By Louann1
Chapter 3: Wishes and Kisses
Should I make a wish?
That was the question that played in Syaoran's mind the minute he got back from his unwanted conversation with the most annoying gods he thought possible.
Wishing in the world of the gods was not much different than that on earth. The concepts were the same except gods could make their wishes come true, within reason of course. Wishes that brought ill on others were prohibited and even those of self gain were very much limited. Besides, wishes weren't for free.
Syaoran had never wished for anything before, unlike other gods he felt that there was no reason to and that if mortals could live without wishes, why couldn't he? There was no reason to wish for something that could be possible by effort. That, and Syaoran found it hard to pay for the price of a wish. It was a long procedure that Syaoran's tolerance couldn't bare. There were several meetings with the other gods to verify the wish, check it through, make sure that there wouldn't be any bad repercussions, the list was endless. As Meiling was also one of the gods to go through Syaoran didn't want to bother her.
Syaoran sat at the edge of the Heath, just where Sakura was less than an hour ago. He peered over the bridge to Earth and thought solemnly. Although there wasn't a chance that his thoughts would be solemn. It had never occurred to him to make a wish before but now...? She was involved in something much more than he could handle.
Syaoran recalled his talk with the Upper gods perfectly.
" Syaoran... There have been reports made against your candidate which puts both you and her in an uncomfortable situation," Masaki had said with a sour expression.
" You mean accusations," Syaoran fought back. He wasn't going to be put down and neither was Sakura. Neither of them had done anything wrong, at least not to his knowledge.
" It has come to our attention that Miss Kinomoto may be the daughter of Nadeshiko, a former goddess. Having her as a candidate is absolutely unacceptable,"
" You have no proof of that! Besides what difference does that make?" Syaoran's fury rose as he spun around in the gloomy area. The Court-house was the one place on the Heath no god wanted to go unless they were one of the Upper gods.
" That is none of your concern. You must find out."
" Oh, really? Then tell me how! 'Cause I'd really hate to know! Really, I would!"
" You must spend as much time as necessary to find out the truth," These words flooded through Syaoran's head and seeped into his mind.
Syaoran thought over all the time he'd spent with Sakura so far. It wasn't much but they'd made much of a difference. Syaoran knew her story and he knew it well (he just didn't know about Sakura's mother). Maybe... Just maybe... It was time to tell her his. Syaoran took out the glowing star from his robe, shiny blue sparkles flew off it harmlessly into the air. It was only a one-use star and once he threw it, he'd have to make the wish perfect.
Sakura's adventure had very much shaken her. Everything had occurred in a matter of minutes in the real world but time seemed to pass much quickly up there on the Heath. What could she do with her time? It was still Saturday after all. Maybe she could go and see Tomoyo, her one and only best friend? But what would Syaoran say? Was it permitted to see other candidates? Sakura had a very hard think about it. After all, the smallest action or word could get her disqualified. She shut her eyes tightly so much so that her expression was sour. She thought long and hard about what she was to do... And Syaoran. She muttered angrily to herself 'Baka Syaoran' as soon as his name popped into her head but it didn't stop her thinking about him.
Could she really be the daughter of Nadeshiko?
Nadeshiko had always been the one to stick up for Syaoran but it was only when she left that things got bad (he stopped aging). Syaoran hadn't asked for her help but he didn't reject it either. It was only when she was gone that he realised how much he did care for her although he had hardly spoken to her in all the eons they were up there. Come to think of it, Sakura couldn't be Nadeshiko's daughter, otherwise he'd of saw her but... He hadn't seen any of Sakura's family. Against his better judgment Syaoran decided to pop in on Sakura. It couldn't do any harm could it?
Sakura smelt the faint smell of sweet strawberries, not the kind that smells repulsive because its been manufactured in some factory but real strawberries. Sakura could almost taste it. It had to be Syaoran, only he could bring that smell. Sakura got up from her bed only to feel the tender touch of a kiss on her lips. She could feel herself burning up but she couldn't find it in herself to pull away. She felt a strange feeling inside herself, it was the same place where she felt the anger she had.
" Uhh..." Syaoran pulled away (out of instinct, not practice). " Sorry..."
" No! My fault..." Sakura touched her lips. " So what brings you here... And so soon...?"
Tell the truth, Syaoran told himself. As the saying goes, 'It'll all end in tears' either way. He drew a sharp breath in and said,
" I'm going to ask you a simple question and all I ask of you is the absolute truth..."
" Um... Of course..." Sakura looked into his eyes, totally oblivious to the following question.
" Are you related to Nadeshiko? 'Cause up there their saying that you're-"
" Yeah..." Sakura interrupted politely but Syaoran continued to rant on.
" -the daughter of a goddess... OK..."
" Is there something wrong?"
" I'm not sure yet... I'll drop by later..." Syaoran was about to leave but he felt a gentle grasp on his arm.
He turned to face Sakura who looked deep into his eyes with glazed ones. Her expression was distressed, making a lump in his throat.
" Don't go..." Sakura pleaded. " Please..."
" Sakura... What happened?" Syaoran touched her warm cheek and wiped the first tear from her eye.
" She's gone..." Sakura clung onto Syaoran's arm.
" Who?"
" My mom... She... She... Died..." Sakura's words fell onto the air painfully.
Why didn't I see that? How come I couldn't tell? She was grieving and all I could do was make spiteful comments. But how could I see... When all she does is smile? I knew that there was a hidden pain but... I didn't do anything about it...
" So? Is she the daughter of Nadeshiko?"
" No... She has no recollection of anyone by that name..."
" And you are sure of that? Because if you are lying Syaoran your position as a god may be put in jeopardy," These words brought a stiffness to Syaoran's body.
" I am sure..."
" You are dismissed," With that Syaoran exhaled with relief and left a strawberry smell as he exited.
" Gotta love that smell," Masaki commented with a chuckle.
Outside the Court-House, Meiling waited for him with distressed eyes. Syaoran's plan was risky and even though he seemed to cover all the angles, she wasn't sure if it would all pay off. Syaoran arrived before her bring the sweet scent and gave her an awkward smile.
" How'd it go?"
" It was OK... Worse than I hoped better than I expected," Syaoran told her as they walked towards their area.
" Your plan was very risky y'know. You could have been dismissed as a god!" Meiling exclaimed wildly.
" That's not what you said when you helped me with my wish," Syaoran commented wryly.
Meiling drew in a breath as if to retort to Syaoran's sly comment but she knew that it was too late to make a difference. Besides, there wasn't anything bad that could have possibly resulted from his totally non-self-gaining wish.
" I'm gonna go down and see how Sakura is..." Syaoran told her. " If anyone asks, you don't know where I am."
" She's changed you a lot y'know," Meiling pointed out.
" Well... I can't hate everything can I?"
" Hoee!" Sakura let out in shock. Syaoran's sudden appearance had clearly scared her since to her it seemed as though he had just left.
" Sorry..." Syaoran ruffled his hand through his messy chestnut hair.
Syaoran noticed the reasonable size picture frame that Sakura clutched in her trembling hands. He took it from her weak grip and looked at the beautiful woman that was in it. She was reasonably young and her long dark hair was blowing in the wind. Her smile brought a warm feeling to Syaoran but it soon went. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the woman who was in it was Nadeshiko.
" She's exactly the same..."
" Huh?"
" Your mother..." Syaoran began." She looks the same..."
" What do you mean? You haven't seen her... Have you?" Sakura was confused, how could Syaoran know?
" It was a long time ago..." Syaoran handed back the photograph. " She stuck up for me when nobody would..."
" So... She was really a goddess?" Sakura asked with eyes wide open. So all the stories that she was told were true.
So much had happened in such little time and yet in actual fact hardly anything happened. She was still the same but Syaoran...?
" Yeah..."
" So what happened? Everything, I mean..." Sakura didn't want him to think that she was selfish but also a part of her wanted to know him.
" I was only little... I didn't really understand what people wanted from me. I only knew what they expected. I didn't choose to be the god of war and hate... I didn't want... To be like that..." The strain in his voice was painful to listen to.
" You don't have to tell me this..." She could see that it was breaking his heart. Ever word that came out only did with much effort.
" Nuh-uh..." Syaoran shook his head. " I would get teased 'cause I wouldn't like anything... And she would always be there watching over me... Telling me that things were OK... And that if I wanted things to change all I had to do was be myself... But then... She left, she found a better life with your father... And now I'm stuck like this... Never aging... I didn't want to hate things but..."
" (sniff) You poor thing..." Sakura placed the frame beside her gently and kissed him quickly on the cheek before hugging him tightly.
And so Syaoran, the obnoxious god who didn't care for the finer things in life such as love, found the one person who he knew truly cared for him. She wasn't a goddess and she didn't have much but the one thing she did have which was accountable, was a loving heart. From the moment she hugged him, he could tell that wishes and kisses went hand in hand.