Feathers of Love

Chapitre Five: The Dragon


Yubaba's face was white, very white. "How could they know the song that would make Haku change into his dragon form, not under my command to order him to change into a dragon?" Yubaba observed the singers in front of her and tried to stare into their eyes. She tried, but to no avail, for both of them were looking down and it was difficult to catch their attention.

"Why are your slaves looking down and not looking up?" Yubaba asked conversationally as she tried to catch their attention.

"Well, they are slaves after all! Slaves and servants should look down to show respect to the people they are serving!" Queen Debonair answered as she looked at Yubaba. "Are you interested in the girls?"

"Why...yes. I'll like to take a look at them."

"Sakura, Nadeshiko! Raise your heads and look at us!" Princess Nova ordered. Reluctantly, the two of them raised their heads. They did not know where to look and just looked at the wall behind Princess Nova and the others. However, Sakura was a bit terrified, for nobody except Princess Nova had ordered her to raise her head. Yubaba, at this chance, tried to catch their eyes' attention, but she failed. It seemed as if that when she had tried to catch their attention, the slaves before her would instinctively know and look at somewhere else.

After a few minutes, Nadeshiko asked quietly, "Your Highnesses, may we proceed with our singing?"

"Please do." Haku said suddenly. "I would love to hear you all sing again." Upon hearing this, the two of them curtsied again and went back to getting ready for their singing.

"What do you think you are saying?" Yubaba whispered urgently into Haku's ear.

"You are courting your own death! Do you know that?"

"What are you saying? I do not understand." At this, Yubaba understood why. It was because Haku had never this experience of changing into a dragon against his will...he would never know why but it would be painful, unless it was his soul mate singing the song to him...which was impossible, for he had never met his soul mate before.

"Sakura, you sing this song. You can sing it better than me. As for me, I will just play the tune. Are you comfortable with singing solo?" Nadeshiko whispered as she checked that the harp remained tuned.

"Mother...why do you not want to sing with me?"

"We'll talk later..."

"Hai..."

The music started once again. Immediately, the whole Dining Hall became silent as they were listening to the music...

However, to Haku, it seemed as if it was torture. The introduction was so painful, like white fire searing in his very bones...

Sakura started singing, her melodious voice pure and light:

"Tsuki no umi kasumete tobu

Watashi no taisetsu na shiroi ryuu

Hayaku hayaku motto hayaku

Watashi no moto e to

(Flying stealthily over the moonlit sea

My precious white dragon

Faster, faster, hurry

To my side)"

Haku started transforming, quickly. However, funnily, he did not feel any pain, but felt very normal, like transforming for Yubaba. It was funny, for he had not experienced this before. His hair changed to a blue colour and his body started to become long and scaly.

"Gin no uroko chi ni mamirete

Ubawareta namae motomete

Atedonaku sasurau

Utsukushii shiroi ryuu

Itoshii shiroi ryuu

Sen no yoru wo nomi

Chihiro no mio ni shizume

(Silver scales stained with blood

Seeking your stolen name

Aimlessly wandering

Beautiful white dragon

Beloved white dragon

Drink Sen's nights

Be soothed in Chihiro's waters)"

Sakura, unconscious of what was happening, continued singing in her sweet voice. However, Nadeshiko noticed what was happening and snuck a look at Haku. She could see that he was fast becoming a dragon. However, she noticed that Yubaba's face was turning very white and it was as if she knew that this was going to happen. Sakura closed her eyes as she continued singing while Nadeshiko continued playing the tune. Princess Nova and Queen Debonair noticed the changes in Haku and were starting to become afraid. The audience was also transfixed by Haku's transformation and only Sakura did not realize. She did not realize that there was an increase in the magical aura...she just continued singing.

"Sabi no kaze shiofuku tsuchi

Watashi no takanaru shiroi mune

Hayaku hayaku motto hayaku

Yutaka ni afure yo

(The earth breathes a rust-colored wind

My white heart throbs

Faster, faster, hurry

Overflow with richness)"

Haku started to become a bit too big for his chair and thus flew up, while he continued changing, his face becoming longer, and more like a dragon. His hands and feet became smaller and lizard-like. He was turning, more and more quickly into a dragon...a white dragon, in fact.

"Aoi tategami wa hi ni yakare

Umerareta kawa wo motomete

Atedonaku sasurau

Utsukushii shiroi ryuu

Itoshii shiroi ryuu

Kakusareta watashi no

Wakiitsuru nagare e

(Blue mane burning with fire

Seeking that buried river

Aimlessly wandering

Beautiful white dragon

Beloved white dragon

Come to this welling stream

That was hidden within me)"

Sakura still continued singing, while Haku continued changing into a dragon, painlessly. Her voice rose up and down, while the transformation of Haku continued.

"Sen no yoru wo nomi

Chihiro no mio ni shizume

(Drink Sen's nights

Be soothed in Chihiro's waters)"

It finally ended, and Sakura opened her eyes when she heard the audience gasp collectively. It was then that she sensed that there was something flying above her with a powerful magical aura. Sakura looked up and saw a white dragon, soaring above her. Sakura looked at where Nova and the others were sitting and noticed that Haku's seat was overturned and empty.

"So...the dragon must be Haku..." Sakura thought. "What have I done?"

She looked at Nadeshiko, who was looking at her daughter with satisfaction. Sakura rose her eyebrows to indicate what was her mother thinking of when she realized that there was a strong gust of wind. She looked at Nova, and saw that the dragon had landed in front of her, looking at her with kindness. Sakura was afraid, afraid that the dragon would tear her to pieces, when the dragon looked at her and flew towards the harp. Sakura did not know why but she ran forward, crying, "Please! Please do not destroy the harp, or my mother and I would be punished!"

The dragon hesitated. In the end, it used its mouth and took the harp, and the long scaly, Chinese looking dragon flew out of the Dining Hall and out of the palace. When Sakura was not in close contact with it, she was not able to hide the harp's aura anymore.

At last, Queen Debonair realized what the harp was. "Men! Get that harp for me! If you do not get it back, all of you will die!" The solders ran after the white dragon and the harp, which they hoped to get it back so that they would not be put to death.

When the solders had gone, Debonair looked at Sakura and Nadeshiko. "Did you know that the harp was magical?" The two of them shook their heads while looking down. "Throw them into the dungeons!"

"Mother! I believe that they are innocent! Look at the two of them! They do not know what had happened, and neither do I! I think that the best thing would be to find that dragon and the harp back before we do anything! The dragon and harp are more important than two slaves! We can deal with them later!"

"All right, all right! I can't believe that that harp can be found by them after so many of searching myself!" Queen Debonair said crossly. "The two of you are dismissed!" At this, Sakura and Nadeshiko hurriedly curtsied and walked as calmly as they could back to the servants' and slaves' staircase and retrieved their slaves' clothes. Then they went back to return their still clean clothing to where they were supposed to go after the ball. After which, they went quietly to bed...


Disclaimer: I do not own Cardcaptor Sakura or anything! Just this plot only!

Wow! Wow! Wow! How is it? Hmm? Please enjoy! Can you all also please read Angelic Destiny? That story is about halfway done! Please read so that I can finish it faster and concentrate on this story and not two at the same time! Review too...please?