"Three Jewels Enchanted: The Fatal Revelation"
by: Seventh Faythes
Raimundo: Oh man! School sucks!
Xiao Lei: If you have absolutely no idea what Rai is talking about, school is here and it's got us all in a daze. We're all so busy that we all have only a short time to write fics.
Jezareth: We did manage to write this chap through a sleepover we all had at Xiao Lei and Xiu Ying's house. It was pretty fun but we all ended up hitting the hay at midnight. Waaaayyyy past our bedtimes.
Note: o0o0o0o instant flashbacks o0o0o0o (you know in the anime when they get short flashbacks?)
Xiu Ying: But anyway, it's all for those lovely reviewers!
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.
Seventh Faythes: On with the fic!
+The Fatal Revelation+
Wedding Bells.
Syaoran grimaced at the sound. Usually he was not irritated by the sound. After all, it IS a sound of rejoicing, but to him, it was a dreadful monotonous ring. It was a signal of his own wedding, one that he never wanted.
He was sitting in his room, on the floor, trying desperately to block out the accursed noise. He was only wearing a white shirt and some trousers. His wedding robes lay forgotten on the floor.
"Kuda! Rabas a'n pakshnisuap (please come out)!" Jenith pleaded, pounding on his locked door. No matter what anyone outside would do, that door will not open. Syaoran had laid a spell on it.
'Leave me alone! Leave me alone!' Syaoran screamed in his head. He was the strongest being in Fantasya and yet he cannot even control his own destiny. He could not even choose his own bride.
'Young one…'
'Luna, I want to be alone right now.'
'It is not a good sign to see a person weeping before his wedding.'
'It is not mine. I am not the chooser of this fate. Nor am I its owner.'
'I know, young one. But you must be strong. You must not let a mere difficulty overwhelm you. Somewhere in your heart, you have the strength to defeat this. But you will not reach the bottom if you would not let yourself fall.'
'What do you mean?'
'This does not only concern you, young one. This concerns your siblings as well. If you will not marry, they will not be allowed as well. And I know that you know better than that.'
+moments later+
Jenith was standing outside Syaoran's door. She had chosen to ignore any of the pleas from the guards and maidservants. She was almost crying, not knowing what to do.
"Jenith…"
She looked up and saw her brother. He had used his first word of the day. Candifor had told him to reserve his words for the wedding.
"K-kuda…I-I…."
Syaoran shook his head and tried his best to smile, but failed. He was wearing his wedding robes, and his crown shone brightly atop his chestnut brown hair. His eyes were still blank, but if Sakura had seen them, she would have notice the sad twinkle in them.
Senritsumon flew to the both of them and looked at Syaoran. He stared at the little sprite and tried to convey a mental message to her. It was difficult to return to his old habit. He had been so used to speaking with somebody. Now, it was only a one-way conversation again.
The sprite fluttered low and bowed her head. "Yes, Sei'rih. Everything has been prepared for your nuptials. Your subjects are waiting in the main hall, and so is Candifor. Lady Meilin is being prepared by her maidservants in her room and will be with us shortly."
With a heavy heart, he went before the two girls, his cape flowing behind him. He pulled the cape over him, so that most of his body was hidden beneath it. He did not dare look back at the two of them, for he already knew they were staring at him worriedly. He could feel their stares.
The guards lined up at the hallway leading to the grand ballroom bowed as he passed them. He turned sharply and stopped before the large doors. The two knights bowed and opened the door for him.
'Sakura…'
+Sakura+
Sakura suddenly looked up. She had just heard someone call her name.
"Oh, Sakura, you must be dreaming…"
She was currently in her room, doing her homework. This was her free day. Her classes were dismissed early. Her mother's book was restored to the basement. For most of the morning, she has been trying desperately to erase the memory of Fantasya in her mind.
But it was quite a task; for how can she forget that the king might be getting married right this instant?
"The circumference is equal to the radius-"
o0o0o0o
The boy called Syaoran looked back and forth from Senritsumon and Sakura, and his expression somehow softened. Then he stood up and approached Sakura, who trembled and tried to back further.
Without a word, he bent down, eyes closed, and took her right hand.
And kissed it.
All of a sudden, Sakura's uneasy feeling disappeared. The moment lasted like forever, and she could feel the heat rise to her cheeks.
o0o0o0o
"The formula for the volume of a cylinder is-"
o0o0o0o
Sakura looked up, though, when she saw a hand offered to her. The hand belonged to the king. She was quite confused, and looked to and fro from his face to his hand.
Syaoran rolled his eyes and reached for her hand. Then he pulled her up and led-or rather dragged her to the dance floor. When they reached it, he let go of her. She rubbed her wrists lightly, cowering before his glares. "I-I…do not know what you might want from me but that hurt."
Syaoran took her hand again, but this time more gently. Then he wrapped his free hand around her waist. Sakura was astonished, but somehow eased down when they started swaying to the beat. She laid her other hand on his shoulder, and looked down, her cheeks turning pink.
When she looked up, she found Syaoran staring at her. Their eyes locked together for a moment that lasted forever. Sakura felt like she could stare into those amber spheres perpetually, and all other noise was blocked out of her ears.
She had always thought that Faeries were small creatures, who were only cute. She thought they always had gentle faces. But right now, she was dancing with their king, and he was as tall, taller actually, than her and had this ultimately icy expression which could have chilled her to the bone, if only she was not melting in his arms right now.
o0o0o0o
Sakura buried her face in her math notebook and tried to understand the once familiar numbers that currently seemed like letters from another world. She tried to decipher anything, but memories kept flooding her mind.
o0o0o0o
Sakura continued to blush as Syaoran laid her on her new bed. She sat up, since she was still not that sleepy.
Her face was still beet red as he knelt beside her. "T-thanks…for bringing me here, that is."
He did not appear to hear her though, and instead he took one of her slightly swollen feet and took off her slipper. He did the same with the other foot.
"Oh, you shouldn't-"
She tried to protest, but he lent a deaf ear and continued. He touched one of her feet, and she winced slightly. It really hurt. Then he pushed away the part of her skirt that covered her feet and gently massaged her feet, his hands glowing dim silver. Sakura still continued to blush, but somehow the pain gradually deceased, and so did the swelling. She sighed deeply, as if relieved of a huge burden.
o0o0o0o
"Stop it…please…leave me alone…."
o0o0o0o
'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…
o0o0o0o
Sakura already felt that she was crying. Her homework was getting wet, and her eyes were getting swollen.
She looked at the window and watched as the rain started to fall.
o0o0o0o
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.
o0o0o0o
"Syaoran…."
She walked over to the window and pressed her fingers against the glass pane. She stared at the lone Silver Moonlight that was in a vase sitting on her window ledge. It had not shown effects of withering at all. And the dew that was on its petals when she left Fantasya was still there.
Sakura bent down slightly to smell the flower. It never ailed to remind her of Syaoran. Wherever he went, he carried the same scent. It was probably because the flowers and he have the same element.
"I want to go back…but what if I can't return here anymore?" she muttered to no one in particular.
"Sakura? You there?"
She turned around and saw Yukito, her brother's best friend, come in through her open door. "Oh, Yukito. I didn't know you're here." She tried to wipe away her tears.
"You're crying?" he asked, sitting on her bed. She sat a few inches away from him and shook her head. But just then another tear came out.
"Hey, Sakura. You're almost like my little sis now. If you've got problems, you can tell me. And I promise Touya won't learn anything about them."
Sakura looked at Yukito for a second. He was so kind and brotherly-like. She would have liked him as her big brother. Yukito tilted his head to one side and smiled. Suddenly a memory entered Sakura as she saw his smile.
"Syaoran…"
And she collapsed into Yukito's arms crying.
+Syaoran+
The king looked up as he heard a faint voice call him. He was already standing next to the throne, with Cherrypink and Candifor beside him. He looked around the crowded ballroom to find who it was. The voice was so familiar…
He had already taken a step away when the trumpets began to sound and the doors opened.
The noise was hushed when the bride came in. She was wearing a beautiful white gown, with a veil over her face and a bouquet of Silver Moonlights in her hands. Candifor's sprites were escorting her down the aisle, scattering flowers in her way.
Syaoran felt like he needed to escape. Something inside him was telling him to. He tried to find a reason to, but he knew he would be putting a lot at stake if he did. For one, Fantasya will be in utter chaos. And then his beloved siblings would never be able to marry. It killed him to watch Eriol stand beside Tomoyo, her hand in his. And Jenith with Yue…if he did not marry this girl…
Time moved so fast that he soon found himself standing beside the girl, before the high priestess and the guardian of the stones.
"Lady Meilin, chosen bride of Bathala. Do you accept Syaoran, the king of Fantasya as your husband, till death should you two part?" Cherrypink asked.
"I do, with all my heart and soul," Meilin answered.
"And do you, Syaoran, king of all Fantasya, accept Lady Meilin, your destined bride, as your wife, till death should you two part.
Syaoran opened his mouth and tried to force the scripted words out.
Jenith clasped her hands before her chest and closed her eyes as she watched her brother. She could not bear to see him like this. Sakura was the girl he loved. Not Meilin. But Jenith knew he had a large load on his shoulders. Fantasya…everything that was kept in balance for all these millennia will be destroyed…
Eriol gulped and tightened his grip on Tomoyo's hand. She stared at the prince worriedly. Eriol was extremely concerned for his brother as well. He could sense Syaoran's deep longing. He had to do something. This was not right…
+Sakura+
"Now, Sakura, do you mind telling me what's wrong?"
Sakura straightened up and nodded. She wiped her tears away and turned away from Yukito, staring at her window again.
"Yukito…What would you do if you…if the person you loved the most lived…f-far away…and then…if you were to be with him…t-there might be a c-chance that you may never r-return to your family or your friends? Would you join him…or will you stay?"
Yukito thought for a moment before he smiled and stood up. Sakura stared at him.
"Well, I must admit that family and friends are important. But so is love. There is only one right person for you in this world. If you miss the chance, it might never come once again. If you don't hold on to that person, he might be gone. And you will only spend the rest of your life in regret. It's better to fall and let someone catch you than to stay stranded forever."
"Hoe?"
"You said there was only a chance that you might not return. So there might be a chance that you can return."
Sakura rerun everything he said in her mind a second time and smiled. "Yes…I get it now. Thanks, Yukito." Her eyes traveled over to her alarm clock. She bolted upright and screamed.
"Four fifteen! I've only got fifteen more minutes before-"
"I'll take you."
"Y-yukito?"
"Touya lent me his motorbike. I'll bet you anything it can get you there fast. Wherever there is."
Sakura nodded. "Okay. But let me get something first." With that she rushed down the stairs and into the basement."
+Syaoran+
"Well, King Syaoran? Do you accept Lady Meilin or not?" Cherrypink asked again.
Syaoran's breath was rapid and short. His heart was breathing wildly, and Sakura's memory kept replaying in his mind. If he married Meilin…what would happen?
'Sakura…what should I do?'
'Do what your heart tells you, young one. Your heart knows what is best for you. Do what your father might have done.'
'Yes…my father….'
"I…do not."
Gasps of surprise came from the crowd. Syaoran clenched his fists. He did not bother to look at Meilin's surprised face. He tried to keep the determination evident in his face. He did not want her.
"D-did I hear you right, your highness?"
"Clearly, Candifor."
"B-but why?"
"Because Syaoran has done something the rest of us are too afraid to do," Eriol answered, stepping forward.
Jenith stepped up as well and placed her right hand on her chest. "He has chosen to follow his heart."
"But what could that do for Fantasya? One's heart can only be the cause of suffering."
"You are wrong, Candifor. It may be the cause of suffering but it brings happiness as well. If not for the heart, our mother would have carelessly abandoned Syaoran, and you might not have a ruler this moment. If not for the heart, the gems that are in our possession would have never been protected. If not for the heart, Lady Sakura would have never saved our king. If not for the heart, kuda would have never felt free to express his emotions once again," the princess appealed to the crowd.
"Listen to me, people of Fantasya. I know that you have noticed changes in my younger brother since Lady Sakura came. Our rulers give too much just to keep Fantasya in peace. Is it not time that we give them the gift to decide their future? Their spouse?"
The people looked at each other and nodded approvingly. Then they erupted in cheers for the brave prince.
Syaoran turned around and looked at all the people cheering for him. He smiled inwardly. If only Sakura…
"Hahahaha! You Faeries truly are foolish!" Meilin yelled as she cackled. Candifor and Cherrypink joined her as well. Syaoran stepped back, and his siblings ran to his side.
"What is the meaning of this?" Eriol demanded.
Meilin stopped laughing and turned to the three of them, her ruby eyes ablaze. She pulled out a sword from her back and pointed it at Syaoran. "This, prince of the Sun, was a perfectly planned plot destroyed by your king's stupidity. But now it is time for revelation."
Candifor and Cherrypink disappeared in a whiff of smoke. The smoke surrounded Meilin and transformed her. She grew taller, and her clothes changed as well. Her ruby eyes turned black, and when the smoke had cleared…
"Agate!" Eriol and Jenith chorused.
"That is right, my young adversaries. It would have gone well, if only none of you had interfered. Now I shall make sure that this is the last time you do so!"
The door slammed open and goblins stormed into the castle. People screamed and scattered as the goblins ruined everything in sight.
"How ironic is this? The most peaceful place in all Fantasya being the center of war?" Agate mocked as she encircled the three children. They were left weaponless…
"Hyaahh!" She attacked, aiming straight for Syaoran.
"Sei'rih!" Yue saw what was happening and instantly threw the king's sword, which he was given to guard. Syaoran caught it and successfully blocked Agate's attack.
"Surrender, Syaoran. There is nothing you can do now."
'Probably…but for everyone's sake…even for Sakura's…'
+Sakura+
Sakura was startled when she felt a shiver involuntarily course through her system. She was riding behind Yukito as they zoomed on Touya's scooter.
'That feeling…Syaoran's in danger…'
"Can't we go any faster, Yukito?"
"This is the fastest we can go, I think. But hold on tight. I'm going to floor the gas pedal!"
Sakura tightened her grip around Yukito's waist as they went faster. Her mother's book was around her arms as well. They only had five more minutes before the deadline, and it was still quite far from Miss Mizuki's house. Sakura closed her eyes and prayed that they should get there on time.
'Syaoran…wait for me…please…'
+Wakas+
Danny: Oh man! Bitin talaga!
Raimundo: If you didn't underastand what Danny meant, it means it's quite a cliffhanger.
Jezareth: Of course! If we finished everything right now, it wouldn't be the Seventh Faythes style, right?
Xiu Ying: Sorry if you think the characters, mostly Yukito, are a bit OOC. As we've said, we are in serious need of sleep and currently out of cash cause we had to go out and buy an internet card just to post this chap.
Jezareth: Yeah! In fact, we are currently trying to keep awake by using dozens of glasses of hot chocolate…(Robin's using coffee, but he's dozing off already)
Preview:
The moment of war has come. The Faeries and their comrades-in-arms against the goblins that are constantly growing stronger. Things take a terrible turn for the worst, as the faeries try desperately to emerge victorious. But in the end…who will truly prevail, when the darkest Celestial stone has revealed its true power?
R & R