor-san? I was under the impression that you had assured me that there were to be no complications!"
The female doctor sighed and she sat down heavily in her chair in her office. "Li-san, this is a tad bit unusual. However, I am certain that this disorientation is only temporary. He is confusing reality with perhaps what is a dream."
She stood up, her white coat swirling as she picked up an artifact and fiddled with it. "Soon, if you reintroduce him into his life again and place familiar objects around him, he will forget about the dream. It will only take a bit of time and patience. Do not encourage his outrageous tales of a made-up fantasy."
Yelen Li frowned for a moment. 'This morning-that is the first time that Xiao Lang has showed so much.emotion.He was never like this before--before the accident. Perhaps, this new Xiao Lang is-no. He is my son, and I will love him no matter what. Although,' she thought wistfully, 'I almost wish that his emotions would stay.'
Eriol placed his hand on the elder's shoulder. "Do not worry, Li-san. Xiao Lang shall be in his right mind soon. I promise you that."
**************************************************************************** *******
Syaoran lay silently on his side, gazing sightlessly at the blank wall. He honestly couldn't comprehend what was going on. They were either absolutely mad, or this was a joke. It had to be a joke, albeit it was a cruel one, it sounded just like what Eriol would do for his favorite descendent.
It had to be, because there was no way that Sakura could have just vanished. She was such a prominent part of his life, ever since he was ten. Six years of his life could not have been imagined, could they?
.Could they?
Although he repeatedly reminded himself of this, he couldn't help but wonder.and as he did, his memories slowly began to slip out of his reach.
**************************************************************************** *******
"Miss! You cannot go into that room! It is restricted!"
"I am Xiao Lang Li's fiancée, and I have a right to pass!"
"Miss!"
Syaoran blinked sleepily. Could it be? 'Sakura.'
"Xiao Lang!"
A slight figure burst through the door, and with long ebony hair and dark, almond eyes, she was decidedly not Sakura.
"Meiling?"
"Syaoran! Tell these people to let me go!"
Syaoran waved them off. "It's all right, I know her."
Meiling sniffed. "I think that it is considerably more than that! I am, after all, your fiancée."
"B-But."
"We were just about to announce it to the Elders before the accident, don't you remember, Syaoran?"
Syaoran thought back for a moment, involuntarily.
Flashback
It was a slightly cloudy day as the pair sat beneath a weeping willow in the mansion's lawn. The wind ruffled the leaves ever so slightly, and he smiled at the beautiful vision before him.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Xiao Lang?" Her voice was timid, but soothing and smooth.
"Of course Mei-chan. I want to spend eternity with you. We shall announce our engagement to the Elders next week when I call a council. I am sure that they will approve of our being wed."
Meiling grinned giddily at him. "Oh, Xiao Lang, I am so happy!"
"I promise that I'll do anything in my power to keep you like that."
End flashback
"No! You lie!" Syaoran cried out, clutching his head as he rocked back and forth.
Meilng looked vaguely hurt. "What, Xiao Lang?"
"I broke off this engagement years ago!"
"Nani? But Xiao Lang.we were destined to be wed!"
"No. No, Meiling, we weren't." Syaoran said softly, the shadows of his bangs covering his eyes. He rolled over to his side and stared at the hospital wall, leaving his back exposed to her. "I'm tired, Meiling."
There was a brief silence, and Meiling nodded. Whispering, the teenager managed to murmur, "Of course, Xiao Lang." She bowed hastily, and carefully controlled her purposeful footsteps out of the door before breaking into a run.
"I'm.sorry, Meiling."
**************************************************************************** **********
"What is wrong with him?!" Meiling cried out as she flung herself into a conveniently located chair.
Eriol sighed, running his hand through his dark blue locks. "I take it you've spoke with him, then?"
"Yes-I-he.he denied our engagement!"
"What?"
"Yes! He was furious for a moment.he even called me a liar. He couldn't seem to grasp the fact that we have been making wedding plans for months now!"
"Oh, Meiling.I'm so sorry."
Meiling sniffled a bit, before inconspicuously wiping her eyes with her silk robes. "Well, you don't have much to be sorry for, now do you? I just want.I just want Xiao Lang back. The way he used to be."
Eriol crossed the room as the small sobs began to rock her slim body. He held her tightly, cooing soft words into her hair as she clung desperately to him.
"Shh, Meiling, shh.Don't worry. This.madness. will not last long."
**************************************************************************** *********
Silent footsteps fell across the white tiled floor and his robes whispered slightly in the breeze as he stood in the entrance of the room.
"What do you want, Eriol?" The amber-eyed sorcerer asked dully.
Eriol shut the door quietly behind him and locked it magically. "What do *I* want?" He gave a bitter laugh. "As if you really give a damn, Xiao Lang!"
Golden eyes turned to peer at him, shocked at the reincarnation's outburst.
"What is wrong with you? How can you be so stupid? So blind?"
"What's wrong with *me*?" Syaoran cried indignantly, "What's wrong with *you*?"
"Don't be an idiot, Xiao Lang." Eriol hissed. "I'm not the one who's making your loved ones cry over you! I'm not the one babbling on while your mother is having a nervous breakdown trying to keep everything from falling apart! *I'M* not the one who's crying out for an imaginary girl when I have the best damn one in all of China and Japan!"
His tirade was met with stunned silence, and the blue-haired sorcerer sighed, his eyes softening a bit.
"I know that you have been through an ordeal. And I know that your life right now isn't sounding too great. But please, descendent, I beg of you.leave this dream world behind you. Leave this dream girl behind you. Live in reality. Because right now, there's a girl directly out of this hospital room that is madly in love with you. Love her, as you were meant to."
Eriol glanced at Syaoran's tormented expression. "I'm here if you need me." With that, he quietly left the room.
Syaoran stared at his hands, eyes wide and incredulous. His hands were as they had always been, calloused with training and battles.
Why wasn't anything else?
**************************************************************************** **********
Eriol closed the door quietly as he slipped out, and was met with the anxious gazes of Kero, Meiling, and Yelen Li. "It is in my opinion," the sorcerer spoke softly, "That I have gotten through to him."
There were three sighs of relief, and Meiling clutched his hand, tears in her eyes. "How can I ever thank you?"
"Be happy." Eriol smiled kindly. "And I fully expect to be best man at the wedding."
Meiling sighed blissfully. "Of course, Eriol-san. How could you not be?"
Yelen smiled lovingly at her soon to be daughter-in-law. "I know that you shall make my son happy, Meiling-san. I welcome you into our family."
Meiling blushed and bowed deeply to the elder. "Thank you for your kindness, Li-san."
"Now, now, enough with formality, my dear Meiling-san. I will go make the arrangements for the wedding right now." Yelen sighed wistfully. "I remember when I was wed.there is nothing like it. Go on, enjoy your time with your fiancé. I will handle all the preparations."
"Thank you, once again.mother."
"The wedding shall commence as soon as possible!"
**************************************************************************** ********
Author's Note:
Yes, yes, I'm very, very, very sorry minna! I'm so terrible at keeping my word when it comes to things like these! I have the story pretty much mapped out in my head, but I couldn't seem to find the time, or words, to put it down on paper! And then, of course, I banned myself from the computer (Crazy, ne?) because I had to study for finals. And now they're done! WHO-HOO! Mwahahahahahahahahaha! And for good measure, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, school's out, and I hope that all of you have a wonderful summer. This leaves me some more time to write! YAY! I still have Karate, writing classes, recitals, and camps coming up, but I'm going to write! Write, write, write!
Thank you for sticking with me this far! Sniffles I love you all, I really do! And most of all, I love windy*wings, my most loyal and loving reviewer! *Bawls and hugs windy* I love you hon! Your inspirational words and prodding have made me feel so special and loved and wow.gosh, I love being an author. Thank you for that personal e-mail you sent me, it made me find my words and put them on paper. I love you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
More soon
Coming up:
The Wedding
By: Shichan Goddess
"Take this kiss upon the brow! And, in parting from you now, Thus much let me avow- You are not wrong who deem That my days have been a dream; Yet if hope has flown away In a night, or in a day, In a vision, or in none, Is it therefore the less gone? And that we see or seem Is but a dream within a dream."
--Edgar Allan Poe, A Dream Within A Dream
"Nani?"
Yelen Li looked intently at her son, baffled. "Nanguni-san spoke of some disorientation, but this!"
"Mother! Sakura. Sa-ka-rah. Sakura Kinomoto, Mistress of the Cards!"
"Xiao Lang, whatever are you talking about? Perhaps you have a concussion.How many fingers am I holding up?"
"I do not have a concussion!" The amber-eyed teen growled as he swatted her hand away. He sat up, and it took him a moment to fully digest that there was no sudden onslaught of pain. There was nothing save the dull pounding of his skull.
"Where is Eriol? He'll talk some sense into you."
"Right here, oh dear descendent of mine."
The words that came from the entrance of the doorway swept a sudden relief through Syaoran. His tone was underlined, however, in a foreign emotion-concern? And perhaps even a bit of sincerity.
"Eriol, what happened to my mother? Did Kero run her over in his desperation to get tapioca?"
"You called? And Master Xiao Lang, I am hurt that you consider that I would do that." He sniffed. "Pudding, perhaps, but never Tapioca!"
Syaoran rolled his eyes. 'Well, at least Kero is normal. Wait! Master?!'
Syaoran's eyes bulged. "M-master?"
"Yes, Master of the Clow Cards. Ring a bell?"
Syaoran gaped at the floating stuffed animal.
Eriol sighed, and muttered to the puzzled Yelen Li, "Why is he acting so strangely?"
The elder sighed and shook her head. "I don't know, Eriol-san. He continues to call for a certain-Sakura? What is a sakura?"
"A flower that grows on a tree, if I recall correctly. Rather delicate and a light shade of pink. Very beautiful, or so I've been told."
Syaoran caught on to the last statement and glared at Eriol, stunned, with his mouth agape. "Eriol-what are you doing? Where is Sakura?"
"Well, I suppose that we could go find a tree for you. I'm not certain if this is their season, but-"
Syaoran continued to stare at the three of them incredulously. Kero floated by his head and tapped on it, but to no avail.
"What is this talk about?"
Eriol shot a concerned glance with Yelen Li and nodded almost unnoticeably. "I don't truly know, Keroberous. He insists on babbling on about a sakura.
"Isn't that a flower?"
"Evidently not."
'How can this be happening? Maybe it's a dream.' Syaoran thought to himself. He pinched himself, hard, but felt pain and concentrated on it. 'I suppose not. Were they all brainwashed? Where is Sakura? And why do I feel like I could run a marathon? What happened prior to this- conspiracy?' '
He tried to bring his memories to mind, but they were distorted and elusive, and any time that he thought that he had grasped one, it slipped through his fingers, and the dull throb of his head turned into a sharp, piercing pain. He focused on breathing, in and out and eventually the pain left.
He never even saw his mother plunging the sedative into his system before he fell into the comforting embrace of darkness.
**************************************************************************** ***
"What happened, Doctor-san? I was under the impression that you had assured me that there were to be no complications!"
The female doctor sighed and she sat down heavily in her chair in her office. "Li-san, this is a tad bit unusual. However, I am certain that this disorientation is only temporary. He is confusing reality with perhaps what is a dream."
She stood up, her white coat swirling as she picked up an artifact and fiddled with it. "Soon, if you reintroduce him into his life again and place familiar objects around him, he will forget about the dream. It will only take a bit of time and patience. Do not encourage his outrageous tales of a made-up fantasy."
Yelen Li frowned for a moment. 'This morning-that is the first time that Xiao Lang has showed so much.emotion.He was never like this before--before the accident. Perhaps, this new Xiao Lang is-no. He is my son, and I will love him no matter what. Although,' she thought wistfully, 'I almost wish that his emotions would stay.'
Eriol placed his hand on the elder's shoulder. "Do not worry, Li-san. Xiao Lang shall be in his right mind soon. I promise you that."
**************************************************************************** *******
Syaoran lay silently on his side, gazing sightlessly at the blank wall. He honestly couldn't comprehend what was going on. They were either absolutely mad, or this was a joke. It had to be a joke, albeit it was a cruel one, it sounded just like what Eriol would do for his favorite descendent.
It had to be, because there was no way that Sakura could have just vanished. She was such a prominent part of his life, ever since he was ten. Six years of his life could not have been imagined, could they?
.Could they?
Although he repeatedly reminded himself of this, he couldn't help but wonder.and as he did, his memories slowly began to slip out of his reach.
**************************************************************************** *******
"Miss! You cannot go into that room! It is restricted!"
"I am Xiao Lang Li's fiancée, and I have a right to pass!"
"Miss!"
Syaoran blinked sleepily. Could it be? 'Sakura.'
"Xiao Lang!"
A slight figure burst through the door, and with long ebony hair and dark, almond eyes, she was decidedly not Sakura.
"Meiling?"
"Syaoran! Tell these people to let me go!"
Syaoran waved them off. "It's all right, I know her."
Meiling sniffed. "I think that it is considerably more than that! I am, after all, your fiancée."
"B-But."
"We were just about to announce it to the Elders before the accident, don't you remember, Syaoran?"
Syaoran thought back for a moment, involuntarily.
Flashback
It was a slightly cloudy day as the pair sat beneath a weeping willow in the mansion's lawn. The wind ruffled the leaves ever so slightly, and he smiled at the beautiful vision before him.
"Are you sure you want to do this, Xiao Lang?" Her voice was timid, but soothing and smooth.
"Of course Mei-chan. I want to spend eternity with you. We shall announce our engagement to the Elders next week when I call a council. I am sure that they will approve of our being wed."
Meiling grinned giddily at him. "Oh, Xiao Lang, I am so happy!"
"I promise that I'll do anything in my power to keep you like that."
End flashback
"No! You lie!" Syaoran cried out, clutching his head as he rocked back and forth.
Meilng looked vaguely hurt. "What, Xiao Lang?"
"I broke off this engagement years ago!"
"Nani? But Xiao Lang.we were destined to be wed!"
"No. No, Meiling, we weren't." Syaoran said softly, the shadows of his bangs covering his eyes. He rolled over to his side and stared at the hospital wall, leaving his back exposed to her. "I'm tired, Meiling."
There was a brief silence, and Meiling nodded. Whispering, the teenager managed to murmur, "Of course, Xiao Lang." She bowed hastily, and carefully controlled her purposeful footsteps out of the door before breaking into a run.
"I'm.sorry, Meiling."
**************************************************************************** **********
"What is wrong with him?!" Meiling cried out as she flung herself into a conveniently located chair.
Eriol sighed, running his hand through his dark blue locks. "I take it you've spoke with him, then?"
"Yes-I-he.he denied our engagement!"
"What?"
"Yes! He was furious for a moment.he even called me a liar. He couldn't seem to grasp the fact that we have been making wedding plans for months now!"
"Oh, Meiling.I'm so sorry."
Meiling sniffled a bit, before inconspicuously wiping her eyes with her silk robes. "Well, you don't have much to be sorry for, now do you? I just want.I just want Xiao Lang back. The way he used to be."
Eriol crossed the room as the small sobs began to rock her slim body. He held her tightly, cooing soft words into her hair as she clung desperately to him.
"Shh, Meiling, shh.Don't worry. This.madness. will not last long."
**************************************************************************** *********
Silent footsteps fell across the white tiled floor and his robes whispered slightly in the breeze as he stood in the entrance of the room.
"What do you want, Eriol?" The amber-eyed sorcerer asked dully.
Eriol shut the door quietly behind him and locked it magically. "What do *I* want?" He gave a bitter laugh. "As if you really give a damn, Xiao Lang!"
Golden eyes turned to peer at him, shocked at the reincarnation's outburst.
"What is wrong with you? How can you be so stupid? So blind?"
"What's wrong with *me*?" Syaoran cried indignantly, "What's wrong with *you*?"
"Don't be an idiot, Xiao Lang." Eriol hissed. "I'm not the one who's making your loved ones cry over you! I'm not the one babbling on while your mother is having a nervous breakdown trying to keep everything from falling apart! *I'M* not the one who's crying out for an imaginary girl when I have the best damn one in all of China and Japan!"
His tirade was met with stunned silence, and the blue-haired sorcerer sighed, his eyes softening a bit.
"I know that you have been through an ordeal. And I know that your life right now isn't sounding too great. But please, descendent, I beg of you.leave this dream world behind you. Leave this dream girl behind you. Live in reality. Because right now, there's a girl directly out of this hospital room that is madly in love with you. Love her, as you were meant to."
Eriol glanced at Syaoran's tormented expression. "I'm here if you need me." With that, he quietly left the room.
Syaoran stared at his hands, eyes wide and incredulous. His hands were as they had always been, calloused with training and battles.
Why wasn't anything else?
**************************************************************************** **********
Eriol closed the door quietly as he slipped out, and was met with the anxious gazes of Kero, Meiling, and Yelen Li. "It is in my opinion," the sorcerer spoke softly, "That I have gotten through to him."
There were three sighs of relief, and Meiling clutched his hand, tears in her eyes. "How can I ever thank you?"
"Be happy." Eriol smiled kindly. "And I fully expect to be best man at the wedding."
Meiling sighed blissfully. "Of course, Eriol-san. How could you not be?"
Yelen smiled lovingly at her soon to be daughter-in-law. "I know that you shall make my son happy, Meiling-san. I welcome you into our family."
Meiling blushed and bowed deeply to the elder. "Thank you for your kindness, Li-san."
"Now, now, enough with formality, my dear Meiling-san. I will go make the arrangements for the wedding right now." Yelen sighed wistfully. "I remember when I was wed.there is nothing like it. Go on, enjoy your time with your fiancé. I will handle all the preparations."
"Thank you, once again.mother."
"The wedding shall commence as soon as possible!"
**************************************************************************** ********
Author's Note:
Yes, yes, I'm very, very, very sorry minna! I'm so terrible at keeping my word when it comes to things like these! I have the story pretty much mapped out in my head, but I couldn't seem to find the time, or words, to put it down on paper! And then, of course, I banned myself from the computer (Crazy, ne?) because I had to study for finals. And now they're done! WHO-HOO! Mwahahahahahahahahaha! And for good measure, BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, school's out, and I hope that all of you have a wonderful summer. This leaves me some more time to write! YAY! I still have Karate, writing classes, recitals, and camps coming up, but I'm going to write! Write, write, write!
Thank you for sticking with me this far! Sniffles I love you all, I really do! And most of all, I love windy*wings, my most loyal and loving reviewer! *Bawls and hugs windy* I love you hon! Your inspirational words and prodding have made me feel so special and loved and wow.gosh, I love being an author. Thank you for that personal e-mail you sent me, it made me find my words and put them on paper. I love you! Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!
More soon
Coming up:
The Wedding
