Author's note: This is my first fic, but I do hope you enjoy. PLEASE REVIEW! And if you try to flame me for liking the coupling of Meilin and Li, I'll have no choice but to kick your booty out of this universe!
Enjoy! ~Meiling Li
Under the golden-leafed tree: Chapter 1
Ah! The beautiful autumn... Golden leaves falling like jewels into a treasure box, the young, shrill voices squeaking in delight over the approaching holidays... this is my autumn! I will make my move now! Enough of this confinement, I want freedom, real freedom! I am sick of this cage!
Somebody with long white hair stood hidden in the branches of a golden-leafed tree, smiling; an evil glint in her eye. The next second, she was gone.
Clumsy, quick-paced steps instantly broke the silence that, until now, had been hanging over the still autumn world like a beautiful dream.
"Come on Li! I want to show you a really pretty spot! Madison, Meilin, hurry up! I want you to see it too." A blithe, musical voice entreated. "Hurry up! We're almost there; just a little more."
"This better be worth it, Sakura Avalon! I'm wasting precious study-time!" Another female voice, this time somewhat cranky, rang out. But there was a hint of jest in it, as well.
"It is! Come on Meilin!"
About two minutes later, the leaves crinkled as the small group stood beneath the golden-leafed tree.
A tall boy of about fourteen with chestnut-brown hair and dark, serious-looking eyes, but a grin on his face that gave him away happily murmured, "Wow! This is the perfect spot to practice my flute lesson. Sakura, you have great taste. Would you like to try our duet one more time, Meilin?"
A girl of about the same age blushed. She had, over the years, hardly changed her hairstyle. Long, flowing dark masses of midnight-black hair flowed down from her shoulders, and were tied up in cat-ear shaped odangos, two crimson ribbons holding each one in place. "I'd love to Li, but my math teacher told me to work a bit harder on my homework. I decided to prioritize and complete that first. Madison agreed to help me. Boy, high school sure is tough! But I'm happy I made it this far." she sighed.
"Alright." Li seated himself on a high branch of the tree and assembled his flute. "I completed my homework in class, so now it's time for some fun! So, ladies, what shall I play?"
Madison, a silver-haired girl, tall, slim, and pale, smiled softly while Meilin and Sakura blushed furiously.
"Play whatever you want! You're so good we have no favorite songs! We like them all!" All three chanted in unison.
"Ok...I'll play... 'Morning' (always liked that song)" Li smiled and began to play.
"Li. He's good at everything. From sports to music to mathematics, he's always at the top...I wish I could be worthy of him. But that'll never happen. Li loves Sakura...everybody knows that. They're the 'perfect couple'." Sighed Meilin, making sure that nobody heard it.
She had pretended to give Li up a while ago, because she knew that he didn't love her, but that he positively adored Sakura and the latter adored him back. Meilin wanted Li to be happy. But inside she was wretched. It had been as if all during her life, she had been walking through a deep dark cave. But There had always been a light of hope up ahead to guide and encourage her. Now that was gone. Meilin tried to hold back tears of grief. But, knowing that she simply could not cry in front of her friends, she covered her dark emotions with a spunky smile, promising herself to come back to this spot later and cry her heart out. Not like it would change anything, though.
"So, Madison, you said you'd help me out with my math?", Meilin smiled falsely.
"Sure!"
As Madison proceeded with explaining the formula for one of the math questions, Li came down from the tree branch to talk to Sakura. He looked distraught, and Meilin felt as if she almost knew what he was saying. She knew that look as well as her own face. A Clow Card.
Of course, Li wouldn't say anything. He'd just run off, Sakura at his heels. Meilin wasn't at all surprised when he did just that.
Madison, at that moment, looked at her watch and exclaimed that she really had to go help her mom out with the chores. (Of course, Meilin knew very well what Madison was really going to do. The kind, gentle girl was just sparing her feelings.)
Meilin sighed and said that she would finish up her homework here and then go home.
Finally. Everybody was gone.
Taking out a small diary with a picture of her and Li at age four hugging, with a pink heart border around it, Meilin began to write, hot tears pouring down her face.
"October 25, 2001
Why is it that good things never last? I knew, somehow, from the moment our betrothal was announced that it was too good to be true. That's just the way life has always been. There is nothing in it but mere dreams. I can never keep anybody that is close to me. I am alone.
Meilin Rae, I always tell myself, be strong.
But why? Would anybody really care? Nope. Li is always so polite, but he doesn't really care about me at all. I could die and it wouldn't change anything. Li is so icy around me, like I'm some beggar that he is afraid not to be polite to, but nonetheless somebody to be avoided.
This paper is getting so blotched with tears that it's unreadable. I'm pathetic. I hate myself. Well, what's new? I'm Meilin Rae, the unloved, un-cherished girl with pathetic, weak dreams; an embarrassment to Li and Sakura and everybody.
I wish I were like Sakura. She can shed light upon anything. Everybody loves her. Sakura is always needed. And, Li loves her; not me. HER!
Oh Sakura, I envy you! How I do envy you!
Bye."
Meilin then ran off, dropping the paper that she had been writing on.
At that particular moment, Sakura and Li had successfully caught the Charm card, a nasty little fellow with an anti-luck charm, causing slight misfortunes all over town.
Li decided to go home, but Sakura decided to go to the park and rest under "her tree".
As she approached, Sakura noticed a white piece of paper and caught it just in time before the wind blew it away. As luck would have it, it was Meilin's account.
Sakura read it and then dropped it to the ground.
"Poor Meilin...she really loves Li... and, strangely, it seems that, deep inside, Li loves her back."
Suddenly, Sakura had an idea!
Enjoy! ~Meiling Li
Under the golden-leafed tree: Chapter 1
Ah! The beautiful autumn... Golden leaves falling like jewels into a treasure box, the young, shrill voices squeaking in delight over the approaching holidays... this is my autumn! I will make my move now! Enough of this confinement, I want freedom, real freedom! I am sick of this cage!
Somebody with long white hair stood hidden in the branches of a golden-leafed tree, smiling; an evil glint in her eye. The next second, she was gone.
Clumsy, quick-paced steps instantly broke the silence that, until now, had been hanging over the still autumn world like a beautiful dream.
"Come on Li! I want to show you a really pretty spot! Madison, Meilin, hurry up! I want you to see it too." A blithe, musical voice entreated. "Hurry up! We're almost there; just a little more."
"This better be worth it, Sakura Avalon! I'm wasting precious study-time!" Another female voice, this time somewhat cranky, rang out. But there was a hint of jest in it, as well.
"It is! Come on Meilin!"
About two minutes later, the leaves crinkled as the small group stood beneath the golden-leafed tree.
A tall boy of about fourteen with chestnut-brown hair and dark, serious-looking eyes, but a grin on his face that gave him away happily murmured, "Wow! This is the perfect spot to practice my flute lesson. Sakura, you have great taste. Would you like to try our duet one more time, Meilin?"
A girl of about the same age blushed. She had, over the years, hardly changed her hairstyle. Long, flowing dark masses of midnight-black hair flowed down from her shoulders, and were tied up in cat-ear shaped odangos, two crimson ribbons holding each one in place. "I'd love to Li, but my math teacher told me to work a bit harder on my homework. I decided to prioritize and complete that first. Madison agreed to help me. Boy, high school sure is tough! But I'm happy I made it this far." she sighed.
"Alright." Li seated himself on a high branch of the tree and assembled his flute. "I completed my homework in class, so now it's time for some fun! So, ladies, what shall I play?"
Madison, a silver-haired girl, tall, slim, and pale, smiled softly while Meilin and Sakura blushed furiously.
"Play whatever you want! You're so good we have no favorite songs! We like them all!" All three chanted in unison.
"Ok...I'll play... 'Morning' (always liked that song)" Li smiled and began to play.
"Li. He's good at everything. From sports to music to mathematics, he's always at the top...I wish I could be worthy of him. But that'll never happen. Li loves Sakura...everybody knows that. They're the 'perfect couple'." Sighed Meilin, making sure that nobody heard it.
She had pretended to give Li up a while ago, because she knew that he didn't love her, but that he positively adored Sakura and the latter adored him back. Meilin wanted Li to be happy. But inside she was wretched. It had been as if all during her life, she had been walking through a deep dark cave. But There had always been a light of hope up ahead to guide and encourage her. Now that was gone. Meilin tried to hold back tears of grief. But, knowing that she simply could not cry in front of her friends, she covered her dark emotions with a spunky smile, promising herself to come back to this spot later and cry her heart out. Not like it would change anything, though.
"So, Madison, you said you'd help me out with my math?", Meilin smiled falsely.
"Sure!"
As Madison proceeded with explaining the formula for one of the math questions, Li came down from the tree branch to talk to Sakura. He looked distraught, and Meilin felt as if she almost knew what he was saying. She knew that look as well as her own face. A Clow Card.
Of course, Li wouldn't say anything. He'd just run off, Sakura at his heels. Meilin wasn't at all surprised when he did just that.
Madison, at that moment, looked at her watch and exclaimed that she really had to go help her mom out with the chores. (Of course, Meilin knew very well what Madison was really going to do. The kind, gentle girl was just sparing her feelings.)
Meilin sighed and said that she would finish up her homework here and then go home.
Finally. Everybody was gone.
Taking out a small diary with a picture of her and Li at age four hugging, with a pink heart border around it, Meilin began to write, hot tears pouring down her face.
"October 25, 2001
Why is it that good things never last? I knew, somehow, from the moment our betrothal was announced that it was too good to be true. That's just the way life has always been. There is nothing in it but mere dreams. I can never keep anybody that is close to me. I am alone.
Meilin Rae, I always tell myself, be strong.
But why? Would anybody really care? Nope. Li is always so polite, but he doesn't really care about me at all. I could die and it wouldn't change anything. Li is so icy around me, like I'm some beggar that he is afraid not to be polite to, but nonetheless somebody to be avoided.
This paper is getting so blotched with tears that it's unreadable. I'm pathetic. I hate myself. Well, what's new? I'm Meilin Rae, the unloved, un-cherished girl with pathetic, weak dreams; an embarrassment to Li and Sakura and everybody.
I wish I were like Sakura. She can shed light upon anything. Everybody loves her. Sakura is always needed. And, Li loves her; not me. HER!
Oh Sakura, I envy you! How I do envy you!
Bye."
Meilin then ran off, dropping the paper that she had been writing on.
At that particular moment, Sakura and Li had successfully caught the Charm card, a nasty little fellow with an anti-luck charm, causing slight misfortunes all over town.
Li decided to go home, but Sakura decided to go to the park and rest under "her tree".
As she approached, Sakura noticed a white piece of paper and caught it just in time before the wind blew it away. As luck would have it, it was Meilin's account.
Sakura read it and then dropped it to the ground.
"Poor Meilin...she really loves Li... and, strangely, it seems that, deep inside, Li loves her back."
Suddenly, Sakura had an idea!
