What Are Little Girls Made Of?
Sorry the update took so long. It was a little difficult to give personalities to Syaoran's sisters! Hopefully we gave them justice! We're going somewhere with this, we promise!
June6, S+S will definitely make an appearance soon. Thanks for staying posted!
Kawaii-Syaoran and AmericanGirl1114, thanks for the vote of confidence!
Star Silver fox – glad you liked this story!
What are little boys made of, made of?
What are little boys made of?
Frogs and snails
And puppy-dogs' tails,
That's what little boys are made of.
What are little girls made of, made of?
What are little girls made of?
Sugar and spice
And all things nice,
That's what little girls are made of.
- Anonymous
~o~o~o~o~o~
"Euw – that's not true, is it Tua-chi?" This came from Shing-shing, as they lay about in the girls' bedroom, reading the poem from the book Li Yun had given her one Christmas. "Is Xiao-xiao made of all that icky stuff?"
"Well, Father named him Little Wolf, so I suppose puppy-dogs' tails sounds right," said Yun-tsai doubtfully.
Chin, ever the voice of authority, said confidently. "Well, that poem also says we're made from sugar and spice, and all things nice. Aren't we nice?"
All but one nodded sagely.
"I'm not nice!" protested Little Fan vehemently.
@@@@@@@
The four Li sisters led a very charmed life.
Chin, the eldest Li daughter, was ten years old. Very much the Li, she took her responsibility as eldest daughter very seriously. She was tall and proud, and looked so much like Yelan, except that her face was much more open and reassuring. And instead of her Mother's dark hair, hers was honey-blonde and reached down to her waist.
Yun-tsai was nine and apple of her father's eye. She was very pretty, and she was sweet and amiable. But underneath the sweet and gentle exterior, she had quite a mischievous streak when she felt like it.
Shing-shing was seven, also with long brown hair and bangs. She was a very intelligent girl and she liked to read, much like her father. She would often be at the library, sitting on her Father's lap as he read her stories, while her sisters crowded round them.
Little Fan was a very precocious five-year old, with a penchant for getting in trouble. She was also the little tomboy, climbing trees and skinning her knees. Little Fan knew her mother had wanted a boy before she had her, so she had forced Chin to cut her hair short. But as a concession to her Father (who wanted little girls to have long hair), she made Chin keep one long strand down her back, enough to twist into a pigtail.
Singly, they were remarkably polite and well-spoken – even little Fan at her worst.
Together, the four of them were a holy terror.
They were likeable little girls – and noisy, outspoken and outrageous. They liked pulling Cook's pigtails, teasing Wei, bothering Great Aunt Li Zhang at her prayers. But they got away with every naughty thing they did because Yun-tsai would always sweetly ask for forgiveness. And nobody could resist Yun-tsai.
Despite being non-magic children in a magical family, life was otherwise normal for them. They went to school, bickered with each other, loved their parents with a passion, secretly laughed at the Elders behind their backs.
~o~o~o~o~
When Yelan became pregnant, their avowed wish was for another sister. But secretly, each of them wanted a baby brother to take care of and play with (and to terrorize, in the case of Little Fan).
They had been at school when their Mother had given birth, and when they came home they had a new baby brother. But Mother had shooed them away, and ordered them to go to their Father. They all could see that Yelan was trying hard not to cry, and they knew something was terribly wrong.
They went to see their Father, for once all behaved and quiet.
They had known he was sick, and they had tried to take care of him as much as they could. But in their own way, they knew it was useless.
Li Yun weakly gathered them round him and hugged them as hard as he could. He talked to them, and kissed them, said he'd always be watching over them no matter what happened.
"Papa...are you dying?" Shing-shing asked after a while.
Silence, then a deep sigh. "Yes, Shing-shing, Papa is dying. I"m sorry that I'm leaving you so soon. I don't want to, but –"
Yun-tsai was openly weeping, and Li Yun laid a hand on her head.
"Shhh, my pretty Yun-tsai. It's alright, Papa will be alright. My little girls are very strong and brave, but I'm afraid your Mother will be lonely without me. Girls, you must promise me to take care of your Mother..."
Chin, teary-eyed, only nodded and everyone else followed suit. Then Little Fan pugnaciously butted in.
"I'm also taking care of Xiao Lang!"
Li Yun could only smile at his headstrong youngest daughter.
"Yes, Little Fan – take care of Xiao Lang."
"He has magic, doesn't he, Father?" Chin asked, and all the girls looked at him. Li Yun gave them another smile.
"Yes, Chin. And he's going to be The Li after me. But he's so young – he needs your help. Alright?" As they nodded, he closed his eyes briefly.
When he opened them, his daughters were looking at him fearfully. "Girls, I'm not going to die this very minute!" he jokingly berated, at which they hung their heads sheepishly.
Li Yun looked at his daughters thoughtfully. Xiao Lang needed all the help he could get, magical and non-magical. And his daughters were strong-willed. They would help.
"Here, here. I've thought of something you could do to help your brother." He absently rubbed his head that had begun to ache again. The pain would build up to something more excruciating, but he had enough time.
"Let me tell you about an ancestor by the name of Clow Reed..."
~o~o~o~o~
They had left him to sleep, and the next morning their Papa was gone. But they never forgot the story.
~o~o~o~o~
The funeral had been mercifully brief, despite all the ceremonies (regular and magical) attendant to the death of a Clan Head. And it was a tragedy for all concerned, two Li Clan Heads dying within two years of each other.
Yun-tsai was sorrowful, as were the other girls. As soon as the guests had left, and Li Yelan had gone to rest and take care of Xiao Lang, the girls gathered by the small terrace just beyond the Manor, which overlooked the city.
"We promised Papa we'd take care of Mother," said Chin.
"And Xiao Lang," reminded Little Fan.
"And Xiao Lang." Shing-shing dutifully repeated. She held out her hand towards Yun-tsai, who took it wordlessly. Little Fan took Yun-tsai's other hand, while holding Chin's left hand. Chin closed the circle by taking hold of Shing-shing's hand.
They did not notice the brief flare of the ground beneath them, being engrossed in their sorrow.
"And Xiao Lang." Yun-tsai said finally.
All their Father's magical hopes now lay with one little brother.
The girls just held hands and stood there, lost in their thoughts until Wei called them in to have dinner.
@@@@@
As he grew older, the little boy believed in only one thing:
His sisters were the bane of his existence.
His eldest sister would bring him along on her shopping trips with her school friends, who kept pinching his cheeks and saying how adorable he would look without the frown. He would have to help carry her shopping bags and help pick out clothes. He learned a lot of patience from her. (And some clothes sense, he thought grudgingly).
*In the future, Xiao Lang would only be equaled by a certain Eriol Hiiragizawa when it comes to being the best dressed. Hanyaaaaaan!!!!!! ;p) *
His second sister would force him into the kitchen to help her cook and clean – and he would have to stay put and don an apron. To ensure his good behavior, she continually bribed and mischievously fed him with chocolate. Even so, at a very young age he learned not to trust this sister's sweet looks and demeanor.
His third sister would coerce him into the library where he was forced to practice with her while she used him as a dummy for her Japanese language lessons. The earliest thing he learned was how to swear in Japanese. ("Baka!") And keep it to himself otherwise his mouth got rinsed with soap. He still remembered the taste of papaya soap. And it didn't taste like papaya at all.
And the worst was yet to come.
As future Head of the Clan he was already training hard and in condition at the age of seven. He was quite keen on learning how to defend himself from his sisters, and if necessary, learn to attack. But he hadn't counted on his sparring partner.
All the girls had gone through martial arts, but none was more dedicated than the youngest sister. Her lithe body was fast, and she kept beating the boy in their matches.
Every night, the boy groaned in his sleep and swore to get even, but he never even got close. It was all the boy could do just to keep up.
If that wasn't enough, all his sisters tried to hug and kiss him at every opportunity, telling him he was soooo cute. The boy learned not to mind them because if he did, they treated him worse and called him names no decent boy would be caught dead carrying around – things like sweetie pie, honey boy and the worst, from Little Fan "Here, Wolfy, Wolfy! Go fetch!" throwing her stick at him. If he didn't catch it properly, it would be the worse for him because Fan would whup him at training.
And they always ordered him around – bring me my slippers! Hey, pick me some roses! Get me that book in the library! Carry this for me!
When he glared at them, all they did was giggle and say, "Oh, how cute you are!"
He hated sisters.
~o~o~o~o~
When his sisters left him alone, he was grateful. But they usually left him with Mother.
The boy felt an overwhelming respect and a certain awe for Li Yelan. He thought that she was very beautiful, and he often longed to touch her hair or her face, just to see if she was real. But she was so distant, that he sometimes doubted whether she was really his mother.
The boy was sometimes envious of his sisters, because she was always smiling and kissing them on the cheek, and they would be impertinent and saucy. But he could never be impertinent with her – never dared to be.
~o~o~o~o~
His Mother was training him in the magical arts. Right now, she was teaching him how to read auras. He was particularly having a difficult time concentrating because he was drowsy. It was because he kept having dreams that kept him up all night. It was something familiar, yet unfamiliar – and every time he tried to catch the memory, it would drift away and he would wake up tired.
"Xiao Lang!" His mother rapped his knuckles with her fan, and he woke up with a start. "Pay attention!"
"Sorry, Ma'am." And he would force himself to concentrate. But he would still doze off that his Mother would rap him a few more times, before sending him off to his room in frustration.
~o~o~o~o~
He was mooning in his room after one such failed lesson, when he heard a knock on his door. And then his eldest sister came in, gazing sternly. Just looking at her gave him a lump in his throat, reminding him how his Mother had looked at him in disappointment.
But Chin's voice was gentle and kind. "Little brother, you're trying too hard. You don't always win by force, no matter what Great Aunt wants you to believe. 'The Li must be strong and forceful like the tiger,'" she mimicked Li Zhang's whiny voice. "Chicken-shit!" she added forcefully. The boy, shocked, soon gave a horrified giggle.
Chin soon sat beside him. "Why are you always sleepy, Xiao-xiao? Is it because you're having strange dreams?"
He stared at her and nodded.
"Dreams are normal for everybody. But in the case of little magic boys like you," tweaking his nose, "sometimes there's more to it than a simple dream. Don't try hard to catch the dream, otherwise you'll only be sleepy everyday – let it come to you, alright? That's what Papa told me once, so you better believe what Tua-chi says!"
She tousled his hair, at which he growled and she smiled. "Here, I brought you some chocolate milk. Drink it down then go to bed, okay?"
As he obediently drank his milk and lay down to sleep, Chin pulled up the covers and put off the light. "Sweet dreams, Little Brother," she whispered as she went out of the room.
~o~o~o~o~
The boy knew he was dreaming again, but this time he just let it wash over him.
"Xiao Lang..." A voice was calling him.
The boy cautiously opened his eyes and saw a man dressed in green ceremonial robes standing over his bed. He looked a lot like an older version of Xiao Lang.
"Are you my Papa?" he asked wonderingly.
"Yes, I'm your Papa." The vision smiled. "You've been a very good boy, Xiao Lang, and I'm proud of you." The boy's heart swelled as he gazed at his Father with unwavering amber eyes. "Study hard, okay? Be nice to your sisters and tell your Mother not to worry so much. I'll be watching over all of you, don't forget that."
And the boy felt the man tousle his hair and tell him to close his eyes and go to sleep.
When the boy woke up the next morning, he looked at the sunlight coming through his window and smiled.
~o~o~o~o~
"So, Li Xiao Lang. What color is my aura?"
He looked at his Mother with new eyes. Her aura was gray, like there was a heavy burden of sadness with her. She looked calm and composed, but the gray still showed.
He came forward and tentatively, fearfully touched her cheek.
"Mother, don't be sad. Papa says not to worry, he'll be watching over us..."
At his words, a spark of life lit her eyes and a tinge of red was on her cheeks. Her eyes soon filled with unshed tears.
"Oh, my little wolf!" And he was soon engulfed in an unfamiliar hug – that was familiar from long ago.
~o~o~o~o~
Great Aunt Li Zhang would be his tutor for the Li family history. Li Zhang droned on and on until it was drilled in his head how important the Li Clan was, and that the Head of the Clan should always be strong and wise. Li Zhang would look at him with her beady gaze that said that she didn't think he would ever measure up.
Even if he was young, the boy was proud, and he tried his best to prove that he deserved the title of Li. Because he was proud and stubborn, he would often butt heads with Li Zhang, who was displeased by his attitude and called him ungrateful.
One time he was punished for his disobedience by Li Zhang. Mother had been away and Aunt Li Zhang had him locked in the basement with no dinner.
He had been trying to do the simple Fire Spell his Mother had taught him when he heard cautious footsteps on the landing above him.
"Little Brother?" Yun-tsai poked her head in the stairwell and peered in the dark.
"Ah, there you are," she said as she caught sight of tawny eyes looking up at her.
"Here –" she brought a tray with her as she came down the stairs, a candle flickering in her wake. "I made you dinner."
~o~o~o~o~
On another day, he was slumped over a desk in the library. Another Elder had been teaching him Japanese after school and had hit his knuckles with a ruler because he was so slow. He had been rapped so many times that his back of his hands were red. But Kanji was so difficult to learn! The Elder had left him to write the characters over and over on a piece of parchment paper – No mistakes, mind!
As soon as the Elder left, Shing-shing came in and clucked over her brother's hand. "Ah, the old geezer should be kicked on his ass...Hmmm." She looked at his handiwork. "What seems to be the problem, Syaoran-kun?" she reverted to Japanese.
As he explained, she nodded and sat down beside him. "Japanese Kanji is slightly different from ours. This is how you should be reading this one..." And she soon proceeded to tutor him until he got the hang of it.
As Shing-shing was leaving, she threw something at him, which he caught deftly.
"Have a chocolate bar, I hear it helps..." she said over her shoulder and gave a wave.
@@@@@
"No, no, Syaoran-sama. You'll hurt yourself if you don't hit it properly!" Wei said as he instructed the boy. "Now do it again!"
The boy took on his stance and tried to hit the target with his right foot, but he almost got hit with the wooden arm because he didn't see it coming.
"Left forearm – block!" The boy, accustomed to taking orders, obeyed the voice blindly, and blocked the oncoming assault with his left forearm, torso soon twisting to meet the next one.
"Step back – right foot!" And he gracefully leaned back as the wooden dummy tried to hit him.
"Right hand – punch and jab!" And he hit the dummy, stopping it squarely.
"Left knee – kidney kick!" And the commands went on and on. Or so he thought in his head. He was soon only reacting instinctively, with no more need for the instructions.
It was soon over.
"Very good, Syaoran-sama! That was very good!" Wei was beaming at him.
As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he could see Fan leaning against the wooden pole. She had obviously been giving the instructions, and he fully expected her to gloat and throw him the pole or something. Instead, she was grinning at him.
"Not bad, little brother. Not bad at all..."
@@@@@
The boy soon learned that his sisters were actually helping him, and his irritation grew less as time wore on. He still got exasperated when they got all girl-y and tried to smother him with their affection, but he soon learned not to mind too much.
When he grew older, Xiao Lang would look back on those days and only think how lucky he had been to have his sisters.
@@@@@
Authors' Notes:
A tribute to that well-known phenomenon called SISTERS! (Miss you, Luna dear!)
Oh, yeah, we do have a brother who puts up with us. He can't deal with our hugs, either! But instead of Little Sibyl bossing him, it's the other way around. (But she still manages to wrap him 'round her little finger ;p)
Sibyl: Go, boy! Fetch!
Sofiana: Yeah, you wish, kid. One well-placed glare from your oniichan and you're history.
Sibyl: Wanna bet? (Turns and says to unidentified brother in a wheedling voice) Onii-chan, can you please buy me – bzzz-bzzz-bzzz...
Onii-chan: Grunt. Grunt.
Sibyl: (whispers) See?
Sofiana: You're good.
Sibyl: I know.