This one's for you!
Louann1
Oh My Goddess
By Louann1
Chapter 4: Priceless
When is it good to lie?
When you think about it the answer to that can be many things depending on the situation and yet you can get no answer for it at all. It's questions like that and proverbs like 'You can't see the forest for the trees...' that make people think. Not just people but gods as well. We return back to Syaoran, the obnoxious god with a heart of really, really soft stone. He's two-parts talk and one-part spoof. Like any other god which resided on the Heath, Syaoran had his own problems and secrets. Unlike any other god that remained on the Heath, Syaoran had fallen in love with a mortal. Syaoran was very sure that Sakura would be the next goddess. The announcement for the next goddess would be soon and if his plans were to succeed Syaoran would have to play the long con and cover all the angles well.
Previously, Syaoran had made a wish, and a very dangerous wish at that. It had the possibility to destroy the lives of the those cared about. Of course, that's the whole of two people. Okay, maybe not two people, but a mortal and a god. But those two meant much to him. They had stuck by him through thick and thin, and made him a better god than he would have thought possible.
Over the short time he'd spent with Sakura he'd grown to love her, something he thought he would never do. Sakura was a petty mortal but soon she became the brightest star in the sky(apart from the sun). Syaoran could never believe that Sakura could possibly do wrong. All it had taken was one kiss to soften his heart and it wasn't even a proper kiss either. It was hard to think clearly with preparations for the big announcement going on around him so much so Syaoran decided to see how his candidate was.
Unfortunately, Syaoran found he couldn't.
Down on Earth, Sakura found that she was falling for the arrogant god. But there was one thing that played heavily on her mind, the fact that all of it was true. Not just the part about loving Syaoran but everything, even her mother being a real goddess. Sakura was pretty certain that it wasn't a dream, after all she had had some pretty crazy dreams in the past. A smile managed to creep slowly onto her face. It wasn't the fact that the her scenario was strange, it was just unexpected. Sakura always tried to be prepared but how do you prepare to be candidate for goddess?
Syaoran could sense that his lack of traveling between worlds meant that it would be another trip to the Court-House. There, Syaoran found out the thing he most dreaded to hear. The exclusion of Sakura as a candidate and... His ban from traveling to Earth.
" Syaoran, it has come to our attention that you have lied continuously about the status of your candidate and your relationship with her, made wishes without the required consent, the list is endless..." The was a sharp sour tone in the voice which Syaoran knew could only belong to Masaki. " What do you have to say in your defense?"
" What is there to say? You seemed to have summed it up pretty well..." Syaoran knew what was coming next. He'd crossed over the invisible line many times before yet Masaki had always allowed him to continue his duties as a god but this time he wasn't too sure. Whatever was going to happen next was going to be pretty bad and he knew bad.
" Then... By the power of this court, I am forced to restrict your travel between worlds and expel your candidate from the tournament."
" For gods' sake! Do you know what you're doing! She's the best candidate in the competition and you all know it!" Syaoran's fists clenched making his knuckles whiten. " This wouldn't have happened if you lot had decent telepathy! You would've been able to read her mind! You were MEANT to read her mind!"
" It's too late... It is out of my hands," Masaki told him with a slight hint of compassion in his voice. " You are dismissed."
Syaoran then found himself back in his own area. His heart was torn and tears streamed down his face, for he felt a feeling of deep despair and loss of faith in his heart. Things were looking bad, much worse than he ever expected. They say that meetings were made by god but separation was made by man. How wrong they were.
Sakura placed down her pink cell phone and contemplated on the conversation with Tomoyo she just had. OK, maybe it wasn't quite contemplating, it was more like getting over shock. What Tomoyo had said had really slapped the truth right in her face. The thing was Sakura wasn't sure whether she wanted to be a goddess or not. Of course, she wanted to show that she wasn't such a black sheep and that she was strong but she hadn't really thought about the fact that getting the position would mean leaving everything she loved behind. She knew that her family and such would go with her but she hadn't really thought about leaving the things she loved most like the sky at sun set and the bright speckled stars in the sky. Maybe she would be able to see them from the Heath but she knew it would never be the same.
Tomoyo had been most irritating to listen to. Her words seemed so distant when she had said them but Sakura knew that her best friend was doing it out of spite. She knew that on usual circumstances Tomoyo would never do that but this wasn't exactly usual circumstances. This was a once in a life time, world flipping circumstance and Sakura was sure that this was one of those times when Tomoyo felt that she was being patronized and when Tomoyo felt like that she would make it very clear. But past the patronizing was Sakura's best friend and there wasn't anything she was going to do about it. Tomoyo had stuck by her just as many times as Sakura had her.
" What brings you here, Syaoran? You don't usually see us. Does he?" The small golden creature spoke.
" Mmm, indeed Kero. What is it you require?" The purple thing replied.
" I know that my presence here brings uneasiness to you but there is something that I have to ask you to do for me..." Syaoran averted his gaze. It was degrading enough going into their area to talk to them, yet alone request something from them.
" Well? What is it you request?"
" I need you to send a message to a mortal."
" Hmm... That's dangerous that is. Isn't it Suppi?"
" Yes, indeed... But not impossible."
" So you'll do it for me?"
" Uhh... Well..."
" You see..."
" Please? It's to the daughter of Nadeshiko..."
" Why didn't you say so? I'll even bring it personally!" Kero flew to take the letter from Syaoran's hand.
" No! I will!" Suppi fought to take the letter.
" You can settle it between yourselves. See you!" Syaoran left to return back to his area.
" He's changed."
" Most definitely."
Sakura sat in her room patiently waited for the strawberry smell but to her dismay it never came. She layed on her bed with her eyes shut in an attempt to block out all the unrequired thoughts in her mind. The traffic outside was hardly busy and so soon Sakura found herself thinking of nothing.
" Hey there!"
" Hoee?" Sakura jumped at the strange Osaka voice.
" I'm Cerberus but please feel free to call me Kero!" The golden winged bear flew effortlessly around her room with a letter in his hands.
" Um... Hello! It's nice to meet you!" Sakura propped herself up against the wall. She took a deep breath in a smiled as she smelt to sugary smell of pudding.
" Wow... You're nice. I'm here because I got a letter for you!" Kero smiled as he held the letter above his head. " But first... Do you have anything to eat?"
" Uhh... Sure! You can have the remainder of my breakfast if you want it?"
" Oh boy! It's been a long time since I've eaten anything from Earth!" Kero flew to the bowl of sugar coated cereal and began to devour its contents after handing Sakura the envelope.
Sakura noticed the careful penmanship on it. It had been written well and yet it seemed familiar. Sakura then realized that it belonged to Syaoran. It was the same as Sakura's application form. She took it out and observed the the sweet scent of strawberries as she opened the folded letter. Her eyes scanned across the page carefully noting every word until it was embedding in her head. She gasped at its contents and made her own request to Kero.
Back on the Heath the preparations had already been completed. The sky was painted pink and the clouds different colors. Syaoran watched a rainbow being painted in the sky by Meiling. He was glad that she'd found something to do, especially after all her whining earlier. Syaoran felt the poof of Meiling's rainbow paint can next to him. Meiling sat down next to him with a worried expression.
" Life sucks huh?"
" Do you ever wonder what it's like to be living forever?"
" What do you mean?" Meiling was puzzled by Syaoran's very strange question.
" I mean... We're going to be here FOREVER... And what's the point? We'll still be here when the world ends..."
" I haven't really thought about it," Meiling replied. She knew where Syaoran was coming from. " I'll take today as today and tomorrow as tomorrow. They'll always be something there whether it's interesting or not is beyond my control. I gotta go, red's dripping!"
" Oh... Okay... Thanks anyway," Syaoran replied in monotone.
" Anytime!"
Sakura began to twiddle her thumbs. It wasn't something she did very often but there was nothing else she could do. Syaoran's letter had brought grave news which had struck her hard. Her letter to Syaoran had been rushed due to Kero but Sakura understood his predicament after much explanation. Syaoran had told her about what had happened and yet somehow, Sakura could only think of herself to blame. She could have declined the offer and left it at that but her curiosity had to get the better of her. She wondered of Syaoran's thoughts of her. She had hardly known him all that well and yet there was a familiarity about him. It was if she was comfortable with him, whether he was making the situation awkward or not. He had changed very much since their first meeting, so much so it felt to her that he was a different person and yet he was exactly the same. She would always feel a warm tender feeling whenever she looked into his eyes and whether she would ever again all relied on him.
The Heath was soon to welcome the 49 candidates for the ceremony, but that was the least of Syaoran's worries. He had a plan. Well, it wasn't all totally all of his idea but he still had a plan to follow. It was strange as after his conversation with Meiling he thought of becoming a mortal. After all, there wasn't anything particularly wrong with being a mortal. Was there? But that's besides the point. Syaoran's plan was big. Really BIG. He'd found out information that was buried long ago and yet it could flip the situation around. All he had to do was wait for the right time... But let's remember that waiting isn't one of Syaoran's strongest traits.
Eriol is the most cleverest god of them all. He knows practically everything and he knew that because Sakura wasn't in the running his candidate, Tomoyo, was a shoe-in for goddess. That was before he realized was Syaoran was trying to do. Hearsay had said that Syaoran knew of a secret that Eriol tried to keep buried, at least until after Tomoyo was goddess. He didn't really expect that Syaoran would do anything to disrupt the ceremony that was until Sakura entered the Grand Hall.
Sakura knew that the plan was risky and yet she felt excited, knowing that she was doing something that was above the sacred rules that were written long ago. She entered the Grand Hall with Syaoran, just him being there brought out a confidence she never knew she possessed. She hadn't changed her clothing and knew that all eyes were on her and her chosen clothing. Everyone there was dressed in clothing which she could only describe as wedding dresses... And that was only candidates. Let's just say that the gods went a bit outrageous when it came to dressing.
Syaoran was relieved that Masaki hadn't done anything yet except give both him and Sakura and evil eye and yet Syaoran couldn't help but grin to himself while his plans came to be. In his time Syaoran had planned a lot of stunts but this was the most daring of them all. He didn't feel confident in his planning but since there was a time discrepancy he was willing to forgive and forget on the condition that it worked, naturally.
The ceremony had already begun and so Masaki was doing his best to divert the audience's attention from Syaoran and Sakura back to the proceedings. He was deeply distressed when he efforts had been for nothing. After a few more coughs Masaki continued with the proceedings. It's strange that you always think that the impossible will happen and yet when it does it's always at point in which you regret. This is something that Masaki learnt from Sakura and Syaoran.
The first thing that happened was the sudden outburst from Syaoran and Sakura when they spoke in conversation during a speech Masaki was conducting. There wasn't exactly a rule against that, it was only courtesy, but Masaki knew of the anger that Syaoran felt and so only continued over them. This didn't exactly surprise Syaoran as it had happened once before, some centuries ago. It wasn't really a part of their plan but Syaoran thought that even if their plan was to fail, which he hoped it wouldn't, they might as well go out on a high note, y'know, something memorable.
Soon it came the time to make the announcement and reveal the secret that they'd found out. This would be a good time to stop but there is a duty to you, and that duty remains to tell the truth. The one thing Sakura was very good at doing. The remaining ceremony was a blur. Not one god nor mortal could remember the sequencing events perfectly. They say that the Angel of Destiny preferred it if the events weren't perfectly for the future, whatever it may be.
The name 'Tomoyo' was on Masaki's lips the 'To-' had just left them and Sakura knew it was time. She stood up which drew all attention to her. She closed her eyes and chanted something beneath her breath. It was inaudible to everyone except Syaoran. Sakura had found something when she was ten. It was a letter from her mother. She didn't really think much of it but it allowed her to be the person she always wanted to be. Whether or not she was to be the chosen candidate didn't matter anymore, she was what she wanted: a goddess.
Syaoran couldn't help but smile when a wave of gasps came across the Grand Hall but the smile on his face didn't last very long as Masaki had already ordered guards to put a stop to it. Syaoran tried his best to prevent something from happening but his effort were to no avail. The guards had already grabbed both he and Sakura and were taking them out of the Grand Hall but there was still something Sakura needed to say. They were simple words and yet Masaki didn't expect them,
" I'm your granddaughter."
He froze and that's all that can be remembered by the on-lookers there. Only Masaki, Sakura and Syaoran truly know what happened but they swore never to reveal it to anyone. The only ending I can give is that it did end happily ever after and the ending began right where it started, back in Sakura's room.
Sakura woke with a jump. It was rare that she ever did. It only ever happened when she had dreams of falling down but the thing was she didn't. It was a much better dream, she felt a sense of completion within herself. In fact it was so good, it was real. Across the room was the owner of the amber eyes which she loved. He'd done absolutely everything for her and he had. He'd given her everything she wanted but all she really wanted was him.
They say that there are some things money can't buy and for Sakura that was the time she spent with Syaoran. Just being with him allowed her to be the closest she ever did to her mother... But he was going to take it one step farther. Sakura didn't know where they were going but she trusted Syaoran whole heartedly so it didn't really matter. She took him by the hand and could only anticipate their destination.
Gods are usually more powerful than the entire human race put together, especially if they are on a one way road. It has been for thousands of years that gods and mortals be separated because well... Gods are above mortals aren't they? I mean, all that power and really cool abilities like controlling the seas and so on. Sometimes being a god or goddess is stressful, thinking about all those who want their wishes granted and such... But not for Syaoran and Sakura. I know there's one question that plagues your mind.
How does it end?
That is a very difficult question to answer. Along with the series of questions that have come up during this tale such as, 'What did Syaoran wish for?', 'What was the plan?', 'What was in the letter?' and 'Did Sakura end up being goddess?' Although the answers were not known in the decade after, the were known. The most important thing to remember is that the answers came from both Syaoran and Sakura.
Just as Nadeshiko had told Sakura of her time up on the Heath, Sakura and Syaoran did the same to their children, Ying Fa and Xiao Lang. On a stormy night Sakura went to her young children's' bedrooms to check up on them. She knew from experience that lightning could be a frightful thing. Syaoran on the other hand was really very tired. He'd been negotiating with the gods about god-mortal communications. Since the fateful day during which the truth about Sakura and her relations to the god, Masaki, was announced, he and Sakura lived on Earth. It had taken time for him to get used to the traditional human customs such as sleeping and eating but he was enjoying it all the same for he was with Sakura.
" Are you okay?" Sakura poked her head through the small gap in the ajar door.
" Mommy? I'm scared..." Came a faint reply from her son.
She smiled with a worried expression and entered the room quietly as not to awaken her other child. She picked him up and cradled him while existing the room. A roar of thunder came from outside and the young boy buried his face in his mother's pajamas. She brought him to the living room in which contained many pictures. Most of them were of Sakura and Syaoran but there was one in which Xiao Lang found most puzzling. He hadn't the opportunity to ask his parents who the other woman in the picture was with them and had thought that it would be best as it came immediately to mind.
" Mom? Who's that lady?" He asked timidly while reaching towards the photograph.
" This?" Sakura took it off the side table next to them. She smiled at him as she replied. " This is my mother."
" But... That doesn't make sense... I thought that she..."
" She did. My, my, I haven't told you the story yet, have I?" Sakura pondered on the thought.
" What story?" Xiao Lang asked with wide open eyes.
" It's very long. You'd get bored if we told you it," Syaoran patted his son's messy hair.
" I'm sorry. Did we wake you?" Sakura turned to the tall man she loved.
" No, don't worry. Meiling gave me a call on the uhh... Thingy..." Syaoran's hand gestured using a cell phone.
" Cell phone?" Sakura offered to stop her husband from looking more of an idiot, than he already did, in front of their son.
" That's the one!" Syaoran smiled. It was an awkward smile but Sakura didn't really care because she knew that he was trying his best to give her everything that she wanted. All of which included him.
" I want to know the story..." Xiao Lang interrupted the idiocy before him before it got worse.
" We'll tell you... Just, not tonight," Syaoran ruffled Xiao Lang's hair in an attempt to organize it but his efforts were to no avail.
" But..." Xiao Lang turned to his mother with puppy dog eyes.
" Aw.. Syaoran?" Sakura pleaded with her husband.
" Fine," Syaoran sat beside them on the white leather couch and took Xiao Lang from Sakura. " But if he falls asleep at school its on your head."
" Well... I suppose it began with the goddess Rika, and her very strange decision..."
Sakura and Syaoran told their son of the wonders they had seen and the decisions they had made into the night. They had hardly spoken of the events that took place over a decade ago and so it was refreshing to remember all the emotions that they went through.
" And so I made a wish. It didn't really help with anything that was to come though. To me... I guess, I was just reassuring myself... And it's a good thing that I did! Y'see with your mother, things are never that simple. I mean all I did was enter her room and she kissed me," Syaoran explained to his son effortlessly.
" Don't listen to your father! He's a liar and the most irritating god that I ever had the honor to meet. You can't trust a word that he says," Sakura interrupted Syaoran and whacked his arm playfully.
" So what did you wish for?" Xiao Lang was very confused, it was almost as if his parents were living a fairy tale, just like the ones he was taught at school.
" There's one thing about wishes that most people can't get their heads over. See Sakura? I can use these human terms!"
" Yes, well done! Just finish explaining to Xiao Lang," Sakura nudged Syaoran who was in a state of self admiration. She couldn't help but smile, Syaoran had really tried to fit in and she did appreciate it.
" Okay, well wishes are very difficult thing. I mean, one wish could change the course of history and you know that's a dangerous thing. There was once a man who even erased his existence!"
" Syaoran? Stick to the point," Sakura reminded him.
" Well, I just wished that everything would turn out okay really," Syaoran averted Sakura's eyes.
" Really? Is that it?" Sakura spoke with sarcasm in tone.
" Yep."
" At least it came true."
" It could've been worse."
" Anyway, I sent a reply to Syaoran's letter. It was at that time that I remembered something that I had found when I was ten," Sakura continued with the story.
" What did you find?" Xiao Lang squeaked.
" I found a letter from my mother. It didn't really occur to me that it was important. All it contained was a poem, a photograph and the truth about my family," Sakura fought to hold back the tears. She didn't really want to think about it but it was something she wanted to share. " Wait. I think I still have it."
A few minutes later Sakura entered the living room with an envelope in her hands.
" Okay, well it starts off with 'My dearest Sakura, this is a letter which I hope will benefit you in years to come. The stories I have told you in the past three years are true. Everything from me being a traitor goddess to you being the one to claim my title. Enclosed is a poem and a photograph. Whenever you feel the time is right, say the poem and you will inherit my powers. Only then will you be goddess with enough power to change what's wrong with the world. Before you decide to be a goddess there is something you should know, it's about your grandfather...' Then it continues to say stuff about your great-grandfather," Sakura flashed a smile and handed Xiao Lang the photograph.
The old man in the photograph looked young yet old at the same time. His hair was just a little bit darker than his mothers and he had exactly the same kind of smile she had.
" This is my greatgrandgrandfather?"
" Uh-huh," Sakura nodded with a small giggle, she couldn't correct her son because she knew how much it would hurt him to be corrected. " He's the leader of all of the gods!"
" And a complete weirdo," Syaoran just had to point it out.
" Anyway, that's when I came up with a plan," Sakura rolled her eyes at Syaoran's comment but there was a part of her which agreed with the outrageous comment. " I really did want to become a goddess, and it didn't really matter if I won the little competition to be goddess because all I had to do was read the poem. I could've done that at anytime I wanted but I had to be there at the ceremony. They had hurt your father I could tell that much and all I wanted to do was to clear things up as soon as possible, and it would be very difficult to get there without Syaoran's help so I said the poem."
" Wow... You're a goddess?" Xiao Lang's eyes opened in surprise.
" I guess so, but I wasn't the winner of the competition, I couldn't be since I was already a goddess," Sakura had to make sure that Xiao Lang understood that.
" So who was then?"
" That would be your aunt Tomoyo," Syaoran stretched his arms out into the air. Even he was trying it hard to stay awake. There was no point in trying to hide it or going back to sleep because he knew that Xiao Lang would beg him to finish the story.
" Really?" Xiao Lang's eyes opened even wider than it had ever done. Even Sakura didn't think that it would be possible.
" Really, really," Sakura smiled, she used to do the 'really' thing when she was younger and it brought back nice memories.
" So your mother wanted to tell Masaki that she was his granddaughter and that she was a goddess etcetera etcetera... The end!"
" What does that mean?" Xiao Lang tugged at his mother's pajamas.
" It means... And then all the rest. Something like that," Sakura patted his head.
" But... Is that it?"
" Pretty much," Sakura smiled sweetly but couldn't help but feel that there was something she was missing out.
" But... You never said about the photo yet!" Xiao Lang squeaked.
" Well... I hadn't really gotten over my mother's death. Not until I saw her again. Even though she had passed away she was still in the void, looking over me. So, your great-grandfather made arrangements for me to see her for one last time. I was overwhelmed. I had been given much more than I deserved. So I took your father's hand and I saw my mother. She... Smiled. She told me that she was so proud of me and I let go of the pain that I felt the instant she hugged me." There was a slight strain in her voice but it wasn't because she was sad. It was because she was so happy that she was given a chance. It's not every day that you get the chance to see someone who has departed.
And so the story ends just as it began, only with past scars healed and loose ends tied up. There were so many things to say and yet so little words to put it in. There are so many shoulda, woulda, couldas in this story but if Nadeshiko hadn't become a mortal, Sakura never would've been born, if she hadn't been born, Xiao Lang never would've heard her story, if he hadn't heard her story, you never would've had the chance to share this tale.
They say the end is the end. For now, I hope your ending will be kind to you for no matter how it ends the result will always be the same.
The end.