Prologue One: Syaoran's Story
"What?!" he shouted in shock as he heard the horrible news from Meiling. He had just returned to Hong Kong and already thing are going bad.
Meiling looked at her cousin with tear-filled eyes. She clasped her hands infront of her chest. "I'm sorry," she said with a soft voice. She tried hard to hold back bawling. "I tried to convince the Elders that you've found another... but they refused to back down."
Syaoran stared at the ground. He tried to control himself. It took every ounce of his energy to keep him from getting hysterical. He shook his head as he clenched his fists. "So now I have another fiancé?" he asked with a low voice.
Meiling sniffed. The tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Yes," she nodded. She tightened her hands's grasp.
Syaoran looked up at her saddened face. He tried hard to force a smile, but he just couldn't bring himself to. "Why?" he asked.
Meiling looked down. After a moment she looked back up at him. "You're an heir." she said simply. Syaoran didn't understand. She continued, "It's your duty as an heir to the Clan and as a descendant from Clow Reed to marry..." she paused as she inhaled deeply, "from your bloodline." She let it hang as Syaoran tried hard to understand. He couldn't. How could the Elders do that? he thought. How can they force me to marry someone I don't even know?
As Syaoran tried hard to gather his thoughts, Meiling stood with him throughout it all. She continued to sob silently. She knew how much Syaoran loved Sakura. She knew how hard it was to lose someone you love. She felt sick. Syaoran had suffered so much. But to lose someone you love? That hurt the most.
Finally Syaoran spoke. "Who is she?" he asked with a sturdy voice. His eyes were like steel; a brown armor. Armor that hid his true desire; a desire to cry.
Meiling let out a small smile. "Her name's Ayame," she said softly. She loosened the grip she had on her hands.
Syaoran nodded and looked down at the red carpet of his home. He felt a bit embarrassed to ask his next question. "Is she... nice?"
Meiling's smile grew. She nodded. "Yeah." She took Syaoran's hands into her's. He looked up at her. She looked into Syaoran's eyes. Her crimson eyes seemed to shine from the tears.
This surprised Syaoran, for Meiling had never done this before. Not even when they were still engaged, she had never looked into his eyes like she did now.
Meiling smiled at him. "She's really nice, Syaoran. Give her a chance." The sound of Meiling's kind voice overwhelmed Syaoran. He had no choice but to agree to at least meeting her. But one thing still bothered him; what about Sakura?
It was the next morning when Syaoran had agreed to meet Ayame. He stood waiting for her at the flower garden in his village. It was like a museum of flowers. Each and every one of them was organized by their type. And each of them was as beautiful as the next.
He stood at the center court of the garden. There was a stone bench for him to sit on, but he felt it best for him to stand. It was more polite.
As he stood waiting, he wondered why he agreed to meeting her in the first place. He still loved Sakura, but he knew of his duties to the Clan. And something in Meiling's voice told him to. So there he stood, Li Syaoran, waiting to finally meet the girl he'd be marrying. He looked down at his attire. It was a simple outfit - a green oriental shirt with black pants. And though the garb was of his choice, he wondered if it was appropriate enough. But before he could think about changing, his future wife approached him.
She had come through the front gate in which Syaoran was expecting her to come from, but even still, she surprised him. She was nothing like he expected. He expected an ugly duckling, but instead she was a beautiful swan. She had long, silky gray hair. It reached her waist, and draped over her shoulder. Her skin was a lovely complexion, but what amazed Syaoran the most, was her eyes. They were an angelic sky blue, and shined like lovely sapphires.
The two stood about five feet apart. And for a long period of time, no one spoke. Syaoran tried his best to say something, but words failed him.
It was Ayame who broke the silence. "I'm sorry," she said with a soft voice.
Syaoran was surprised. Why was she sorry? he wondered.
"I heard about your..." she paused, "situation." Syaoran understood. She knew about Sakura. Probably from Meiling.
Syaoran, feeling no strength in him to support himself, sat down on the stone bench. He inhaled deeply. "Thank you," he said feeling a bit ridiculous. What else could he say?
Ayame nodded and looked at the ground. She didn't dare take a step closer. Syaoran looked at her. She was wearing a blue Chinese shirt, and black pants. Syaoran smirked. She had the same taste as he did. He put on a warm smile and stood up. "I'm Syaoran," he said as he extended his hand.
Ayame looked up at him and smiled. "Ayame," she said and shook his hand.
Syaoran returned to his home filled with guilt and pain. He had spent the whole day thinking about how he had cheated on Sakura.
When he finally reached his bed, all he could do was lay down and think about what a jerk he was. Just then the phone rang. It took most of his strength just to answer it. "Hello?" he asked, feeling his throat was parched.
"Hello? Syaoran-kun?"
The familiar voice stabbed Syaoran's heart. "S-Sakura..." he said, feeling about as low as a slug. He suddenly heard sobbing. Sakura was crying. Something told Syaoran that whatever this was, it wasn't good.
"I-I can't do this anymore, Li-san." Sakura continued from the other line. The sudden change of names frightened Syaoran. "It's too hard... I, I can't."
Sakura's words cut through Syaoran like knife on butter. He just couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it. After years of longing to be in her arms, he had it. But now she's leaving him; taking away the only thing that held him sane.
Sakura continued to sob. But Syaoran didn't care anymore. If she was going to leave him, very well. He might as well go like a man. "Fine," he said flatly. His voice was stiff and full of hidden pain. "I guess this is 'goodbye' then."
"Syaoran..." Sakura said from the other line.
"No!" Syaoran shouted as he tightened his grip on the phone. He was obviously dying inside. He quickly relaxed himself. And in a more formal voice he said, "This is what you want... Goodbye Kinomoto-san." He quickly slammed the receiver unto the phone. He didn't want to hear what she had to say. He didn't want to hear her at all.
"What?!" he shouted in shock as he heard the horrible news from Meiling. He had just returned to Hong Kong and already thing are going bad.
Meiling looked at her cousin with tear-filled eyes. She clasped her hands infront of her chest. "I'm sorry," she said with a soft voice. She tried hard to hold back bawling. "I tried to convince the Elders that you've found another... but they refused to back down."
Syaoran stared at the ground. He tried to control himself. It took every ounce of his energy to keep him from getting hysterical. He shook his head as he clenched his fists. "So now I have another fiancé?" he asked with a low voice.
Meiling sniffed. The tears began rolling down her cheeks. "Yes," she nodded. She tightened her hands's grasp.
Syaoran looked up at her saddened face. He tried hard to force a smile, but he just couldn't bring himself to. "Why?" he asked.
Meiling looked down. After a moment she looked back up at him. "You're an heir." she said simply. Syaoran didn't understand. She continued, "It's your duty as an heir to the Clan and as a descendant from Clow Reed to marry..." she paused as she inhaled deeply, "from your bloodline." She let it hang as Syaoran tried hard to understand. He couldn't. How could the Elders do that? he thought. How can they force me to marry someone I don't even know?
As Syaoran tried hard to gather his thoughts, Meiling stood with him throughout it all. She continued to sob silently. She knew how much Syaoran loved Sakura. She knew how hard it was to lose someone you love. She felt sick. Syaoran had suffered so much. But to lose someone you love? That hurt the most.
Finally Syaoran spoke. "Who is she?" he asked with a sturdy voice. His eyes were like steel; a brown armor. Armor that hid his true desire; a desire to cry.
Meiling let out a small smile. "Her name's Ayame," she said softly. She loosened the grip she had on her hands.
Syaoran nodded and looked down at the red carpet of his home. He felt a bit embarrassed to ask his next question. "Is she... nice?"
Meiling's smile grew. She nodded. "Yeah." She took Syaoran's hands into her's. He looked up at her. She looked into Syaoran's eyes. Her crimson eyes seemed to shine from the tears.
This surprised Syaoran, for Meiling had never done this before. Not even when they were still engaged, she had never looked into his eyes like she did now.
Meiling smiled at him. "She's really nice, Syaoran. Give her a chance." The sound of Meiling's kind voice overwhelmed Syaoran. He had no choice but to agree to at least meeting her. But one thing still bothered him; what about Sakura?
It was the next morning when Syaoran had agreed to meet Ayame. He stood waiting for her at the flower garden in his village. It was like a museum of flowers. Each and every one of them was organized by their type. And each of them was as beautiful as the next.
He stood at the center court of the garden. There was a stone bench for him to sit on, but he felt it best for him to stand. It was more polite.
As he stood waiting, he wondered why he agreed to meeting her in the first place. He still loved Sakura, but he knew of his duties to the Clan. And something in Meiling's voice told him to. So there he stood, Li Syaoran, waiting to finally meet the girl he'd be marrying. He looked down at his attire. It was a simple outfit - a green oriental shirt with black pants. And though the garb was of his choice, he wondered if it was appropriate enough. But before he could think about changing, his future wife approached him.
She had come through the front gate in which Syaoran was expecting her to come from, but even still, she surprised him. She was nothing like he expected. He expected an ugly duckling, but instead she was a beautiful swan. She had long, silky gray hair. It reached her waist, and draped over her shoulder. Her skin was a lovely complexion, but what amazed Syaoran the most, was her eyes. They were an angelic sky blue, and shined like lovely sapphires.
The two stood about five feet apart. And for a long period of time, no one spoke. Syaoran tried his best to say something, but words failed him.
It was Ayame who broke the silence. "I'm sorry," she said with a soft voice.
Syaoran was surprised. Why was she sorry? he wondered.
"I heard about your..." she paused, "situation." Syaoran understood. She knew about Sakura. Probably from Meiling.
Syaoran, feeling no strength in him to support himself, sat down on the stone bench. He inhaled deeply. "Thank you," he said feeling a bit ridiculous. What else could he say?
Ayame nodded and looked at the ground. She didn't dare take a step closer. Syaoran looked at her. She was wearing a blue Chinese shirt, and black pants. Syaoran smirked. She had the same taste as he did. He put on a warm smile and stood up. "I'm Syaoran," he said as he extended his hand.
Ayame looked up at him and smiled. "Ayame," she said and shook his hand.
Syaoran returned to his home filled with guilt and pain. He had spent the whole day thinking about how he had cheated on Sakura.
When he finally reached his bed, all he could do was lay down and think about what a jerk he was. Just then the phone rang. It took most of his strength just to answer it. "Hello?" he asked, feeling his throat was parched.
"Hello? Syaoran-kun?"
The familiar voice stabbed Syaoran's heart. "S-Sakura..." he said, feeling about as low as a slug. He suddenly heard sobbing. Sakura was crying. Something told Syaoran that whatever this was, it wasn't good.
"I-I can't do this anymore, Li-san." Sakura continued from the other line. The sudden change of names frightened Syaoran. "It's too hard... I, I can't."
Sakura's words cut through Syaoran like knife on butter. He just couldn't believe it. He refused to believe it. After years of longing to be in her arms, he had it. But now she's leaving him; taking away the only thing that held him sane.
Sakura continued to sob. But Syaoran didn't care anymore. If she was going to leave him, very well. He might as well go like a man. "Fine," he said flatly. His voice was stiff and full of hidden pain. "I guess this is 'goodbye' then."
"Syaoran..." Sakura said from the other line.
"No!" Syaoran shouted as he tightened his grip on the phone. He was obviously dying inside. He quickly relaxed himself. And in a more formal voice he said, "This is what you want... Goodbye Kinomoto-san." He quickly slammed the receiver unto the phone. He didn't want to hear what she had to say. He didn't want to hear her at all.