Chapter 6
A birdlike cry.
Yukito blinked out of his daze and looked out the window. Oh shoot.
" Syaoran, is that what you became?" He muttered, watching the Phoenix circle in
the air. " I thought you were almost finished." He sighed and fetched his glasses.
" Oh shoot, the nail got loose." He looked at it for a moment. " I'll have to ask
Hitomi to help me with this. Since when did I become so nearsighted? I was usually
able to see something at least without glasses." He groaned.
Getting up he looked around for Hitomi. He found Millerna instead.
" Hitomi, can you help fix my glasses?"
" Wow, Hitomi's right. You are blind. You're not Yue though...you're Yukito...or is it
Yuki? I don't know. I don't know how to fix these things."
" Just find a screw and turn it."
" Screw?"
" Never mind. Where is Hitomi, Millerna?"
" Ah...downstairs eating breakfast with the boy, who just came in around two
seconds ago."
" Oh, I see. Millerna?"
" Yes, Yukito?"
" Can you help me down the stairs? I can't see it."
Syaoran grabbed a piece of bread and proceeded to walk out. A hand
reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
" Where are you off to? You can't eat only that for breakfast." Van grumbled. " I
thought you were mingling your powers."
" I was, until you came along." Syaoran swallowed the bread. " Then I got
too...tired."
Van was about to say " I told you so", but then Hitomi interrupted.
" Speaking of tired," She yawned. " I am so tired!"
" You know, they say " early to bed and early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy
and wise.'" Syaoran blinked. " That's an American saying, anyways. Well, you went
early to bed and you were early to rise. You neither healthy, wealthy, nor wise. One
can only conclude that you're not a man."
Hitomi didn't stop as to how little sense that statement made, but more at the fact that Syaoran just insulted her and all the rest of the women. Then she realized that Syaoran didn't insult anyone but just cracked a joke.
The Phoenix just cracked a joke.
Syaoran smirked, taking a chicken leg and marched out proudly with a
dumbfounded Hitomi looking after him.
" By the way!" He called back without turning around, " Help Yukito-san fix his
glasses!"
" There we go." Hitomi said and handed the glasses back to Yukito. " Where's
Kero-chan?"
" Probably with Merle. Those two are inseparable." Yukito groaned.
" You don't say!" Hitomi sat down. " I need a run. My legs are sore from lack of
use."
Yukito cocked an eyebrow. " You can jog around the lake if you want, but
then people will think you're weird.
" Ah, finally caught up on Gaean Philosophy." Syaoran seemed suddenly happy that
day. Very happy for a Phoenix.
" I caught up on it long ago." Yukito patted the boy's head. Then he reached up and
wrapped his arm around the child's neck and pulled him down. Syaoran tumbled
into his lap.
" Ow." Syaoran muttered as Yukito let him go. " Where in the world did you learn
that?"
" I knew it from Touya." Yukito answered. " You ought to eat more. One slice of
bread and a chicken leg is not enough calories."
" Calories! Do they even measure these things in calories up here?" Syaoran
blinked.
" If you don't like that, how about chocolate? You desperately need one, toothpick."
Syaoran shot Yukito a glare and gingerly took the bar of chocolate that
Yukito happened to have. He bit it and munched on it in silence.
" So, what happened?"
" You guys interrupted. What do you mean, what happened?" Syaoran sniffed.
" Oh, Gomen nasai. See? You need calories." Yukito absently rocked the boy on his
lap. Syaoran growled.
" I'm going to have to try again tonight." He muttered.
" Try again tonight. That way we won't have to deal with your Phoenix side or try
to hurt you with water."
Syaoran sniffed.
" Hmph." He tried to get off Yukito's lap but Yukito trapped him by wrapping his
arms around his waist.
Hitomi giggled. This was kawaii!
Van plunged the sword into empty air.
He was thinking about Hitomi and Syaoran. Hitomi, the reincarnation of someone who died around fifty years ago. Syaoran, the heartbroken child that just fell into their laps.
" You know, that would be considered clumsy to the Dark Phoenix."
Van turned around and Allen did also, surprised at the voice.
" What are you doing here, Syaoran?" Van asked. He was feeling embarrassed at
how Allen had dodged the blow.
Syaoran, the Phoenix Child, replied in the most surprising manner.
" Wow, that is one great sword!"
And thus the boy showed Van what he meant. Flipping and grasping Van's
sword at the same time, he twirled it in circles fast enough to block any arrow, fast
or slow.
" Ow, this sword is heavy." Syaoran shook his wrist. " But it's so shiny! And it's so
sharp I can see it." He plunged the sword through Allen's blade and it shattered.
" Oops."
Allen looked at his shattered sword for a moment and then laughed.
" I certainly didn't see that coming." He smiled. " Looks like the boy is a better
fighter then even you, Van Fanel."
Van wasn't especially unhappy with that comment for some reason.
" He's better then you, that's for sure." Van laughed. " I have never seen anyone
break your sword like that."
Allen smiled, greatly pleased. " Of course, now I have to get a new sword."
" Just as well." Syaoran tossed the sword to Van. " Ow! The thing strained my arm.
I'm never using that sword again! But then again," Syaoran looked unhappy. " I
can't use a big sword anyhow."
" How big is yours?" Allen suddenly asked.
At this Syaoran blushed a deep red and said nothing. Van saw his chance.
" Well? Is that partly why you used those two cloth things?"
" It's more of a dagger!" Syaoran mumbled, taking out the sword, still sheathed, and
gave it to Allen.
" Yoshi!" Allen laughed. " Kawaii! I would think this was a dagger! Daijoubu, light
and small. This is kawaii!"
" Let me see that!" Van caught the tiny sword. " I would think this was a toy.
Mighty sharp though." He felt the tip. " Ow. I say again, mighty sharp. But this is
kawaii, as Allen had said. It's perfect for the little guy."
" Hmph!"
The two men laughed at the poor child who was being ruthlessly teased. Van
lifted the child, who cried out with surprise, and twirled him around.
" The sword is as light as you are." Van laughed, " And that's saying a lot. If you
want to wield an actual sword, you'll need to eat. Come along."
The whole practice between Allen and Van was forgotten as the three of them went into the kitchen for some snacks.
" Wow, he actually likes it!"
Hitomi was right. Syaoran really liked the soup and was eating it in a rather
fast pace ( not that it was extremely fast for Millerna's liking).
" It's not good for fattening up though." Millerna frowned. " He needs to gain at
least twenty pounds until he gets healthier."
" Hear that Syaoran?" Kero shoved him, the stuffed animal strangely not fighting
over the food. " You need to gain a few pounds! With an appetite like yours, you
won't gain a few pounds. You'll keep on losing. If only this world has chocolate."
" Shizuka ni, stuffed animal." Syaoran wacked Kero's head. " With all your
babbering I wouldn't be able to eat anything, let alone gain a ' few pounds', as you
say."
" Hey, when I'm yapping, you can still eat. Shut up and eat yourself."
Syaoran paused at the illogical sense Kero had just made and Kero growled at him. Syaoran giggled, ( of course he'll never admit it, being a phoenix) and went on eating.
Syaoran sat once again in a meadow this time. He needed to be away from
stares and whisperings and this time he had to do it right.
He heard the shriek of the Phoenix.
The song of the dragon.
He felt the beat of feathered wings.
The dance in the wind.
Come closer.
A shriek and a cry.
Beating and twisting of body and wings.
A drop of water.
Syaoran breathed in the night air and the scent of trees.
Come closer. Mingle.
He felt a tingling sensation. He let loose his aura. Auras.
Tsseeereee!
Haoooooo...
Syaoran jerked suddenly as pain filled him. The Dragon's water burned at the Phoenix's fire and the fires shriveled at the water. He screamed an agonized scream as a white light blinded his closed eyes and a roaring filled his ears. He screamed again as every muscle clenched and he twisted in agony. Golden wings split his back and the pain increased, ever growing-
" Ohayo, Syaoran." Merle called. " Where did you get those purple robes? They
look pretty. Did Millerna and Allen give them to you?"
" Oh, of course not." Syaoran rolled his eyes. " They don't have children. Chid does
not have these clothes." He looked down at himself.
He wore an outer robe that was sleeveless-or actually, it was more of a tunic without buttons and outlined in white. The tunic had no belt though, so it was basically shapeless, and it was pale purple. Underneath he had a white, loose sleeved shirt and white loose pants. On his head was a simple hat that was outlined with the same shade of purple as the outer tunic.
" You look like an apprentice of a priest." Yukito adjusted his glasses as he came
down the hall. " I wanted to say that to you last night, but you were unconscious."
" Arigatou for carrying me here." Syaoran felt a little hesitant. " When did you find
me?"
" The scream gave a good clue." Yukito answered. " Are you alright?"
" Hai. I'm fine."
" That's good to know. Are you affected by Escaflowne now?"
" I didn't try yet." Syaoran swallowed. " I was on my way."
" You scared the wits out of him!" Kero scolded Syaoran, referring to Yue. " He
thought you were dead!"
" Shizuka ni." Yukito batted Kero away. " Let's go off to Escaflowne. Maybe if you
want to get back at Van for playing with your sword, you can actually go in there
and try to work Escaflowne out."
" I'm not going in there." Syaoran muttered. " It feels like a cage. It's too big too,
and the legs and everything are too long. Feels like some sort of cage, and you're
tied to the wall, even though the ropes give in to your movements. Iie, I'm not
going in there. I'm surprised anyone will."
" Did anyone ever mention you need a haircut?"
" Where, may I ask, is the barber?"
" Yukito's good."
" And scissors?"
" Good point." Kero shut his mouth.
" How odd." Yukito added. " They don't have scissors here."
Syaoran sneezed ( he has been doing that a lot lately, despite Hitomi and Millerna's attempts) and decided he wanted some chocolate milk ( which really isn't chocolate especially since it's white, but it tasted like chocolate) before going to pay Escaflowne a visit. The servant gave him a cup as he argued with Kero and they went off.
" I don't know." Syaoran cocked his head. " It seems a bit clearer now. Escaflowne
does not like me."
Chid looked at Syaoran. " Are you sure? Why do you say that? Van likes
you, and the last time I remembered Escaflowne it didn't really have much of an
issue with such."
" You're saying it doesn't have a brain. It's true, actually, iie! What am I saying? I
really have no idea about this old suit." Syaoran knocked at the leg. " It is getting
me quite stumped here."
" Why do you think that it doesn't like you?"
" I don't know. Something about the dragon that Van slayed. " Syaoran looked like
his Phoenix self at that moment. " It probably is trying to hold me back because it
knows something. But what?"
Chid thought for a moment. " How can Escaflowne know anything?"
" Well, for one thing, it certainly didn't stop the Phoenix from using its powers."
Now Syaoran was referring to his past self. " It definetely recognizes the Dragon."
" Maybe it absorbed your powers."
" Iie. It couldn't have."
" Why not?"
" It simply can't. I had my powers. I just couldn't use them."
" That hardly makes sense."
" I don't know. That's the only way I could describe it all. " Syaoran stared at the
tall Escaflowne above him.
Chid stared at Syaoran for a moment. " Are you alright?"
" Huh? What do you mean?"
" You're trembling."
Syaoran looked at himself. He was. The thing was that he couldn't stop himself. He felt the older boy's arms wrap around him as suddenly his legs gave out. There was a darkness before his eyes and he looked up to find Escaflowne in all its splendor, tall above him, and he wasn't sure if it was trying to protect him or attack him.
" He just fainted."
" Is he going to be alright?"
" He looks so pale."
" I told you he needs to eat."
" It's all that stress lately-"
" Come on! Keep him warm. Look at how cold he is."
" His pulse is stronger now."
Syaoran opened his eyes weakly to find that he was in his room and Van was
looking at him, tucking him in with the blankets.
" He's awake." Van said quietly. " But by the look he's giving me I think he's not
fully conscious yet."
Syaoran stared at Van for a long time without anything clicking in his mind. There was absolutely no thought or emotion in his brain so he stared at Van without recognizing him.
" Hey," Van smiled at him. " Don't worry. You just fainted. You're safe now."
" Yue?"
" He's not here right now, he'll be back as soon as he can." Yue was with Hitomi
outside the country.
Syaoran blinked. " Uh?"
" Get him some water!" Van looked over his shoulder. The servant bowed and left.
Van sat down beside Syaoran. Kero flew over and perched on his shoulder.
" What happened Syaoran?" Van asked.
" I was looking at Escaflowne." Syaoran said after a pause. " And suddenly I heard
a voice..."
" What voice?" Chid asked.
" It's a deep voice." The child answered. " It wasn't human. It was low and strange
and mysterious."
" What did it say?" Van asked.
" Do not use the Dragon's Wind. The Flames of the Phoenix will shield the Mystic
Dragon. Once they do you shall remain."
" Dragon's Wind. The Dragon is supposed to be Syaoran, I think," Hitomi looked at
Yue. " Wind is commonly referred to as the Dragon's power, but it might also be an
attack. The Flames of the Phoenix can either be Syaoran or the Dark Phoenix."
" Who is the Mystic Dragon?" Yue asked.
" I don't know." Hitomi was silent for a moment. " Maybe a god still lives."
" Another god?" Allen blinked. " I doubt it."
" Maybe not." Hitomi said quickly, " So don't tell him. Who else can be the Mystic
Dragon?"
" We'll figure this out later." Yue answered. " First we have to reach Akstrone."
" Women are always the worst when they're evil." Said the tall man. " Especially
that sorceress. She is by no means intelligent but she has ability."
" Think Syaoran would do?"
" The child? The child has ability, that is so, but he does not have the strength. He
would be at a disadvantage."
" She's an idiot!"
" True." Said the tall man. " Yet her ability will distress the wise."
" We expected no less." Said the smaller figure. " But who should defeat her?"
" We'll figure this out later." Said the man. " First, we have to reach Akstrone-"
" Hitomi? Hitomi?"
Hitomi snapped out of her daze. " Nani?"
" You're in one of those..." Van did not finish.
" Oh." Hitomi blushed.
" What did you see?" Allen asked after a pause.
Hitomi hesitated. She wasn't too sure herself.
" You dare defy me!" The woman cried. She was tall, fair beyond relief, her skin
pale and her hair black, her eyes like burnt coals. She kicked at the lower man,
who seemed just as proud as she. The man on the ground rolled over before she
could kick and caught her foot. She gasped in surprise, but jabbed her heel into
the man.
" That will be enough, ' prince'." She said in emphasis. " I hope you learned your
lesson tonight." She turned around and left. The Prince curled up and forced
himself to his feet. His eyes were burning with indignation.
A long time after, the maiden was back again. The man tried to attack her
this time but she swung him off like a wet rag. In her hand she carried a whip and
there was a distinct ' fwap' before it collided with the man's back.
" Try it." Syaoran said to Chid. " It's very good."
" Try that again, and you'll get worse for it."
" Hm." Chid nodded. " What is this made of?"
" Stawberry cream, flour, chocolate, vanilla cream, and many others."
A gasp and a hiss. The man doubled over as the sorceress kicked him in his
shin.
" I will not be so disrespected."
" You're very good at this." Chid nodded in approval."
" Where are we going?" Syaoran asked.
" I do not wish to be here. You can let me go and spare yourself trouble."
" Do you think I am concerned with your advice?"
" We're going to Akstrone. It's a kingdom in the east where there are a lot of sorcerors. Perhaps they can help you with Escaflowne and the Dark Phoenix."
" Erandil! He's been killed!"
" Perhaps." Syaoran answered. He looked out the window of the carriage. The
mountains passed slowly. The day is beginning to fade.