Meiling choked, her red-orange eyes flashing in confusion and
alarm. The receiver in
her hand nearly slipped from her grasp, and she clutched her free hand
to the one holding the receiver.
Her mouth moved, but no words escaped.
She swallowed, trying to force down the lump that had formed
instantly in her throat.
"Right Mom… But, what about the Car--… Yes, there are
only a few left but--…" Meiling's features fell into a frown.
"Yes, I think Syaoran could handle it fine, but--"
After a long pause, She nodded. And then realized her mother
couldn't hear her nodding through the telephone line. "Alright…"
Meiling nibbled on her bottom lip, nodding quietly.
The room was silent. Meiling
reached for a pen and she pulled the notebook out of her school bag.
She scribbled on the paper in Chinese character, fighting the
tears that formed slowly in her eyes, sticking to her eyelashes. She sniffled once, and nodded, "Okay… Yes… I love you
too Mom… bye."
Meiling pulled the receiver away from her ear, and pressed the
off button. She
just stared at the phone.
Her face showed that she either wanted to scream, cry, or just
die right on the spot. Maybe
all of the above. She clenched
her eyes shut, and ran to the kitchen, where Syaoran and Wei were
looking over her third failed attempt at a cake. Crying, she ran
to him. He must have heard her wail, since he turned his head to
her.
"SYAORAN!" she screamed through tears.
Without any warning to the boy, she tackled him, flinging her arms
around his waist, sending both of them tumbling to the kitchen
floor. Syaoran just lay on the floor, wincing from the sudden
pain in his body.
"Oi! Meiling, how many times have I told you not to come hugging
me all of a sudden!" he scolded her.
But she did not look up. Syaoran blinked and he looked down at
her face. "Oi, what happened?"
Meiling looked up with tear-filled ruby eyes, her lips trembling while
she lay on top of him, still holding him in her grip. Tears
pooled in the corners of her eyes as she let out a sob, and shook her
head violently, "I don't want to go back!"
Syaoran blinked, his mouth gaped in confusion. She continued to
scream, as if she were pleading with him. As if he could make it so
she would be allowed to stay. Just maybe if he held onto her, and
refused to let go, that maybe she wouldn't have to leave.
Syaoran grabbed her firmly by the shoulders and gave her shake,
"Calm down!"
Meiling's crying and hysterical screams stopped instantly. Her
wide eyes looked directly into his. "Just calm
down..." he repeated in a softer tone, "And tell me, what do
you mean by 'go back'?"
Meiling started sobbing again, talking a mile a minute, with her words
strangled from the tears.
"My mom was on the phone, she says I have to come home!"
"I'll...Clean up the mess." Wei offered.
Syaoran nodded, "Arigatou."
Syaoran put an arm around Meiling, helped her to her feet, and
escorted her to the living room. After ten minutes of trying to calm
and sooth Meiling, her tears finally dried up, and she was able to see
clearly.
"She says..." Meiling began, "That...Grandpa is sick,
and she wants to see him."
Syaoran's eyes widened, "If he's sick, why didn't My
Mother--"
"No. My Mom's father."
Syaoran stopped. Meiling's grandfather on her mother's side was
only a member of the family via marriage. His mother would not
inform him, or ask him to return as well, because they were not
related by blood, nor did he have any relation to Syaoran.
And then the tears began to flow again. But Meiling was silent
this time. Her body was screaming for Syaoran to hold her.
She knew if he just held her, if even for a second, that maybe if
wouldn't seem so bad.
But Syaoran did nothing of the sort. So she did. She
wrapped her arms around him again, suddenly. She breathed in his
scent. He smelled like rain. He always had, but she didn't
know why. Syaoran did not push her away, nor did her try to pull
from her grasp. But he did not return the embrace either.
He just sat there. And that was where she fell asleep.
*
* *
Meiling straightened her hat, and buckled her shoes. Syaoran was
in the kitchen, getting his lunch. And a good thing too. Meiling
didn't want to listen to him remind her to let the teachers know she'd
be leaving. While she had time, she went to retrieve her
homework. Upon reaching the study, she grabbed her book bag, and
headed for the door.
And was met face to face with Syaoran.
"Meiling, anou--"
Meiling moved past Syaoran, not allowing him to finish his
question. She quickened
her pace and moved through the apartment to the door.
Nothing ever seemed to go right.
Finally, she was starting to make a friend or two.
Finally, she was starting to feel at home.
Finally, Syaoran even seemed as though he wanted her around.
And now, it was all being taken away.
Meiling pulled open the door, and began her walk to school.
Syaoran, surprisingly, was not close behind as he normally might have
been. In 24-hours she
had gone from Cheerful, to alarmed… from there, to hysterical… and now,
as she approached Tomoeda Elementary, her heart sank into a state of
loneliness and sorrow that she just didn't have the energy to lift.
She could hear the others chattering behind the door of the
classroom. Slowly, she
pulled the door aside, and stepped slowly into the classroom.
"Meiling-chan!" she faintly heard Sakura call to her,
"Ohayo!"
"Ohayo Gozaimasu!" Tomoyo added cheerfully.
Meiling merely pulled out her desk chair, and sat down quietly.
Tomoyo and Sakura both blinked at the raven-haired girl.
They looked to each other and back at Meiling. That was when Sakura caught sight of the remaining tears
clinging to Meiling's eyelashes.
"Meiling-chan, we have pictures from the play. Want to see?"
Sakura bent down to look in Meiling's eyes. She was met with
shimmering orbs of red, covered with tears.
"...What's wrong?"
Meiling did not reply. Slowly, the door slid open again, and in
stepped Meiling's 'other half.'
"Ohayo Li-kun!" Sakura smiled.
Syaoran's voice didn't change from its normal deadpan tone.
He pulled out his desk chair. "Ohayo Kinomoto."
Syaoran took his seat, and the socializing students followed
his example when Mizuki-sensei entered the room.
Meiling was personally relieved that the questioning would
stop. At least, until she
could collect her thoughts. She
glanced to Syaoran from the corner of her eye.
The boy didn't notice her, as he quickly took notes on that
days assignment. Meiling
simply crossed her arms on her desk, and laid over it.
Why bother? Meiling thought, looking at the blank sheet
of notebook paper on the desk beside her, I'm going home, so this
doesn't really apply to me anymore.
The day passed slowly, much to Meiling's dismay.
Her stomach grumbled quietly as Lunch timed drew closer.
Finally, the bell sounded, and the students around her stood,
gathered their things, and heading out.
Meiling didn't even try to plaster on her tough mask
that she always hid behind.
"Meiling-chan…" The voice belonged to Sakura.
When Meiling looked up, she found an empty classroom.
Well, empty aside from Sakura, Tomoyo, and herself.
Even Syaoran had left to eat.
Gone with Yamazaki-kun, Meiling supposed.
She looked up into the green pools that were Sakura's eyes.
She felt a hand settled on her shoulder, and she turned to find
Tomoyo's amethyst colored eyes looking concerned into her own ruby
ones.
"What's wrong Meiling-chan?" Sakura asked.
"Do you wanna talk about it?" Tomoyo offered.
Meiling looked up at the girls, and hesitantly nodded.
Slowly, she stood up from her desk, and immediately found one
girl walking on either side of her as they made their way out of the
classroom.
*
*
*
"NANI?" Sakura blinked, a look of disbelief on her face,
"You're… going back to Hong Kong?"
Meiling subconsciously had known Sakura would be
confused. She was cutely
innocent like that. Meiling
swallowed.
"When?" Sakura asked.
Meiling looked down. "Next week."
"So suddenly?!" Sakura asked,
Tomoyo remained silent, sitting near the two girls.
She felt it was best that Sakura ask the questions, and that
she be there for good listening and support.
Meiling's gaze remained on her feet.
Sakura frowned, and so did Tomoyo.
No other words formed.
At least, not from Sakura's mouth.
Meiling's ears perked slightly at the sound of footsteps
approaching. They were
too heavy to belong to a girl, but too light to belong to a teacher,
or other faculty member.
"Ohayo, Li-kun..." Sakura spoke.
Meiling
looked up to find Syaoran standing in front of the girls.
He kept a straight face, instead of his usual scowl.
"Did you tell sensei that you're going back?" He asked, as
if that were more important.
Syaoran made sure to speak in Japanese, so he didn't leave
out the other girls. That,
or it was just out of habit. Meiling
looked down.
Syaoran paused, his expression never changing.
"There might be other things besides taking attendance.
You should let her know soon." He continued from the end of his last
sentence.
Meiling stood up. "Syaoran. You don't care if I go back
or not?"
She could feel the tears slowly begin to form in her eyes.
Syaoran
continued, sounding as if he were annoyed she would ask such a thing, "There's
nothing I can do if auntie says you have to go back."
Meiling bit her lip, and took in a shaking breath, as Sakura
and Tomoyo looked between the raven-haired fighter, and the amber eyed
magician.
"There's nothing you can do..." Meiling
half mocked his words.
She looked up sharply at Syaoran, with tears running down her face.
Her red eyes flashed, blaring into Syaoran like lasers. "Am I
just a bother to you?!"
Syaoran's eyes widened, his mouth gaping slightly.
Meiling sniffled, and her shoulders slumped.
"Am I
bother...being here?"
The anger flaring in Meiling's eyes was suddenly replaced by
a sadness similar to the kind you would more expect to find in a lost
puppy's, not the eyes of a trained fighter.
"No, that's not it!" syaoran replied angrily.
"You're an Idiot Syaoran!"
Meiling broke into a sob, and turned away from the eyes of her
cousin and friends, and began sprinting away. She was a bother.
she'd always thought that was how they felt. Syaoran had said
she wasn't, but his voice told otherwise. Meiling couldn't hear Sakura crying out for her to
wait. She didn't want to hear The Card Captor's voice… Sakura
only gave her pity, she thought.
Pity, to Meiling, was like rubbing salt in her wounds. No…
make that salt mixed with lemon juice.
Her heart pounded against her ribcage, protesting to be let
out.
She laid a hand over her chest, and slumped against a lone wall
near the back of the school. She struggled for breath through her tears.
She roughly wiped her eyes.
She wasn't thinking about her grandfather anymore.
Her thoughts now were plagued with images of her fiancée.
Meiling let a sob escape her, and she shook as she inhaled.
How could she have been so foolish?
Meiling crossed her arms,
cradling herself. Compared
to not having magic, this feeling was much worse.
The feeling of… being unwanted.
Syaoran was the only one she ever thought about.
The one person in particular that held a special place so deep
in her heart. He didn't feel the same.
Somewhere inside, she'd always known he disliked having her
around. But…
Did you tell sensei that you're going back? There's
nothing I can do if auntie says you have to go back.
Am I
bother...being here?
No,
that's not it!
Meiling covered her ears, as if it would block out the
sound of his voice echoing in her ears. It seemed so much worse
hearing him in her head than it had hearing the words come out of his
mouth. She wanted to scream at him.
Or maybe the silent treatment would be more effective…
He had said she wasn't a bother, but how could he mean it, with that
look in his eyes...
Maybe, going home, she wouldn't be loosing so much after
all…
*
* *
Meiling was reluctant when it came to to return to the classroom.
She'd be forced to sit near the people she least wanted to be around
at the moment. She cursed the person who came up with Assigned
Seating. As class drew to a close, the students gathered their
things. Meiling heard the clasp of Syaoran's bag snap shut. He
looked up at her.
"Meiling--"
She cut him off by placing her arm through the strap of her bookbag,
and turning her back on him. Without a word to any of her
friends, she moved towards the door.
"Meiling-chan!"
Meiling paused at the sound of Sakura's voice.
"You should come stay at my house one of these nights!"
Meiling looked over her shoulder. "For what?"
"For what, for what..." Sakura wracked her brain and
twiddled her thumbs, "Ah! My Otou-san is making a really
delicious cake!"
Tomoyo and Syaoran turned their gaze from Sakura, to Meiling. Meiling
just stared at the nervous and fidgeting Sakura, while the brunette
babbled. "And Also...Also..."
A lightbulb seemed to go off inside the cardcaptor's head as she
clapped her hands, "And also, I want to chat with you about many
things!"
Silence passed between the two girls. Sakura's face was twisted,
as she waited anxiously for her response. Meiling was just
blinking. It certainly was a nice gesture...and she did like
cake...
"Okay."
"Honto?!" Sakura exclaimed excitedly.
Meiling turned away, heading out the door, "I'll come over
tonight."
And why not? She thought, Tonight is as good as any
night. And I could use a little cake to get my mind off of
things.
*
* *
Meiling silently sipped her tea. Her eyes, however, were on the
deliscious looking pastry's sitting beside the teapot. Sakura smiled
at her as she lifted her own cup.
Temptation seized Meiling, and she picked up a pastry. the icing
on it almost sparkled, and made her mouth water. trying to look
as polite and refined as possible, she took a bite. Her eyes
widened as the taste tickled her tongue.
"OISHI!" She exclaimed, taking another bite.
She took bite after bite, alternating between two different
baked-goods in her hands. "I'm so Jealous!"
Meiling continued to stuff her face. Food. Food always
chased away bad thoughts, especially sweet food! And Sakura had been
so right! Her fathers cooking was excellent! Meiling
continued to compliment the pastry's between bites, not noticing the
look on Sakura's face.
"ANOU." Sakura said, "Li-kun is a very good cook
too."
Meiling's chattering immediately stopped. There was a long
pause, before Meiling's face fell, and she laid the un-finished cakes
onto the tray again.
"I guess." she said, the excitement gone from her voice.
She gently picked up her tea cup, and lifted the edge to her
lips. The hot liquid spilled gently into her mouth, and she
swallowed.
"Anou..." Sakura had a large sweatdrop running down her
head, "I don't think Li-kun thinks you're a bother at all."
Meiling did not move. She just continued to drink down the
tea. No doubt, she had already drained he cup, but it was a way
to avoid replying. Sakura's voice became suddenly filled will
passion.
"Because, he's always worried about you! Whether we're at
school, or when we're capturing the cards!"
Still the cup did not move. She continued to pretend there was
still more left to drink in the tiny teal-colored cup. Meiling
inhaled.
"I know." She replied.
Slowly, she brought the cup down, and was met with Sakura's face,
plastered with an astounded expression.
"I know that...Demo...It's different than what I want."
Sakura, still confused, suggested they get ready for bed. They
could talk while they were in bed. Meiling nodded, and both
girls did exactly that.
"It's...different than what I want." Meiling repeated.
Meiling closed her eyes, and laid her head on her folded arms. Change
the subject she thought, change the subject...anything...
Putting in a fake smile, she looked up, "Ne, ne, since when
did you start liking that guy?"
Sakura jumped, "Well, he was my Onii-chan's classmate, and her
came over..."
Meiling smiled, genuinely this time, "And you have a crush on
him!"
A bright blush spread across Sakura's cheeks, and she nodded
nervously, "Meiling-chan, what about you?"
Meiling blinked at Sakura. Once again, she had been dragged back
to the subject of her internal struggle. The object of her
affection.
"For me...well...it wasn't really like a crush..."
Meiling launched into her own story. A much longer oen that
Sakura's short explanation. She told
Sakura the story of when she and Syaoran were younger, and how they
trained together in martial arts.
"He never smiled."
"Like Now?" Sakura asked.
"Worse. But.. I used to watch him, sometimes." she said.
And then she told Sakura of her favorite bird. The one her aunt
had given her. How it had flown away.
"And Li-kun went to find it?"
"Yea...and then the rain started to come down, and he still
hadn't come back." Meiling found a small smile crawling
across her face. "And then...I heard splashing. I looked to
the gate...and there was Syaoran, soaking wet, and carrying the tiny
bird in his hands."
Meiling looked up at Sakura, "I guess from then on, I've grown to
like him a lot."
Meiling slid down under her blankets, laying her head down. The
sad look returned to her eyes. "Demo...It's not the same for
Syaoran."
Meiling paused. "We made a promise together..."
"A promise?" Sakura asked.
But Meiling wouldn't budge. She said no more about the
'promise.'
"I don't have any magic," Meiling said, as if it weren't
already painfully obvious, "Even if I stay with him, I can't do
anything for him."
She clenched her eyes shut, and buried her face further into her
pillow, "So there's no need for me to be here to help him look
for the cards."
*
* *
"That will never work! They noticed a gap in time!" the small guardian beast shouted.
"It has to be the exact same moment."
"Exact same?! But that was already so close!" Sakura
shouted.
"Want to try again?!"
Syaoran shouted
"But will it work?"
"We've got to do something—ah! MEILING-CHAN!"
Meiling heard Sakura shout to her in the heat of the fight.
Meiling looked up as her name was called, "Li-kun! you and
Meiling-chan might be able to move just like the twin!"
Meiling blinked, "NANI? Kinomoto-san!"
Sakura smiled confidently, "You can do it! Because you've always
watched Li-kun!"
Syaoran turned to her, and she winced inwardly from the serious
scowl on his face. his eyes on her were like lasers,
burning holes straight through her.
"Demo...I...Might be a bother."
Syaoran slowly sheathed his sword, and slid into a fighting
prep position. "Lets do it, Meiling!"
Meiling stared at him for a moment, shaking inside.
What if she messed up? What
if she couldn't help at all? She
realized there was no time to think about.
She scowled, and slid into a fighting stance identical to
Syaoran's, "I got it!"
What followed was a series of fighting moves unmatched by even
the skillful and crafty halves of the Twin Card.
Meiling smiled to Syaoran as they flipped into the air, each of
them landing upon a twin's shoulders, and proceeding to stomp
repetitively. A slim smile graced Syaoran's lips as they
successfully knocked down the two halves of the card.
Seeing her chance, Sakura lifted the key, "Return to thy
original form, Clow Card!"
In a swirling light, the card shape formed at the tip of the
bird-head shaped key. Once
completely sealed, the card floated over to Syaoran, who plucked it
roughly out of the air. He
glanced at his newly acquired card, and looked to Meiling.
Meiling suddenly drew in a breath, her shoulders lifting out of
their slump, and a small brightness returning to her eyes.
Syaoran looked down, and started to speak. "I…"
Syaoran turned away, glancing over his shoulder, "I… Never
thought you were a bother."
Meiling's face lit up, and she smiled.
She felt… she felt like everything was right in the world.
Syaoran would never have any idea just home much those few
words meant to her. Only
three other words could ever possibly mean as much.
*
*
*
All was quiet at the Li household, aside from the natural
sounds created by the surrounding objects.
The clock hanging on the wall ticked continuously.
Clad in her pajamas, Hair falling loose down her back, Meiling
turned her eyes to the window she was sitting near.
Raindrops slowly drizzled down the glass pane, creating a
calming and soothing sound. Meiling
felt as though the whether outside reflected her feelings inside.
Dark, dreary, the rain representing her tears.
The tears that just couldn't seem to fall. Meiling rested a hand on the cold windowpane, and glanced to
the closed suitcase lying beside her bed.
Her room was empty. Empty,
aside from the bed, it's blankets, and her suitcase.
She let a sigh escape her as she turned her gaze to the window
again. Soon, she would be
leaving Japan. Her flight
was schedule for the next morning.
Meiling didn't even flinch when she heard the sound of
the floorboards squeaking, accompanied by soft footsteps drawing
nearer to her. Only when
she felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder, did she turn around.
Her eyes met with a pair of Amber ones, belonging to a boy that
she knew all too well. The
one person who could make her heart skip a beat, and jump for joy.
He wasn't giving her his usual scowl.
He hadn't since the day they had fought the Twin card.
That was nearly a week ago.
"I don't want to leave yet." Meiling whispered to Syaoran.
Syaoran just stood there, as if he knew Meiling had more to say
than that. Meiling sniffled, but still, no tears fell.
Much to Meiling's surprise, Syaoran set both hands onto her
shoulders, and turned her to face him.
She wanted to melt… just slip through his fingers like melted
butter. They had a
connection. Meiling knew
it. And much as Syaoran
hated to admit it, he knew it as well.
He had realized it after He had spent all night looking for
when she ran away. That
was a month ago. Meiling
had come so far. In that
one month, she had made a complete flip-flop.
She went from friendless, to having friends.
From being a bother, to be a help.
From being an outcast… to almost fitting in.
What she felt was most important, was what Syaoran had told her
those few days ago.
I never thought of
you as a bother.
Meiling had become so lost in her thoughts, staring at
Syaoran's warm eyes, that when he slowly pulled her into a
comforting embrace, she gasped in shock.
Soon, she relaxed as Syaoran joined her on the window seat, the
rain unstopping. Meiling
collapsed against the boy, accepting the embrace as though it might be
her last. But she knew
better. She knew she
would see him again, and he was all that REALLY mattered, right?
"I… I'm sorry Syaoran."
"For what, Meiling?"
Meiling looked up at Syaoran.
His face was full of an expression that Meiling could have
sworn he had never worn in all of his life.
On him, it was hard to identify, though it certainly wasn't a
scowl. Meiling rubbed her
eyes as they began to itch from the tears building inside of her.
"I'm sorry, for ever causing you any trouble.
I'm sorry that… I've been so possessive of you…
and…" Meiling looked down, burying her face in her cousin's
shoulder, "…I'm sorry, I'm not good enough for you, or the
clan."
"Not good enough for me--?" there was a tinge of confusion
in Syaoran's voice.
"Because I… I don't have magic."
Meiling suddenly felt the arms wrapped around her slip away.
Syaoran drew back, leaving Meiling's head bowed over, no
lower supported by his shoulder.
That was it. She
thought, It's true isn't it Syaoran? I'm not good
enough for you, am I?
"when we were little, All I wanted was to be your
bride. Because I loved you. and I still do. But then
I couldn't see... Without magic, I'm no good for you."
To Meiling's surprise, a hand suddenly cupped her
chin. The hand firmly
lifted her chin, and brought her foggy gaze to meet the scowling face
of her love.
"Meiling… Don't you ever think that because you don't
have magic that you're any different than the rest of the clan.
Demo..." Syaoran cringed at the thought. "Just because
you don't have magic, doesn't make you any different.
You're still family."
Meiling's lower lip quivered.
The scowl on Syaoran's face softened, and he wiped a thumb
across her cheek.
"And...My best friend."
Meiling choked, her eyes widening in surprise. She felt like a
knife was being stabbed through her heart. She was going to
loose everything! Who was she kidding?! How could she EVER get
back to him?!
The
tears finally came, and now they would not stop. Meiling buried her face in his chest again, wrapping her arms
around his torso. Syaoran
jumped at first, but slowly relaxed.
He wrapped his arms gently around her. They stayed that way for
a good half hour. Syaoran,
to comfort and reassure his soon to be departing cousin, and Meiling,
in hopes of taking in as much of him as she could before she had to
go.
Syaoran's eyelids began to droop, closing slowly over his
amber colored orbs. Meiling
grip had loosened, and now she simply lay close to him.
She sniffled once, and broke the silence between them.
"Syaoran?"
A Half sleeping Syaoran yawned, "Hai?" he asked
unconsciously
"…Wo ai ni."
Syaoran blinked, suddenly wide-awake as if his soul had been
yanked back into his body. Never had Meiling uttered those words. Not since they
were young, naive children, that didn't know the meaning of the
words. Yes, she had implied
them with declarations of him being her fiancée, and her possessive
clinging… but never had she said to him directly, three words that
meant so much.
"Wha… What did you say?" Syaoran wanted to be sure he had
heard correctly.
Syaoran looked down to find Meiling resting her head on his
shoulder, gazing up at him. She smiled, sleep trying to claim her body and drag her
under. But Meiling would
have none of it.
"I said… 'Wo ai ni', Syaoran."
Syaoran choked. He
had no idea what to say.
"Meiling I—"
"You don't have to say anything."
Syaoran could only stare down at Meiling.
Slowly, Meiling got up, and stretched.
She turned her head to glance out the window.
The rain had stopped, and now the sky was clear, and filled
with sparkling stars.
Syaoran continued to stare at Meiling.
Her black hair, as fine as silk, spilling down her back. Her
brilliant eyes, and clear, youthful skin emphasized by the light from
the moon and stars. Finally, she turned away from the window, and walked towards
her bed. Syaoran's gaze
followed her.
"I need to sleep now," she said, pulling back her blankets.
"Nm…" Syaoran nodded, and stood up from the window seat.
Suddenly, he felt cold, and he cringed.
Slowly, he made his way across the room.
He couldn't shake the strange warm feeling in the pit of his
chest. Those three words
Meiling had uttered to him in their home language.
It made him feel dizzy.
Do I love Meiling? Syaoran asked himself, as he watched
the raven-haired girl climb into her bed, and pull the blankets up
around her chin. No
doubt, he did love her. But…
is it the same kind of love that she feels towards me?
It… feels different than when I'm around Yukito-san…
"Oyasumi, Syaoran."
Syaoran started, and nodded. "Hai… Oyasumi."
Syaoran turned off the light.
Slowly, his eyes adjusted, and he watched Meiling's sleeping
form turn over in the bed. He
waited, just watching her.
"Meiling?" He whispered.
No answer.
Quietly, Syaoran walked over to her.
Her only movement was the rise and fall of her body from her
breathing. Slowly, he
leaned over ever so stealthily so that she wouldn't stir.
He swallowed quietly, and leaned in, allowing his lips to brush
lightly against her cheek.
"I love you too…Meiling." He whispered.
And then, as quietly as he had approached her, he left the
room. Meiling choked.
She had only pretended to be asleep.
Tears found their way to her eyes once again. That one, tiny
kiss, she would treasure for years to come…
Syaoran… now I really don't want to leave…
*
*
*
"Well...This is it." Meiling said, clutching her carry-on in
her hands while Wei went to check the rest of their luggage.
Syaoran nodded. "Have a safe trip."
"Syaoran..." Meiling began.
Syaoran looked startled at first.
"Do you remember that Promise we made?"
"Promise?" Syaoran asked.
Meiling's eyes glistened with new forming tears. They were
beautiful when they glimmered like that. Like Ruby's, catching
the sun's rays.
"That until you find the one you love most, I'm your fiancée."
"Meiling..."
Sad goodbye's were said when Tomoyo and Sakura joined the group.
Meiling promised to visit, in order to be near Syaoran again, but she
knew it was all up to her parents. She would have no
say.
It was hard getting on the plane.
Thoughts of the words Syaoran had whispered to her the night
before were still fresh in her mind. Was there hope? She didn't know.
The hours that she stayed in place in the plane seat went by at
a snails pace. Moments
seemed like minutes, and Minutes seemed like hours.
She thought about the promise she and Syaoran had made. How
young...and Naive she had been...
"I love you!" She managed to shout in one breath.
Her face was twisted in concentration and determination when she
leaned over the table a bit.
"Eh?!" Syaoran looked surprised when he looked up from his
book and found the eyes of his cousin, brimming with tears.
"I LOVE YOU SYAORAN! I'll be your bride!" She exclaimed with
just as much determination as before.
"Hey, wait a second--" Syaoran began, cowering away from
Meiling.
"Is there someone you love more than me?!" the dark-haired
child demanded to know.
"No, there isn't, demo--"
Meiling pulled herself further across the table, "So I'll be your
bride! Because you're the one I love most!"
"Anou na..." Syaoran pushed his back up against his chair,
looking more nervous and intimidated by his cousin than he ever had
during a training session.
"If you find someone else you love more than me, I'll let you
go." Meiling proclaimed, a light blush across her tiny cheeks,
her eyebrow twitching ever so slightly. "But until that day, I'm
your bride. Okay?!"
Meiling pulled herself all the way across the table so that she and
Syaoran was nose to nose. Syaoran shrunk back a bit "What
do you mean by okay?" she asked nervously.
"OKAY?!" Meiling demanded an answer.
There was a pause between him, and her eyes welled up with
tears. Finally, Syaoran choked. "Do what you like."
Meiling's tears suddenly dried, and she jumped across the rest of the
table, latching onto her new fiancée in a hug.
When the airplane finally touched down, and she exited the
aircraft, she was met with her mother, and a bunch of other happy
looking relatives. Among
them… The grandfather of hers that was supposed to have been sick.
Meiling was confused.
She didn't have time to think much more, as her mother swept
her up into a hug, joined shortly by her father.
Meiling blinked her ruby eyes. "Wha… what is this?"
*
*
*
Meiling was outraged, and throwing a slight fit.
She had been tricked into coming home, and it didn't settle
well with her. Now, she
was sitting in her room, one-way ticket from Japan in hand.
What hurt most was WHY.
Meiling threw a pillow across the room, and it hit with a soft
thud, before sliding to the ground.
Her rage was rising, and she grabbed into a stuffed animal,
imagining it was her disbelieving family members.
She shook it violently, before slamming it into a wall as well.
They don't think I can take care of myself! She
screamed in her head, 'We didn't want you to risk it anymore
Meiling' they say, 'Without Magic, you're vulnerable.'
Meiling kicked her suitcase, but it barely budged. It did
however, succeed it sending a pain through her foot, taking her mind
temporarily off her family. However,
it inevitably only built on her rage, and she threw herself down onto
her bed.
The pain was returning. The pain of feeling… inferior.
The pain of… feeling as though she was not wanted.
She blamed her family. All
she had ever wanted to do was help… so she trained.
They let her train. Let her get her hopes up that one
day she could be everything that she wanted to be.
And now…
Meiling pulled her hair roughly out of the buns, and let her
locks spill on the mattress.
How could they do this to ME?! She thought, the tears
fighting their way up to her eyes, I was fitting in! I was doing
fine, and they took it all away!
If Meiling had the choice, she would have been on a one-way
trip back to Tomoeda. Back
to Syaoran, and Sakura, and everyone there.
But she knew her parents would never stand for it.
She had inherited her stubborn behavior from her father, and
her passionate opinions from her mother.
She knew neither of them would budge.
So, she rolled over on her stomach, and did the only thing she
could think to do. She
cried. She cried like she
had before she had left. She
cried like when Syaoran had muttered that she was sometimes in the
way. She cried like she
had… when he said, I love you too, Meiling.
And she vowed… she would return.
That one day, she would go back.
That she would run into Syaoran's arms, and they would share
each others loving embrace… and maybe… just maybe… He would
grace her with her first kiss. All
she could do was wish… and hope… and wait.
To Be Continued...