Within Arms Reach
The Petal's Tears

By AnimeGamer

Dedicated to those who didnt give up because they werent in arms reach.

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Love.

Love is a word you can easily toss around, yet, have to be careful to use. One misinterpetation and you can accidentally ruin another's life, and by a side-effect ruin your own. So if you are careful, things will be smoother, right? Wrong. This is what the shy-minded guy thinks about the girl he loves. It's always full of philosophy and self-doubt. He always thinks for the others around him, never himself, never wanting to be greedy. Never wanting to go forward, always wanting time to go back to to stay still.

Yet...there is one fear the shy guy fears...himself. He fears his own evilness, so he walls himself up. He places his secret thoughts, fears, and emotions behind this wall, putting in front of it a imaginary persona. Yet, at night, by himself, he lets everything behind that wall out, and puts it away in the presence of others...

^^^^^^^^^^

A shaggy amber haired teenager stood on top of his roof. He stood on the edge, looking out into what seemed like a vast ocean. The sea breeze ruffling through his hair, the sword he was carrying shined brightly from the rising sun. He looked out, as if he wanted to fly out into the white sky and go to the red orb in front of him. He sighed though, and lept off the ceiling down three floors below and landed on his feet. A normal person would've broke their legs, but this boy had special training, skills taught and handed down generation to generation of his family.

This family put tremendous pressure upon him. This family was the Li family. The Li's were quite a big family, with 5 elders at the head. These 5 elders controlled the whole family, literally. They sent the boy forth, whom was expected to be the greatest Li clan cardcaptor in generations, only to return, happy, but the Li clan elders were dissatisfied that he did not get any of these magical cards that escaped where he was at. They also using their magical powers found out the boy was becoming distant from the family, and confined him to the family mansion, never to set foot outside until he can severe his ties to the people whom he had relations with where he went, Japan, and to re-establish himself to the family.

One preticular person truely held his heart though, in Japan. The last time he seen her, she was a 10 year old golden brown short-haired, bright-emerald eyed girl. He wished every passing day for 6 years he would see her again. The teenager, Syaoran Li, ran, and stopped at a pond. He looked at himself. He was the attention of all the girls that came to his family mansion, for he had a irresistible charm, but he kept those girls away. He kept all the girls that tried to advance on him away, kept out from the wall that held his inner most thoughts. Even to whom he was still engaged to by force, Meilin Rae Li.

"Xaolan!" A sharp cry called forth. Syaoran looked to where the call came from, and a girl with jet black hair, brown eyes, and a slim but fit figure stood, her hair in two pigtails.
"Xaolan...the elders are expecting you." Meilin simply said. Syaoran only nodded, and followed her back to the mansion.

**********

A golden brown long-haired teenager stood on top of a cliff. The rising sun behind her, the light reflected off the ocean toward the east, as if to create a bridge. Her dark jade eyes bleed navy blue tears, the wind carried those tears off, as if they were flying. She fell to her knees, sobbing, all her tears flying off into the ocean. She stared out into the ocean, as if on the other side their was a pot of gold waiting for her.

There was a pot of gold waiting for her. Yet, it was too far for her to reach. That pot of gold was a shaggy amber haired boy, though he was 10, she waited 6 years for his return. Every weekend for 52 straight weeks she tried to fly as far as she could across this ocean, but couldn't. Fly? How can she fly? you ask. She has a magic wand and a set of magical cards that allow her magical powers. Yet, even equipped with this magic, she could not reach that pot of gold.

Another girl approached, she had long violet flowing hair. She gently placed her firm hand on the other girl's shoulder.

"Sakura Kinamoto, it's time to go to school...Syaoran Li will come for you. I know he will."

The violet haired girl left the golden browned haired girl at the cliff. Cherry Blossoms from a nearby Cherry Blossom tree flew out toward the ocean, flying right pass Sakura, flying with her tears.

"Syaoran..."

**********

Syaoran Li stood on the roof of his families mansion, the sun going down behind him. He was looking out toward that vast ocean again. Suddenly, flower pedals flew pass him. Not just any flower pedals, Cherry Blossoms. Suddenly, tears from an unknown person began to hit his heart, each drop engraving itself onto his green shirt. The warmth, the feeling, the aura of the drops gave away whom's they were.

"These tears...they're...Sakura's..."

Syaoran just stood there, until finally, the cherry blossoms stopped coming, as did the tears. He clutched his chest, looking down where his hand is. He decided then...to find somehow a way to return to the land of the rising sun.

He woke up in the morning, and immediately got up. He grabbed his sword and his fols, and a bag. Just before he got out the door, a jet black haired girl stood in the way.

"You are not going anywhere besides here Xaolan. The Li Elders told me of what your going to do." Meilin said sternly.
"Then you try stopping me." Syaoran said coldly, pushing his way around Meilin, and took off in a dash. Meilin managed to keep up, as Syaoran ran outside.
"Xaolan! She has given up on you! Those tears are broken glass panes of your promise!" Meilin yelled out to Syaoran, and he stopped, and Meilin got in front of him.
"Leave her be Syaoran. It was just a silly crush, she most likely has forgotten about you by now. She is most likely in love with someone else by now." Meilin said pervasively. Syaoran didnt buy into it though, and it showed on his stern face.
"I wont believe it, not until I see it." Syaoran dashed off again, but in front of the gate leading outside were two guards and Syaoran's mother.
"Xaolan, leave the mistress alone. She is our enemy."
"Your enemy, not mine!"
"Xaolan, you do not know what you are saying."
"I know excatly what im saying, and im leaving, with or without the elder's permission."
"But by doing this, the clan will disown you."
"Then let them do that. I'm taking my chances right now."
"I will not let you pass! I cannot let you wreck your own future!"
"My future lies out there! What future is great if im unhappy? Im leaving and there is nothing that is going to stop me!"

Syaoran dashed toward the gate, the guards charged, and threw sleep bombs, but Syaoran held his breath and ran right through it and the guards tried to grab Syaoran but he was to quick and he got by both of them. He lept off the ground, about to go over the gate, when Meilin managed to grab Syaoran's foot and brought him back down. Syaoran landed on the ground with his other foot, and did a quick turn and tried to kick Meilin in the face, she dodged it, but let go of Syaoran's foot, and he backflipped and backflipped over the gate. Meilin jumped over the gate, but by that time, Syaoran dashed off toward downtown Hong Kong.

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Hey, im back again! Unfortunately, this'll be a short 2-3 part story. That's mainly because I dont have as much time as I used to write, and I dont want to leave a story for maybe a whole month without another part (it could happen too if I tried for another 12-16 part story). So this story is more of a "hey, im still around" type story, that'll just be short. Oh yeah, as soon as I square everything away irl at school and stuff, I'll write another 2-3 part story and then start on the 4th "Long Day" story (the 3rd offically though, since the original story has been lost). As to when this might happen, it might start to happen after the 21st of April of 2001(hopefully). Anyway, that is it, peace out.

-AnimeGamer (Syaoran of CCS to all you ppl who know me on AIM)
-Silver (Ag+)

P.S. Hey lookie! Im working on my Hemingway-type writing! (It's not even close though...)