Chapter 5-Anzu
It was around a month after we first met Syaoran. We had no idea what trouble we'd get into when we get close to him. And boy was it a lot of trouble.
Jou and Yugi didn't tell us about what Syaoran had said until the first god appeared in front of the game shop. We had enough of Kaiba's and Pegasus' men to know that something's wrong. Plus the fact that the man was wearing robes even more out of time then Syaoran.
At the sight of him Syaoran just froze and looked at him. The figure froze as
well.
" Who are you?" Yami asked, stepping in front of Syaoran.
That was when the man took off his hood. He was a tall man, with a sharp, hard face that seemed weathered and worn, but his gray eyes sparkled brightly. He couldn't have been more than twenty five years old, yet in those eyes it held wisdom learned through the centuries. Whether used for evil or good, we weren't sure then. We were only certain about one thing: we didn't like him.
Syaoran was unafraid. But with Yami blocking him it didn't make much of a difference. For a while Yami and the stranger eyed each other warily.
Finally the man spoke.
" My identity is not of your concern." He said. His voice was deep and powerful,
enough to make one tremble. But neither Syaoran nor Yami were daunted.
" Fine then." Yami answered. " What do you want?"
" I've come for the child."
" You will not have him until we hear why."
" You have great power, little one." The stranger replied darkly, " But you cannot
withstand me."
" Don't be so sure." Syaoran's young voice answered from behind Yami. " You do not understand the power of the cards, nor do you understand the power of the millenium items. He is not one you can destroy easily."
The man lifted his head and then looked straight at me. What did he see, I wonder? A young, frivolous girl that was in the wrong place at the wrong time? I do not know. All I knew was that his eyes were cold and gleaming, filled with a slyness that could creep anyone out, glimmering like a clouded silver rusted and worn. That one look drove all courage out of me and I was ready to scream.
" Do not look him in the eye." Syaoran's voice seemed far away. " Do not look at
him in the eye."
It seemed to take all of my willpower to tear my eyes from his, and the
minute I left them the spell was gone. Honda grabbed me as I began to collapse,
tired and exhausted from the struggle. I looked at Syaoran. What is wrong with
him? Why isn't he moving? Why isn't he worried at all? It seems as if he didn't care
that there was a man in the shop that was hurting me, or any one of us.
" Go. We cannot deal with you today." Yami ordered. He had his deck in his hands,
ready to fight whenever necessary.
" I suggest you do not toy with the cards, stranger." Syaoran's cold voice spoke yet
again. " They hold more power than you imagine."
" Much power indeed." The stranger looked at Syaoran in the eye. Syaoran stared
steadily back. His eyes began glowing a dark gold. The man's eyes went blank, and
slowly, with faltering steps the stranger retreated out of the shop and into the night.
" Force, know my plight..." Syaoran's eyes glowed brighter, " Release the Light!"
All I remember of that night was a bright ball, that grew and grew until it covered everything in the range of vision, everything in its path, and then dimmed into darkness.
We didn't talk much about that night because Yami, Yugi and Jou refused to
let us. But I kept on thinking about it, even after Yugi told us Syaoran's story. Seto
and Ryou took turns caring for the child as usual, but things weren't the same
anymore. Syaoran distanced himself from us almost as if we were strangers. But we
all knew why he did it.
We visited him each day despite the coldness. Sometimes we brought him something interesting we found at a store. Other times we brought him food. Yugi and Syaoran sometimes played Duel Monsters, but Syaoran was right. He improved, improved up the the point where he could have defeated Seto. But that was it. He couldn't go any further. Yami was frustrated with him.
But what can you do with someone who lost hope? Someone who lost everything dear to him? Because he had just escaped and we simply found him. He did not know who we are other than our names. Or perhaps he did, but barely. Perhaps he knew about the Duelist Kingdom and how we had attempted to save Yugi's grandfather along with Jou's sister. How we had used hope to gain back what we lost. But in Syaoran's case it's different. It's not like his mother would be lingering somewhere with forgotten memories, wondering who the heck she was. It's not like his love Sakura would be floating on an island stranded. It's not like his sisters might be searching in some unknown dimension and Syaoran simply had to fight to get them out. Because they're not here anymore. They're not alive. There is no body to return to. No fate. Their time had been up and they are gone. And unlike all of us, Syaoran knew they were gone. Syaoran knew that they would no longer be. He will never find them, because there is nothing to find. No one to find.
So how can Yami teach Syaoran the heart of the cards? If he had lost his heart, the cards will not give him any. But it's not that Syaoran no longer has feelings. He does not believe in them anymore. There was no trust in his eyes, no will in his voice. There was nothing. Just an empty bottle, cute but broken. Cold and hurting to the touch.
He distanced himself even from me. From Seto. From Ryou. Even Mokuba couldn't reach him. But none of us complained. Not even when Syaoran attempted to run again, but was held back by Seto. Just stay a few more days. Only a few more days.
There are many kinds of people living in this world. Some are like Sakura
and Yugi, who openly care for others and trust them because that was how they
thought everything worked. Some are like Seto, who has been through strains and
harsh hostilities of the everyday world, and are more cautious about everything, but
once you get them to trust you, then you can always count on them. Some people
are like Pegasus, not just sick minded, but treacherous, able to betray and destroy
according to his or her fantasies. Some are like Eriol, polite and kind, but held dark
secrets within, good or bad.
Yet Syaoran is none of those. He is the type that will act as if you are worthless. That you are weak, too weak to gain his interest. Sometimes it will seem as if he despises you or even hates you. And then suddenly, you'll realize that he had performed a good deed. And that one deed could change your view of him forever.
