Dragon's Eye, Phoenix' Wing

Chapter 2

Because Asturia was closer, Syaoran and Van stopped off there to rest for a few days. Syaoran did not want to be with Van any more than he had wanted to fight Allen, but he didn't like Allen either and he trusted Van.

He wanted to be out in the meadows and had planned to release his soul right then and there when someone grabbed him. Immediately he knew it wasn't Van because the young lord would not do something like that. He would not grab him by the neck...

But it was then that Syaoran realized that he had turned into a dragon. Something held his mouth shut and he bucked, but to no avail. He was put in a cage and fought tooth and claw, but at last he was brought in front of Lord Chid.

He was terrified.

Now that he was with Van, Syaoran felt safer, if not completely satisfied. He was able to sleep a little on the ride in the carriage, although at the smallest movement he would open his eyes and look at the source. It was for this reason that Van finally told him to just close his eyes and sleep so he could move without feeling nervous. Syaoran's alertfulness made him tense.

He had thought that Gaea would be a good place to die since it was beginning an eternity of " Pax Romana", or a period of prosperity and peace. It seemed that this period didn't include him, and now that he was with Van, who was ever watchful, he didn't feel very comfortable dying. No one likes dying when someone is watching you, no animal anyway, because it feels like you're naked to them everywhere. So he can't die now. He'll have to wait for the next opportunity.

He closed his eyes and fell asleep.

Van was talking with Millerna and Allen about the whole incident, since they were visiting Fanelia.

" He just seems so sorrowful. I don't know." Van continued. " Like there was a painful past lurking within his memory."
" Indeed. He's a dragon, after all. No doubt many people wanted him." Millerna answered.

Syaoran, suddenly awake, jerked and sneezed.
" I think the guy's catching a cold." Merle noticed.

Van chuckled, wrapping his arms around him. " I think so too. When we get to Asturia, you'll get some food to eat and some warmer clothes."
" He does need food." Millerna sighed. " Poor boy. When I was doing the operation "

Syaoran hissed, and Millerna cringed.
" Now now," Allen warned Syaoran. " Don't behave that way. You'll be like Merle."
" Meow!"
" What happened during the operation?" Van asked, slightly worried.
" He was all skin and bones." Millerna pinched at Syaoran's cheek, and the boy did not hiss this time. " There's so little meat here. He's so awfully thin, but look at the material in his clothes. These are fine material, no doubt. He did not come from a poor family."
" He certainly didn't." Allen's sister replied, her first time speaking in front of Syaoran. " He has an air of divinity in him. It's almost ironic considering how animalistic he acts."

Syaoran visibly swallowed and turned away. Van saw a splash on his sleeve and knew what was wrong.
" He understands everything we're saying, you know." He said to her.

It seemed that no one had thought of it before because the carriage was suddenly silent, save for the gentle rocking of the wheels as they hit the cobblestones on the road.



Hitomi had woken up extremely tired and restless that morning and thought she might have failed that test. She thought about the terrified boy and decided to tell her worries to Van. Van did not contact her at all during the week.

She sat down on her bed and concentrated on Van. Slowly she heard his voice.
Don't go there, you might get hurt.

Van?

Hitomi? Hitomi, is that you?

Hai. What's going on?

Oh, many things. How come I did not hear from you at all this week?

I was having visions. Visions of a boy named Syaoran.

Strange. Right now we have a child named Syaoran too. Li Syaoran. He's some sort of Dragonchild. Right now he's acting a little bit...I would say, nervous and frightened.

Nani? Syaoran is there? But he is a dragonchild. He's also a phoenix child too, I think, although I don't know how that's possible. He use to be in Japan around Tomoeda, judging from the streets. He had his whole family killed by the dragon and phoenix gods.

...

Van? Are you there?

That explains it then.

Explains what?

Explains why he's so...well, sad, I guess. Ever since I met him he was more sad then anything, really. But why would the dragon and phoenix gods kill the family of one of them?

I don't know. I guess judging from his friends, they were planning something.

Planning something? Oh, I need to stop now. Syaoran has this weird ability to read thoughts, I'll reckon. Right now he's standing there looking at me as if I had gone mad.



The connection was severed and Hitomi lied down. The conversation was slightly disturbing but it soothed her to know that Van was there and that he was alright. She was puzzled at why the boy would be on Gaea. But Hitomi was tired. She wanted to sleep.

Speaking of sleep...



Syaoran had actually wanted to talk to Van because for some reason his abilities were severed whenever he passed a certain door. He had wanted to ask Van what was behind that door, because for some reason he couldn't tell.

Now looking at Van, the boy suddenly felt scared. He knew that Van was communicating with Hitomi and from their conversation, Hitomi already knew something about him. The child felt tears well up in his eyes when he remembered what had happened in the past.

Now Van was watching him. What should he do?

Obviously it wasn't what he should do, but he did it anyway. Syaoran bolted from the room. He didn't know why. Maybe because he was met with his past. Maybe because he was suddenly afraid of Van, but that couldn't be!

He was only the heart of a normal dragon...



The next day Syaoran, deciding that he couldn't ask Van, decided to see what was behind that door for himself.

At the same day, Van and Allen decided to visit Escaflowne to see it for old time's sake. In a time of peace, there was really no real reason to do anything other than just for the sake of it. They opened the door to find an unwelcomed visitor.

Syaoran was greatly puzzled at the giant statue that was just sitting there. He thought of the story about Dorothy and Toto and wondered if this was Gaea's version of the Tinman.

He wasn't really thinking straight but he was really tired and lonely and had to think of something before he went mad. So he knocked at the metal leg.

Clank clank.

Clank clank.

He sort of knocked at the feet also, before getting illogically upset at receiving no response. So he jumped up to the knee.

The sight was frightening. What a big statue!



Van and Allen were trying their best to suppress their chuckles as they watched the boy try to get the hang of Escaflowne. It was obvious the child didn't know what the thing was. Knocking an armor wouldn't do you any good, especially if it was empty. Watching the child was fairly amusing.



Syaoran, because of the big statue, ( Or at least he thought it was because of the big statue and he was pretty much right) couldn't detect either Allen or Van, nor could he figure out what the statue actually was, until he stumbled and held his hand against the pink badge to support himself. The statue opened up.

He nearly fell off.

Blinking curiously, he peeked in. Inside there were metal things. Things that look like fingers. It must have been quite uncomfortable there.

Van started when Escaflowne opened to the boy's touch and blinked in surprise. Allen's mouth fell open slightly and wondered why it did that. They both started again when the boy went in and the suit suddenly closed, trapping the poor child.

" Syaoran!" Van cried, and Escaflowne moved suddenly. " Syaoran, stay still!"

Escaflowne stopped and Van went up and opened the dragon. The boy came out, very shakened and pale.
" Are you alright?' Van asked. Escaflowne wouldn't do anything to whatever's inside, but the boy looked like he had been poisoned.

Syaoran was silent, even when he was brought down.



" Nani?!" Millerna laughed. " So the child had a chance to say hello to Escaflowne? I would have loved to see that!"
" I know you would." Allen chuckled.
" So is the boy alright?" Millerna asked sympathetically. " It must have given him quite a scare."
" Oh, he's alright. He is scared though. I don't think he'll try that again." Allen answered.

Just then the door opened and in whipped a blur of green. Merle ran to the doorway.
" You blasted lizard!" She yelled. " I'll get you!"

The dragon turned into a boy and landed on his feet. Syaoran glared at Merle for a moment.

Merle hissed and pounced. Syaoran suddenly disappeared.
" Huh?" Merle turned around. " Where did he go?"

There was a flash of light and Syaoran appeared right behind Allen.
It must be something with the Mystic Moon. The knight thought as he held Syaoran to reassure him. The little body was trembling. Why was Syaoran afraid of a young girl?

But the knight soon found that Syaoran was not trembling out of fear. It was something much deeper.



Van was almost afraid that Syaoran hated Merle from that day afterwards. Normally children that age shouldn't be able to hate but he had no doubt Syaoran was able to.

He was also afraid that Syaoran would run away that night. He had seen him look out the window more then once with a strange longing in his eyes. But Syaoran did not run away.

Because Van had stayed with him the whole night. He was no longer afraid for Hitomi for he just talked with her after being unable to contact her for so long. Now he was afraid for the child himself. The child was so sad...

During that night they had a long talk.

" So what did you do then?"
" Tried to stay put." Syaoran answered, shifting his head on the pillows. " Tried my best to stay put, anyway. Yukito offered to take me in because Yue was nervous about the gods. Everyone was curious at how I managed to go up when I was falling."

Van digested that information before continuing.
" And then?"
" And then...and then Eriol found out why the Dragons wanted me."
" Why did they want you?"
" My father was a dragon."
" Oh...he was?"
" Hai. He died when I was three. Or so I thought, anyway. I still don't know what happened to him. He was just gone. But I had dragon blood through my father, so one day I got a new hat, thanks to Tomoyo, and the robes came along with it. I didn't have this outfit before, but I guess this was the first outfit Tomoyo ever made that actually made sense. I stuck with this outfit from then on, until..."
" Until?"
" Until later. Several weeks after I rode the winds I transformed into a dragon for the first time."
" How was it?"
" It was scary."
" Why?"
" I wasn't use to not being able to talk." Syaoran was reluctant to tell Van. " And...it just felt so...beastly. Yue was startled when he saw me in that shape and I quickly turned back."
" Did he say anything?"
" Iie."
" Oh. And then?"
" And then...one time I was on the roof in school..."

Syaoran stood on the rooftop gazing over the city with his hands on the fence. He tensed as he felt the strong aura behind him and dared not look back.

A hand pressed against his shoulder and Syaoran let out a shriek, and stumbled backwards. Even after Eriol had found out what they were here for he did not trust them and was completely terrified of them and their power. He bolted, but too late, for strong arms were wrapped around his waist, keeping him from going anywhere.

" Do not run from us." Said a dark voice. " We are your family. We are your people."

But the child was so terrified he could not hear what was being said to him. He went on struggling until suddenly he fell through the other's arms and landed on his right knee, severely breaking it. Agonized with pain, he looked up to find the powerful dragon god standing tall against the sunlight. He was mad with terror and it seemed that time slowed, when suddenly he felt something stretch at his back...

" They were small wings." Syaoran said. " Small and golden, but enough to tell them that I was a phoenix as well as a dragon. They didn't stop though, and I couldn't fly, so when the other gods came I was stuck right in between. The phoenixes couldn't see me and they attacked the dragons. I was hit."

" I spent some days in the hospital afterwards and the dragons and phoenixes didn't come for me for a long time. I guess they were sorry that they hurt me like that because I could have died if Yue didn't find me soon after. It was actually a good thing that my wings came out at that time because if it hadn't then it wouldn't have blocked some of the blow and I would have been dead right then and there."

Van was silent for a moment. The child had a very adventurous past for someone so young. So far he had mentioned nothing of his family. Perhaps that was just as well.

Maybe it was because Syaoran heard him, or maybe because it was of his own fancy, but the child continued talking.

" Ironic." He said bitterly. " Cerene saying I act animalistic. I actually did come from a noble family. A whole clan, actually. My mother was a descendant of a very famous and powerful sorceror named Clow Reed. My father came from a line of Li's. Our land covered a whole town. There were so many people. Elders, aunts, uncles, cousins, even nephews and nieces. Meiling, for example...she's kind of like Merle. Always hopping about...you...and me, well, you know."
" Ah. Another Merle. Perhaps they are the same, just in different worlds."
" That can't be." Syaoran smiled, and it was the first time Van had ever seen him smile.

That smile struck Van because of how truthful it was. It pure and honest and brought more beauty to the child's face. It somehow lightened the aura. Van wished the moment would last.
" That can't be." Syaoran was saying. " Because that would make you me...and..." He suddenly fell silent.
" Nani?" Van asked.
" Oh dear." Syaoran answered oddly. " It's odd how everything is so similar here. Hitomi has short hair and green eyes and Sakura does too, only her hair was slightly longer and her eyes darker green. You had the same temper I did back then, mindful of pride and you care about Hitomi as much as I cared about Sakura. And Allen! He's the exact twin of Eriol. They're both so irritatingly suave and calm and easy-going and both have abilities so no matter how frustrated you are you can't do anything to them. And Millerna and Tomoyo are both mighty rich girls. Merle clings on around you like Meiling does to me. You're all older versions of the Clow circle. And the Dragon!" Syaoran sighed, the smile was gone.

" Pathetic, isn't it?" He said without looking at Van. " Here I am blurting out all the things that I missed dearly to you who suffered far more. You might find that a lot of people who will come from the Mystic Moon will do that. They'll just cruise about in their own self pity and expect Gaeans to sympathize them before they even understand that their sufferings are nothing compared to here. You know Hitomi did that, right?"

Van didn't answer. He was studying the child very carefully and wanted to comfort him. He didn't know how though. He saw two splashes on the smooth marble floor and grew alarmed. Was the boy crying?

" I heard about Gaea when Hitomi came back." Syaoran continued, his voice oddly quiet and very smooth and steady. " Some time after she came back I passed by her house and I felt that alien aura. I connected that aura with this planet. I looked through Hitomi's eyes and found out that Gaea was exactly what we had called Heaven, and Heaven had been at war but now was expecting an eternity of peace. That time I already lost everything. No one wanted me there and I had gotten use to it, but loneliness eats painfully. You know that, right? I mean, even if Merle always goes around with you you still feel lonely at times."

" I figured that I am no longer important to anyone on Earth and since humans have already taken every space of it there I could not rest in peace. So I decided that since Gaea was mainly wilderness I ought to come here. It would be the same here as there anyway. So I came. I originally planned to end my life right there in the meadow. Then you came."

Van was silently glad that he interrupted what might have been a sorrowful scene.

" Beasts usually want to die alone." Syaoran continued. " All creatures want to die alone. Humans are exceptions though. They have so many things in life that they regret and they want someone there to be with them. They want to confess so that they can die peacefully without unfinished business because they think too much and worry about where they're going. They want someone there to hold their hand and tell them that they've been a good person in life and that in death they will be remembered as someone who had done great things. Animals, they're different. They're far too simple to regret anything they've done because they never did anything regretful. They feel uncomfortable when someone is there because it feels like that they're being studied, observed, laid bare before the other's eyes, and they could do naught to stop that. So they often choose a silent and calm place where they know that they can die without worry and no one would watch them in such weakness. That was what I planned to do."

" Funny." Syaroan continued yet again, after a pause, while Van was trying his best not to think of how happy he was that he had come in when he did lest Syaoran hear him. " Dragons are the same. They cruise about trying to find things to eat and when they die they hate dying at the hand of a sword. On the Mystic Moon, there are these creatures called elephants, and there were stories about them that they had a graveyard, and whenever an elephant feels that it's dying it will make a journey to that graveyard to die there. When the elephant fails and the other elephants find the remains of its body they mourn because the elephant failed to accomplish its final goal. Dragons don't have that though, from what I've seen. They just choose a calm and solitary place and just lie down, right there-"

" Stop." Van pleaded. " Stop that."

Syaoran looked at him and he seemed to realize what was troubling Van.
" Gomen nasai." The poor child answered, and swallowed all his thoughts.
" Iie." Van shook his head. " I don't just want you to stop talking. I want you to stop."

Syaoran blinked and stared at Van.
" You have yet to experience the world, Syaoran." The King said. " You're so young. Do you honestly think that you have no one anymore?"
" No one needs me." Syaoran answered simply, ignoring the fact that the answer hurted Van deeply. " Everyone that cared was gone. You have Hitomi. Once she's here you'll forget all about me. Allen has Millerna. Merle has you. I don't know why I'm here in the first place. I'm not even supposed to be here. I don't see why I should think any other way."