The Accident of Birth
Disclaimer: Cardcaptor Sakura belongs to Clamp, but Yun, Han, Peng Mai and this storyline is ours!!!!Due to some shrewd investments made by a Li ancestor in real estate, the Lis were, if not extremely wealthy, extremely comfortable. They were also well-educated, and knew at least three languages – generally English, Japanese, and of course Cantonese/Mandarin. Given the circumstances, the Li descendants could pick any career they wanted, marry whoever they wanted, live wherever they wanted.
But those in the direct male line of the Li Patriarch had no such liberties, especially those with the talent for magic. After all, the Li Clan was one of the few remaining magic families, and they had to continue the tradition. So, all Li males in the direct line had to rigorously study and practice magic and marry only with the approval of the Elders.
Li Yun was not an exception. Even if he was only the second son, he had to marry a distant cousin chosen for him by the Elders. But he was lucky, he and Yelan suited each other perfectly. His older brother, Li Han had married Peng Mai two years earlier, against the Elders' wishes. The Elders disapproved, as the stars were not favorable for their union. They also did not favor Peng Mai's family, whose magic was weak and would not strengthen the Li Clan in any way. But Han was adamant and in love, they could not gainsay him.
The brothers were very different in looks as well as in temperament. Han was big and muscular, while Yun was slight. Han was fierce and fiery, whereas Yun was calm and quiet. The brothers loved each other very much, and Han was very protective of Yun. But nobody underestimated Yun, for while Han was undisputedly The Li, Yun's magic was as strong as his brother's.
Yun had not expected to come into his magical inheritance as Head of the Clan at any point in time. Despite having no children, Li Han was still young and vigorous, and Li Yun only had daughters to inherit after him.
Yun's youngest daughter had turned three years old when the brothers decided to travel to a nearby district to check on the family business. By some unfortunate twist of fate, the driver suddenly lost control of the car and they careened off the road. Li Han broke his neck and died outright, while Yun was knocked unconscious, but survived without a scratch on him.
He was still in shock a few days later when the Elders came into their room. Yelan had been kneeling on the floor beside him, wordlessly trying to give him comfort.
"Li Yun."
Yun raised his head, and the tears shone brightly on his face.
"You are The Li now." His aunt Li Zhang held out a cloth covered bundle, and he accepted it numbly. As Yun opened it, there lay his brother's green ceremonial robes.
"Li Peng Mai!" Li Zhang raised her voice. Yun looked up to see Peng Mai give him a poisonous glare. "Give The Li his sword."
Li Peng Mai came over and brought over the precious rosewood box and laid it at his feet. As she made to move away, Yun held her by the forearm, ignoring the robes draped on his lap and the box at his feet.
"Mai...I am truly sorry. I did not wish this to happen..."
But she shook off his hand in barely suppressed rage and let loose her acid tongue.
"You may have Han's sword and Han's title, Brother Yun," Peng Mai said, eyes flashing. "But you will never, NEVER be Li Han!"
After her outburst, Peng Mai rushed through the Elders and out of the door. Li Yun stood up to follow her but Yelan restrained him and shook her head.
"No, Yun. Leave her be. I will talk to her."
@@@@@
"Sister Mai..."
"He should have died, he should have died instead of Han!" Peng Mai spat out, eyes red-rimmed from weeping.
Yelan did not take offense at Peng Mai's vindictive words. Instead, she drew her brother-in-law's wife close to her breast.
"Shhh...Peng Mai. We all loved Li Han, especially Li Yun. He is grieving too. We are very sorry..."
"He was so strong, Yelan. So strong and powerful!" Peng Mai wailed. "How could he die and leave me?"
"You're not alone, Peng Mai. You have us."
"No, no. I am nothing without Han! You have Li Yun, and you have daughters! I have nothing! I AM nothing!"
Peng Mai was getting hysterical, and Yelan quickly gave a her a sharp slap.
More startled than hurt, Peng Mai gingerly touched her bruised cheek and looked up at Yelan.
"You hit me...!"
"You were talking nonsense, that's why I had to wake you up," Yelan said firmly. She then took Peng Mai's hands and gently placed them on her lap.
"Peng Mai, believe me when I say we didn't want this to happen. But it did, and we can't change the past. All we can do now is live in the present. Sister Mai..."
But Peng Mai's head was turned away, and she was not listening at all.
@@@@@
So, Li Yun was unexpectedly thrust into the role of Head of the Clan. He was no lightweight when it came to wielding the Li magic, but he was first and foremost a scholar.
He was reading a manuscript one day in the library when he came upon a passage regarding a certain Li ancestor.
Clow Reed...hmmm. I remember Old Grandmother mentioning something about him, something about magic cards and guardians... He was browsing through the text for more information when Yelan suddenly came in through the door with a gentle smile on her face. She had just come from an appointment with Dr. Wong.
"Husband, I'm pregnant..." Li Yun looked up in surprise, and gave a warm smile in return.
"Again? Well, we are certainly prolific, Yelan," he teased, dropping the text and drawing her close. "I wouldn't mind another daughter..."
But Yelan looked at him seriously. Seeing her look, he sighed.
"Ah, the Elders have been harassing you again."
"You need an heir, Yun." She was sitting on his lap, trying to maintain her dignity, while he kept spoiling it by pulling her even closer.
"Not if the Elders are just going to brainwash him." He proceeded to nuzzle her neck.
"But Yun..."
"I don't care if this next child is also a girl, Yelan. If it is a boy, I wouldn't even care if he's a non-magic user like my cousin Li Deng. If I will be the last Li with magical inheritance, I don't care."
Yelan grew quiet at the mention of Li Deng.
"Yun...what do you think of Peng Mai marrying Deng?"
"I should be happy for her if she were doing it for love. But she's doing it to reclaim Li Han's title..."
"What do you mean, Yun?"
"Like you said, I don't have an heir. Li Deng would have been next in line to inherit the title, but he's non-magic. Peng Mai is hoping to have a child with him – the one she didn't have with Han – and she's hoping the child will be The Li after me, if this next child is another girl."
"She's not mercenary, Yun!" she protested.
"No. She only wants to reclaim what she had with Han..."
Li Yun absently rubbed his temple. He had been getting these headaches lately. He was probably working too hard. Damn the Elders!
"Never mind her. Like I said, I don't care who inherits." He shifted her position on his lap and he picked up the manuscript beside him. "But while we're talking about the Li inheritance...what do you know about Clow Reed?"
Yelan pondered briefly. "The rogue ancestor? Only that he could wield very powerful magic. Some said he could command the elements, much like Li magic, but they also said that he could stop time, among other things." Yelan looked at him, puzzled at Yun's interest. "They also said he kept mostly to himself and was more than a little eccentric – I don't think he was in good terms with the Elders."
"I like him already." Yun grinned. "Tell me more. I can only remember bits and pieces Old Grandmother told me as a bedtime story..."
As Yelan told him what she remembered, Li Yun was already formulating a plan in his head. The Elders wanted magic – well, he was going to give them magic.
@@@@@
Yelan was already six months pregnant when Li Yun's headaches became much more frequent. No matter how Yelan tried to dismiss it, her premonition became stronger each time she dreamt, and she was not a fool to ignore it any longer. She confronted Yun about the headaches, but he evasively answered her, saying her powers were unstable and could not be relied on for now.
"What do you mean, Yun?" Yelan frowned at her husband. She excelled in her craft and knew it. She did not appreciate anyone undermining her abilities, husband or not. And he was trying to change the subject. Again.
"Can you not feel it, darling?" Yun's hands gently cradled her stomach.
"Feel what?" Now at her moody best, Yelan was starting to get irritated at her husband's vagueness. Her aura started to encompass her whole body, releasing waves of energy that vanished as soon as they were unleashed. She blinked, and looked at Yun in surprise.
Her husband's only response was an all too-knowing smirk, smugness exuding from his usually serious exterior.
"What happened?!" Pregnancy-induced hormones were heating up Yelan's temper once again. She was not pleased at Yun's playfulness when she herself was being serious.
And yet, Yun's grin was infectious. Yelan sighed. All this moodiness was beginning to make her insane. And tired. Yelan not-so-subtly gifted her husband with a you-will–be-sleeping-on the couch-tonight look that quickly sobered him up.
Yun cleared his throat.
"It's the baby, Yelan. He's feeding off your energy. Judging from the way you easily get tired nowadays, I'd say he can't get enough of it. Our son is going to be one heck of a magic user when he grows up."
"H-he?" Yelan's eyes widened, then got cloudy with tears. "We're going to have a son!" Yelan quickly forgot her earlier worries as she jumped to her husband's arms.
Yun could only beam with pride as he embraced his wife and unborn child.
"Yes, darling. A son."
@@@@@
Authors' Scribbles:
Hi, we're back! Sorry about the late update for this story – Little Wolf had to take a backseat to Farsighted. But now that one's done, we're working on some one-shots and this and that. Thanks to Water Soter for the very first review! Tell us how you guys like this one. Ja Ne!