"Three Jewels Enchanted: Change of Heart "
by Seventh Faythes
Robin: Here it is, folks!
Xiao Lei: The Encantadia Theme song fic!
Jezareth: The translation's a bit off, since none of us are really good at it, but we did our best!
Xiu Ying: You don't have to fully understand the song, 'coz it's better if you manage to get your hands on an mp3. The sound's really good!
Disclaimer: Seventh Faythes do not own any CCS characters that all belong to marvelous CLAMP ladies. Though Jeza and I agree that owning Syaoran would be quite a dream….This fic is also based on the uber-cool tele-fantasya (television Fantasy show) here in the Philippines, Encantadia, which, by the way, is sweeping us by storm. The song is sung by Jerome John Hughes and Karylle.
Danny: Some scenes are really mushy, since this would be a little break from all the action scenes. And after all, this is a romance fic too.
Seventh Faythes: On with the fic!
+Change of Heart+
featuring: "Mahiwagang Puso" (Magical Heart)
Theme song of Encantadia
Since that day in the forest, Sakura felt a lot more…comfortable around the king. Those cold stares appeared warm to her. Sometimes, she would even smile when he glared at her, and even waved. Of course, she refused to tell anyone about the sudden change of attitude. Even just reminiscing about what happened in the forest made her blush to the roots of her hair.
"Oh please, Sakura! Are you certain that he has nothing to do with your strange behavior?" Jenith asked her one day as they strolled around the gardens.
"Oh, I'm positive!" Sakura cupped a Silver Moonlight blossom with her hands and smelled its sweet aroma. Now she fully understood why her mother loved these flowers.
Jenith did not look contented. "You are hiding something from me and Tomoyo, are you not?"
"I told you, Jen," Sakura replied slightly exasperatedly, calling Jenith by the nickname Sakura had given her, "nothing happened. It's just that it took me quite a while to warm up to the place. Even to his highness."
"Lady Sakura, I refuse to be fooled by such words! I sense something, and Stella is telling me that as well."
"Stella? Who's that?"
"Stella is the spirit of my celestial stone. But enough of that! I beg of you to tell me what you are keeping."
Sakura only smiled and skipped off. Jenith sighed and shook her head. Crossing her arms over her chest, she said, "She may try her best to avoid me, but I will get the information that I seek." She smiled and turned back. She walked back into the castle.
+inside+
"Sei'sa! Nu an wagga un valas? (What were you doing outside?)" Yue ran to welcome the princess as she entered the castle.
"Oh, nothing dangerous, I assure you. I was simply conversing with Lady Sakura. I do not believe that is something that will put me in distress." She continued walking and passed him. However, she turned around for a moment and smiled at him. Yue was surprised and blushed. He looked down at his feet and then bowed.
"Very well then. I shall return to my post."
"Uh, Yue?"
"Yes?"
"I do not have anyone to be of my acquaintance right now. Would you mind if you escort me to the throne room?"
Yue shook his head. "Not at all, princess. I am at your command."
+later+
Sakura watched by the bank of the lake as Keroberos and Spinel tried to catch Senritsumon and Lupinelightning. They were getting each other awfully wet, playing in the middle of the lake.
"Come on, Suppi! You could do better than that!" Lupinelightning taunted, cicling around Spinel. The black panther looked very much annoyed and tried to paw him, but the tiny Illusion Dragon was too quick. "Hahaha! Suppi's angry!"
"Here, Lady Sakura!" Senritsumon floated close to the water and scooped up a handful. Then she threw it at Sakura.
Sakura also scooped up water and tried to soak the elusive sprite. "Hahaha! Take this!"
"Lady Sakura! It is getting quite late. You and the others must go in now," Ruby moon reminded them, floating next to Sakura.
"Oh, alright, Ruby Moon. We'll go in after a few minutes."
"Very well, Lady Sakura. I shall ask the maids to prepare your room." Ruby Moon stretched her wings and flew back.
"Ruby Moon is right. We should all be going back now." Sakura looked up at the setting sun. Half of the sky was already colored indigo. Meaning night was very near.
Her four companions got out of the water and headed off before her. Sakura stood up and followed them, but she suddenly heard some giggling behind her. She turned around, but no one was there.
"Lady Sakura? Are you not coming?"
"Oh, after you, guys. I'm only gonna look at something…"
Senritsumon nodded and followed the others. When they had disappeared from sight, Sakura turned back around.
"You can come out now. I know you're there."
The ever familiar Luna sprites came out from their hiding places and encircled Sakura, still their usual giggly selves.
"You never stop giggling now, do you? What d'you want now?"
The sprites pulled at her sleeve and pointed to the entrance to the forest on the other side of the lake.
"You want me to go there?"
The sprites nodded. Sakura put on her slippers and crossed the bridge that ran over the lake. The sprites pulled her by the hand, making her go a bit faster.
+meanwhile+
Syaoran stared up at the dimming sky. He had just finished his usual meditation. 'Funny,' he thought. 'It's awfully silent. Where have my sprites gone to?'
"H-hey! W-wait! N-not too fast!"
He turned around and found his missing sprites pulling Sakura to where he was. They stopped when they finally saw that they met up again alone in another forest.
"A-ah…H-hello, y-you're highness?"
'Please, call me Syaoran,' he told her, turning away and scratching the back of his neck. Sakura was quite surprised. That behavior was definitely like the Syaoran she knew. He was showing some signs of uneasiness.
"Uhm…Alright…Syaoran," she said with a smile.
The sprites flew back to their master and one of them whispered something in his ear. Syaoran flushed red.
'W-what!'
The sprites backed off, and giggled even harder. Sakura was clueless. "What what? What did they say?"
'N-nothing! It would be better if you do not find out!' Syaoran waved his hands before him, clearly trying to cover something. Sakura tilted her head to one side and raised her brow.
"Are you sure?"
'Positive!'
"What are you doing here anyway?"
Syaoran calmed up a bit and sighed. 'Meditating. But I am done now. We should be going back to the castle. They must be awaiting our arrival.'
Sakura nodded and turned around. But the sprites took her by her clothes again and pulled her away, much to her and Syaoran's surprise. "H-h-hoe! Where are you taking me!" she squealed as they pulled her away.
'What are you doing! I command that you release her immediately!' Syaoran demanded. But some of the sprites only pushed him as well, resisting his authority.
The sprites led them out of the forest the other way. When they were out of the trees, they found that night had completely fallen and that they were in a meadow full of blooming Silver Moonlight plants. The night sky was clearly visible as well, and the animals had abandoned the meadow as though a mysterious force reckoned them to.
"Beautiful…" Sakura muttered.
Syaoran stole a glance at her. The moonlight was bathing her face, and the breeze was toying with her brown hair. It took a lot of strength for Syaoran to turn away. His heartbeat was racing uncontrollably. 'What is this? My chest…'
"And it's full of Silver Moonlights too! If my mother would only see this…"
Sakura ran to the middle of the field with a wide smile on her face. She tripped on a rock though, and fell. Syaoran ran to her and helped her up. The sprites also wanted to follow him, but something held them back.
'No, little sprites. Let them be. This will teach Syaoran the most important feeling that will set him free from Agate's curse. Let them be.'
The sprites all nodded and flew off. The absence of their giggling only added to the mysterious silence of the night.
'Are you unhurt?'
"Yes, I-"
Sakura suddenly stopped when she saw how close their faces where. Their lips were inches away, and Syaoran had his hands on her shoulders. She blushed immediately, and so did he.
Syaoran pulled her up and withdrew. 'I-I am sorry. Forgive me.'
"I-It's okay…I mean fine. I-I'm not seriously hurt or anything…"
Syaoran pointed to one of the flowers and one of them detached itself from the bush and flew to Sakura. It lodged itself behind Sakura's ear. Sakura touched the flower and blushed profusely.
"T-thank y-you…"
'I-It looks great on you.'
Sakura smiled and turned around to face Syaoran. But her ankle suddenly gave way and she fell again. Luckily he was there to catch her again.
Hindi sapat ang isang awitin
Kahit tapat man ang damdamin
At kulang pang magpaalipin sa'yo giliw
(One song is not enough
Even if it is true to the heart
And being your slave would still not suffice)
'What happened to you?'
"M-my a-ankle…I t-think I t-twisted it…"
'Do not move.'
Syaoran bent down and touched her ankle. A silver light came from beneath his hand and her ankle healed. Syaoran straightened up again. 'Is that better?'
"Y-yes, m-much better, t-thank y-you, again…"
Syaoran looked at the flower behind her ear and his eyes suddenly showed a twinkle of sadness. It did not escape Sakura's notice.
"W-what's wrong, Syaoran?"
'Nothing. I just remembered that my father used to grow Silver Moonlights before. And that he usually offered those flowers to my mother.'
Sakura suddenly remembered what she saw in his past. Syaoran looked so sad, and the streaks of moonlight on his face only heightened that feeling. Sakura felt hurt at the sight of him and gently touched the side of his face.
Kunin ko man lahat ng mga tala
Sa akin ay di ka dapat maawa
Higit pa riyan ang aking gagawin
Upang iyong dinggin
(Even if I gather all the stars
You should not pity me
I will do much more than that
Just to make you notice me)
Syaoran was surprised by her touch. Sakura made a few withdrawals, but she touched his cheek and lightly ran her fingers over his skin. He welcomed the feel of her fingertips and looked at her straight in the eyes. They locked stares, but this time neither turned away.
Sakura could feel her heart throbbing in her chest. She was losing herself, she knew that. But she did not want to ruin the moment. Syaoran traced her lips with his finger, and her eyes widened at the prospect of a kiss.
Ulan man o bagyo
Lindol ng mundo
Ang sigaw ng bulkan
Pipigilin ko, pipigilin ko
Binigyan mo ako ng mahiwagang puso
Tatahakin lahat mapatunayan lang
Ang pag-ibig ko sa'yo
(May it be rain or storm,
Quakes of the earth
The shout of a volcano
I will stop them, I will stop them
You have given me a magical heart
I will do anything just to prove
My love for you)
'I should not be doing this,' Sakura thought. 'He is a fairy. From another world. I don't belong here. Not in his arms at least…'
Sakura tried to hold on to that reason, but everything was washed away as she found herself staring at his lips. Everything just stopped. Before, they might be of different worlds: he was king of the fairies, she was an ordinary human. But right that moment, he was only Syaoran, and she was plainly Sakura.
And that was all that mattered.
Their faces drew nearer, and their eyes closed.
Di man kaibigan ang tadhana
Dinala ka ng iyong paghamak
Sa di mapapantayang hangarin kong ibigin ka
(Destiny may not be on our side,
But what brought you here
Was your own response to my desire to love you)
Their lips almost touched, when they felt water come from above. Looking up, they found that it was raining.
"I-I'm getting wet!" Sakura squealed when the rain grew stronger. Suddenly, she did not feel the rain anymore. When she looked up, there was an invisible barrier acting as their umbrella.
Syaoran was also covering her with his cape, which Sakura guessed was the one projecting the shield. They were only slightly wet, but it was enough to make the both of them shiver in the cold.
"It's so cold…" Sakura was only acting on instinct, and instinct told her to find something warm. She embraced the only thing that was near to her, which coincidentally was Syaoran.
He flushed red, but did not bother to tell her anything. She was shivering uncontrollably, and he somehow pitied her.
Syaoran took off his cape, and the shield disappeared for a moment. He wrapped the cape around the freezing girl, and it shielded her from the rain and warmed her as well. On the other hand, he was freezing to death.
Ulan man o bagyo
Lindol ng mundo
Ang sigaw ng bulkan
Pipigilin ko, pipigilin ko
Binigyan mo ako ng mahiwagang puso
Tatahakin lahat mapatunayan lang
Ang pag-ibig ko sa'yo
(May it be rain or storm,
Quakes of the earth
The shout of a volcano
I will stop them, I will stop them
You have given me a magical heart
I will do anything just to prove
My love for you)
Sakura looked up at him, and the moment that was interrupted a while ago returned. Their faces drew closer and their eyes closed again. Syaoran wrapped his arms around her as their lips touched and locked together in a kiss. Sakura held her face in his hands as she felt his lips upon hers.
Ang sigaw ng bulkan
Pipigilin ko kung ibigin mo
Binigyan mo ako ng mahiwagang puso
Tatahakin lahat mapatunayan lang
Ang pag-ibig ko sa'yo…
(The shout of a volcano
I will stop them if that is what you desire
You have given me a magical heart
I will do anything just to prove
My love for you…)
The magical moment was interrupted when Syaoran suddenly collapsed into Sakura's arms, gasping for death and with a high fever.
"S-Syaoran! Syaoran! What's happening to you!"
Sakura tried her best to lift him up, though it was eating much of her strength.
"He's feverish. He must be really sick. I should get him to the castle quick!"
Using up all the strength she could muster, Sakura dragged herself and the king back to the castle. She did not know that someone was watching them from afar.
Long black hair flowed with the breeze as ruby eyes stared at the two retreating figures. "I see that they are getting closer. The curse is at the brink of being broken. Too bad they are not meant to be."
+at the castle+
Maids and servants rushed around the castle as they hurried to find cures for the sick king. He lay in his bed, gasping for air and burning hot. The servants were all scurrying to find the princess of the star, who might be the only one who could cure her brother.
"Kuda! How is he?" Jenith asked, barging into the king's room. Sakura was sitting beside the bed, shivering as well and still wearing her wet clothes. Syaoran was on the bed, with the blanket covering his body from the neck down.
Jenith walked over to Sakura and was about to heal her, when Sakura stopped her hadn and pointed to Syaoran. "H-he needs y-you more t-than I-I do."
The princess looked at her determined eyes and nodded. She stood beside Syaoran's bed and raised her hands over his body. "Power of the Celestial stone of the Star, please give me the power to heal our king."
Pink force came from beneath her hands and came in circles around Syaoran. Slowly he recovered, and he stopped gasping for breath. In moments he was peacefully asleep.
Then Jenith turned to the other casualty, who was shivering with cold. She placed a hand on her forehead and healed her. Sakura also felt relieved of her burden. "Thanks," Sakura muttered.
Jenith nodded and stood up. "Let us get you dressed in dry clothes. You must be freezing out there for a long time. And you must be exhausted after taking my brother back here." She took Sakura by the arm and helped her up. Before they left, Sakura took one last look at the sleeping Syaoran.
As they walked toward her room, Sakura decided to take a look at Syaoran's cape. She saw something at the hem. She took a look.
It was the symbol of the moon.
The same symbol that was on the cloak the sprites gave her on her first night in Fantasya.
+Wakas+
Jezareth: Ooh! It took her quite long to figure out who sent that cloak!
Xiu Ying: Syaoran-kun is such a gentleman! Offering her his cape and all that…
Xiao Lei: (sigh) But I think there's too much mush here!
Danny: We're right behind you, bro!
Xiu Ying: Oh, pooh! You guys are so wet blankets!
Robin: Can't blame us! You girls are too mushy!
Jezareth: Hey, don't blame me! Xiu Ying was responsible for those "awwww" moments!
Xiu Ying: I like it that way!
Jezareth: Whatever!
Preview:
Sakura and Syaoran had gone far more than just friends. Love is continuing to blossom between them, and he discovers that he is slowly being able to show his emotions externally. But what happens when law and even destiny decides to intervene? And send someone to get in between?
R & R