Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ The New Cousin ❯ Christmas and Decisions ( Chapter 2 )

[ A - All Readers ]

A young boy about three years old with amber eyes and tousled brown
hair jumps onto the bed he shares with his older cousin.

A muffled groan comes out from under the covers as Dina wakes up as
Syaoran lands on her and starts to shout. "Dia!! It's Christmas! Wake
up!!"

Dina frowns up at him, her expression becoming annoyed as she glances
out the window and sees it's still dark both outside and in the room.
"Xiao Lang, it's not even dawn yet. No one besides you is going to be
up. Now go back to bed."

Syaoran pouts, looking sad. "But Dia..Santa came!" He bounces up and
down again making his cousin become even more annoyed.

The eight year old girl sighs and then with a very fast movement,
lunges and tackles her three year old cousin to her now messy bed and
starts to tickle him. "I got you now!" She tries to take his mind off
of Santa because she doesn't want to be the one to tell him that Santa
doesn't exist.

The boy shrieks loudly, wiggling under her to get free but can't since
his cousin is so much larger. "No!"

Dina keeps tickling him, grinning. "Now will you go back to sleep,
little wolf, because it's still dark and I'm tired." She watches him,
still holding him down. "Xiao Lang, your mother won't be happy if she
wakes up this early."

He nods and curls against his cousin, sharing a room with her since he
hates being alone. "Dia?"

"I thought you were going to go back to sleep, little cousin." Comes
Dina's reply and despite her being tired and woken up so rudely, she's
very patient with him. She turns her head to look at him, curious. "Is
something bothering you?"

He nods slowly as he puts his small arms around her. "Sorry Dia for
waking you up." Syaoran doesn't hear her answer for after he speaks,
he falls back asleep next to her.

Dina smiles, hugging her younger cousin and whispers. "It's alright,
little wolf. I know what it's like to be excited about it being
Christmas morning." The girl falls back asleep, neither her nor
Syaoran having noticed the tall woman standing in the opened doorway
holding a camera and smiling.

Yelan smiles at the picture her niece and son make, thinking it's so
cute and glad she took a picture of them. "This will look so nice in
the album."

What seems like only minutes later, Dina again is awoken rudely by the
same small boy who seems to take some kind of pleasure in jumping on
top of her.

"Xiao Lang!! You better run!" Dina sits up really fast, shouting at
her cousin.

Eyes wide, the boy slides off the bed and runs off with his older
cousin chasing him downstairs.

"Momma!! Help! Dia's gonna kill me!" Syaoran slides behind his mother,
wrapping his arms around her leg, trying to hide from Dina.

Yelan looks down at her son. "There must be a reason for her trying
that. Now what did you do to her?" She is trying her best to hide her
amusement and glances to Dina then back at Syaoran.

Syaoran looks down, sheepish. "I jumped on her again." He refuses to
meet her eyes.

Dina sighs and walks over. "Don't be sad, cousin. And I wasn't going
to hurt you." The girl hugs him then lets him get on her back,
bringing him over to the tree. "Look, we have gifts to unwrap."

Syaoran brightens and slides down then starts to rip into his gifts,
looking up when he hears laughter. His cousin had stuck a large, pink
bow on his head as she had opened her own gifts. Syaoran glares at
her, yanking the bow off and whines. "Eww pink!"

Dina giggles as he scowls at her and jumps on her, shouting. "Dia!!!"

Yelan smiles at the picture they make, knowing that despite how
annoyed they get at each other, they still care a great deal for the
other. "Now children, this is not the time to make that much noise."

The two look up sheepishly and nod, speaking at the same time. "Yes
Momma/Aunt Yelan."

Dina looks through her gifts, studying the book of magic spells she
got along with a sword, ceremonial robes, a hat, a doll and some other
toys that had nothing to do with magic. "Aunt Yelan?"

"Yes, dear?"

"Is something bad going to happen?" For once the eight-year-old is
very serious, almost like her mother.

Yelan gets a thoughtful look on her face, wondering if it's best to
tell her that in seven years her cousin might be sent on a mission.
She taps her fingers on the chair's arm, then looks at her niece and
makes a fast decision. "No Dina. Nothing bad is going to happen for
awhile yet. But it is always best to be prepared."

The girl stares at her aunt with a disbelieving look on her face that
clearly says she doesn't believe a word her aunt said. "Then why was I
given these books? And robes? And a sword? Only children who are over
the age of ten gets this stuff Aunt Yelan. I'm only eight."

The older woman smiles sadly, thinking for not the first time that her
spirited niece is too smart for her age with wisdom decades pass her
age as well. "You are more advanced then most eight-year-olds, Dilea
Li and it has been decided that you would do more advanced spells."

The girl winces as her aunt uses her full first name and not her
nickname and in that instance she knows she must be careful where she
steps for this is delicate territory. "Alright Aunt Yelan."

Yelan decides to talk with her sister and see who would be best to
teach Dina the advanced spells, sword work and martial arts. She rises
and turns to leave the living room. "Watch your cousin, Dina. I have
business to take care of."

A bewildered Dina stares at her retreating aunt's back. "On Christmas
Day? What place is opened today?" Dina gets distracted from her
thoughts by a cry and she spins. "Xiao Lang??"

Syaoran sits on the ground, rocking back and forth, Dina's new sword
laying before him with blood on the blade, crying.

"Oh no!" She rushes over and gathers him up, gently feeling the deep
cut. "Hold still, cousin." Dina focuses and sends some of her healing
magic into the cut, healing it fast.

Syaoran sniffs, staring at where he was cut then looks up at her and
squeals. "Magic!"

"Yes that was magic little wolf. Now you know better then to touch
weapons. They aren't toys, Xiao Lang so next time I see you touch my
sword I won't play with you for a week." Dina says, trying to think up
the worse punishment she can give him.

"No!! Don't wanna Dia to leave!" Syaoran wraps his arms around her
waist as she stands, refusing to let go. "My Dia!"

The little boy glares up at her as if he's daring her to disagree with
him and he repeats himself. "My Dia!"

Dina laughs softly, messing up his already messy hair. "Yea whatever
you say, little wolf." As she looks down at him she sighs. "I'm too
soft on you, but you're far too cute for me to stay mad at."

Syaoran blinks, not fully understanding what she meant but knows that
his cousin isn't mad at him any longer and beams up at her, hugging
her tightly then bounces off to play with his toys.

Dina sighs and mutters to herself. "That little boy has me wrapped
around his finger and he knows it. I can't say no to him. This is so
embarrassing." But Dina knows why she is so protective of her little
cousin, having watched her own brother and sister die slowly in that
hospital over a year ago.

Meanwhile in another room, Yelan is talking with Jara. "Sister, your
daughter is very bright for her age, more so then any of the other
children in the clan her age. She might even be smarter then the other
advanced students. We should train her in the advanced spells."

Jara frowns. "This is my daughter you want to endanger? Yes she is
smart but I will not allow her to be endangered not now nor ever! The
advanced spells can wait until she's older."

"Jara, she already has been using spells that most fifteen-year-olds
don't. Dina knows more then we're willingly to believe. Allow me to
train her. I'll take it very slowly if I must but please. We could use
someone knowing these spells and who can actually use them." Yelan
pleads with her sister.

The other woman turns away. "I don't know Yelan, I have no other
children. The twins died one after the other; they were born too soon.
I would give my life to protect my little girl."

Yelan steps forward, placing a hand on her sister's shoulder. "I know.
I would do the same for my children. But Jara, the more she knows the
better she can protect herself. Just say yes and you can put a stop to
it at anytime if you think it's too hard for her."

"Alright, but the moment I believe she has been hurt it is over. And
she goes back to learning the basic spells."

"Agreed sister."

"Where are the children?"

"I left Dina to watch over my son, but I think he got a hold of her
sword and cut himself."

Jara turns at that, frowning. "A sword? I never agreed to that!"

"I didn't either but the elders believe she is at an age and skill
level to have one." Yelan replies trying to keep her younger sister
calm.

With a defeated sigh, Jara sits down. "All I want to do it protect
her."

"Everyone wants to protect their children but there comes a time when
they can't. Sometimes I can not even protect Xiao Lang and he is only
three."

"Yes but Dina is always with him, those two are inseparable, my
sister." Jara says, holding her head in her hands as she sits there.

Yelan watches her sister with concern. "Do not worry about them. They
will be fine, I'm more worried about you."

Jara glances up at her. "I'm fine. I just need time to accept this."