"Sakura you're pathetic!" Syaoran stood over the body of the creature he had just saved Sakura from. The girl herself was still on the floor, eyes wide at what Syaoran had just said to her.
Slowly she stood, "I wasn't prepared for it" she stated voice deadpan
Syaoran took a step back, only just noting Sakura's state, her legs were bleeding, not from the creature but from where he had thrown her to the side, however anger won over his urge to comfort and he heard himself quoting the elder who taught him "You should always be prepared! Always! I can't always look after you!"
Sakura's eyes hardened "For a man who says he loves me, you can be so harsh Li, perhaps you shouldn't 'look after' me anymore"
That stung, Sakura hadn't used his surname since they had begun dating, He opened his mouth to protest but Sakura was gone.
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"Aunt Yelan! Thank you so much for giving me this loan!" Meiling's red eyes were shining with happiness and the bow to her aunt was almost to the floor, Yelan laughed and hugged her niece.
"I am so glad you want to do anything after your engagement was broken up, this academy sounds wonderful! Do not think of it as a loan though Meiling, for I consider it an investment"
"It's pretty much what I've been training for all my life" Meiling smiled…students of her own…..
"To Li's martial arts academy" Yelan raised a small glass of Sake to a toast, one which Meiling joined.
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Sakura was outside listening with her hand on the door, grief from Syaoran's words still stinging were in contention with the news she had just found out, her father and brother had just been in a plane crash – they were dead.
Sakura took a deep breath, she had come to find Syaoran, rush into his arms, and hear him promise it would be alright, instead the creature had come from nowhere, and Syaoran had called her pathetic, his eyes solid amber as he spoke.
Sakura blinked back tears, she would not cry, her eyes widened as she heard Meiling's words, she had come to Say goodbye to the Li's but now a plan formed in her mind, a plan that would hopefully allow Syaoran to see who was pathetic.
Gently she knocked on the door.
The two women turned to face the intruder but smiled when they saw who it was.
"Sakura!" both cried, Yelan watched as she closed the door
"Where is Syaoran?"
Sakura bit her lip "I don't know….we broke up"
Meiling was at her side in an instant embracing her
"What else is wrong Saku?" Her face was more worried
"M, my Father and brother….they're dead"
Yelan took a deep quick breath and was up in an instant "The plane crash this morning" Sakura nodded tears threatening to overspill.
"That son of mine has bad timing"
"It's always been awful" Sakura wiped her face and took a deep breath "Meiling can I come with you?"
Yelan and Meiling exchanged glances, confused "Why?"
"I want to learn to fight, and I want to help you"
Meiling clapped her hands excitedly "Tomoyo can help too! With you on admin, and helping me teach, her to help with clothes and stuff like that and me to teach it will be wonderful!" Meiling looked at her aunt, who noting how much happier Sakura's aura had become nodded, the pair bowed and ran out of the room, Yelan would not see them again for a very long time.
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That night Syaoran sat moodily at dinner, his training that afternoon had gone awry and a bruise above his cheek showed for it.
Yelan brooded wondering how to brooch the subject of Sakura with her son, she decided to dive in. "Where's Sakura this evening?" she asked
"We had a fight" he replied, with a sigh he put down his fork "I can't find her anywhere"
"Syaoran why did you fight?"
Syaoran slammed down his fists on the table, expecting him to stalk off Yelan was surprised when he stayed. "She allowed herself to be attacked by a daemon dog…of all things…we fought because I told her to be more careful, all I said was that she was pathetic, I didn't mean it"
"Oh Syaoran" Yelan now understood why Sakura went with Meiling "She was distracted for a reason today"
Syaoran frowned "But mother nothing should distract her! She's the card mistress"
Yelan did not want to hear more "Her father and brother, her only close family left DIED today Syaoran"
Syaoran choked, Touya, Fujitaka gone? "I have to find her!" he stood, but a look from Yelan made him pause "What?"
"She's gone"
"WHAT? WHERE?"
"I can't tell you, she will contact you when she is ready Syaoran" With that a tearful Yelan left the room, her son sat brooding in the darkness.
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