Chapter 11: Melin Speaks
Anyone watch survivor last week? Man that was pretty disappointing. I thought someone was going to get eaten by a crocodile. I was hoping Gerri, 'cuz man she's annoying, but -Okay! I'll start the fic! Just trying to make conversation!
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Sakura woke up the next morning to the sound of autumn rain pounding on the roof. Just the weather to match her mood.
She groaned, disappointed that she had actually woke up, after all, what was the point? No reason to live. Her stomach growled, and she figured she'd better feed it, so she went down stairs to find some ice cream. Li was gone. Sunshine was gone. Had it ever been this dark before he came? She searched around and came up with some chocolate syrup, and poured a puddle of it into the bucket of ice cream, getting a spoon and going back to her room to sulk some more. She was angry with herself for acting so immature, so stupid and insensitive. but she also felt she had some sort of right to. It isn't every day you have your heart ripped out, after all. She didn't know how to describe the way she was feeling. Sad? Depressed? Angry? Lonely? Empty. Yes, that was it. Absolutely empty. And all the others. It wasn't even very much of a goodbye. She'd definitely been letting the 'Anger' part show. She didn't even get to kiss him one last time before he left. The tears started again, but this time they came silently.
Kero flew in to her room then, and dropped something in front of her on the bed. Nobody had bothered her all night, and for that she was grateful, but she needed to talk to somebody now.
"What?"
"It's a letter. From Li," Kero said gently. "He asked me not to give it to you till morning. S-so it wouldn't make things harder…to…-"
"Thank you Kero."
"I'll leave you alone." He flew out of the room again, pulling the door shut behind him with difficulty.
Sakura put her tub of ice cream to the side and picked up the letter, not really sure if she wanted to know what it said. She broke the seal that held it closed, unfolded it and began to read.
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Thunder boomed close by. Li felt trapped by the interior of the limo. Why couldn't he just knock on her door? It would have been just that easy… He had guessed right. He regretted not saying goodbye to her face, felt like a complete coward, and Melin was there the whole time. Strangely, she wasn't smothering him to death. She actually looked worried about something. Her clothes were now what a normal female human would wear, not showing a trace of sluttishness. He looked over at her, looking out the window. She bit her lower lip.
"What's wrong?"
"Li, I've been thinking-"
"That's one I haven't heard."
"AS I was saying," she said in an annoyed tone, "You really aren't happy with me, are you?"
"Why would be happy with you? For one thing, you're my cousin. For another thing, you dress like a whore."
"I only did that because…I thought…you'd like…me."
"Sorry to disappoint you."
Melin Rae looked at her cousin, who had now turned to look out the black-tinted window. His hair was a mess. He had dark circles under his amber colored eyes, and he looked like death warmed over. He looked hopelessly defeated, and the light was gone from his eyes.
"Li, I've been dreaming about this day since I was little, and-"
"I don't want to hear it."
"Just hear me out! I have a point!"
"If you say so."
"I've been dreaming about this since we were little. It's been an obsession. I always pictured us as that happy couple. Except we're not happy. Everything is ready for us to be married when we get home. Arrangements have been made, and guests have been invited, but we're going to disappoint them. We won't be happy at all. Ever. The part of me that loves you isn't the obsessed part. I've just realized…the part of me that loves you is the part of me that is already to you linked in blood. Do you get what I'm saying?"
"Sorry, but I've been up all night. I don't really feel like understanding today." He glared out the window and made a road sign snap off its post.
"What I'm saying Li, is that I know now that I've never really loved you as more than family, and a friend."
"Time in jail really changes you, huh? What happened in there? You learn the hard way not to drop the soap in the shower?" he was in no mood to be kind.
(The limo pulled up to the doors of the airport and they got out.) They ran inside to get out of the rain and Melin began to speak again.
"Look, it isn't that, okay! I have to tell you…I've met someone. We just met two weeks ago, but it feels right. I know he has feelings for me too. Once I finally let myself like someone else, I realized that I don't want to spend the rest of my life with you, no offence. We're both trying to get back on the right track, and we're helping each other, him with my obsession, and me with his…problems."
"So, what is this point you claim to have?" Li was using his famous death glare again.
"Li, the point is, I don't want us to get married. I'm in love with someone else"
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"Dear Ying-fa;
That's you, in Chinese. It's what I've called you for the
last 5 years when writing your name beside mine all over my homework.
I'm so sorry, Sakura. I hope one day you can understand. I love
you, but I have to be with my family. They say they need me, so I'm going home,
but it isn't an easy choice for me to make. If I could be with you and not hurt
them, I would stay forever. You know I would. I feel dead inside, like I don't
want to keep living, but I will, for them. This is a thousand times worse than
last time I had to leave. Now that we know our feelings for each other, it's
the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I told Kero not to give this to you till
morning. I'll probably feel different by morning and regret it. I'll miss you
so much. Can you believe it? I'm crying. That's why the page is all crinkled
and the ink is running. I would never tell anyone else that but you, my soul
mate, except that Kero caught me in the hall. When I'm with you, life is
complete. You bring light to so many people's lives, it's amazing. That's why
everyone loves you so much. I love you too. I hope you can forgive me some day.
This time I'm not going to be selfish and ask you to wait for me, because I
don't know if I'll ever be back. You'll find another guy that will treat you
like a princess, which is exactly what you deserve. I wish I could still be
him. You know I'm not that poetic, but this is from the bottom of my heart.
I'll never forget you, Ying-Fa. You are the only one I love, and that won't
change. My mother is letting me stay the night to pack, but I'll be gone by the
time you read this. Our plane takes off around eight thirty. Can you remind
Zachary about the big geography exam next Friday? I guess it's weird to mention
him in a love letter, but I really do love him as my brother from another
mother, and you can tell him that if you want, even though he'll probably
laugh, like always. Say goodbye to everyone for me and move on soon. I want you
to be happy, even if it's not with me.
Love Forever
Syaoran
P.S. Keep the necklace. It was made for you and no one
else.
Love always, Syaoran
P.P.S. I made you a card. It's on my desk. Use it however
you want, but remember, it can only be used once.
Missing you already, Syaoran
Sakura finished reading and let out her breath. She lay back onto her bed and stared at the ceiling. Outside the door, unknown to Sakura, Li was just raising his hand to knock on her door, but decided he couldn't bring himself to do it, even though that's why he had come back for a moment, and left again.
Why did life have to be so unfair? Just yesterday, everything was fine. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked very disheveled. She sighed and rolled out of bed, putting her slippers on to go look in Li's room. Her father was at work. She was grateful that he'd left her alone. She really didn't want to talk to him about this. She considered calling Madison, but decided that she wanted to be alone for a while longer.
Sakura opened the door to his room. The storm was still raging outside. The lamp on the desk was still on, and it was shining onto a green card, and the necklace that he had said he wanted her to keep. She picked the necklace up off of the desk and slipped it in to the pocket of her pajamas, not feeling like wearing it just yet. She looked down at the card. The Vision.
She wondered what it did. On it, there was a picture of a woman with a beautiful silky-looking dress, with hair that came out from behind her head in short spiky parts, and her eyes were open. He said she could only use it once. Should she wait? No, she couldn't. Impulsively, she took the necklace out of her pocket again, not really knowing why. The ruby seemed to glow in the dim light. Suddenly a voice came in to her head. 'Touch it to the card.'
Sakura wondered briefly if she was going mental, but decided she had nothing to loose, and touched what would be the blade to the card.
Some kind of misty haze began to surround her hand, and the card gave off a yellow glow. The lightning outside illuminated the entire room, and a figure began to emerge from the card. When it fully transformed, The Vision stood in front of her with a sympathetic expression in its blue, pupil-less eyes. The card had stopped glowing, and dropped back on to the desk.
"What do you do?" she asked it.
The Vision cocked its head to one side and surveyed her appearance.
"Right. I just remembered. You can't speak."
The Vision nodded sadly.
"Please, tell me somehow." Sakura asked it, with a tear coming down her cheek again.
The Vision stepped towards her and hugged her. Sakura was amazed at what was happening, and what's more, The Vision was warm. It smelled of flowers in spring, and it gave off a white light that suggested it was to resemble all that is gentile and kind. Sakura hugged it back. When it released her, it took a step backwards and looked in to her eyes. Sakura found herself wondering what this had to do with Vision at all.
It looked at the necklace, which she still held in her hand, curiously. It suddenly began to glow, and rise up into the air. The clasp was unfastened in mid-air, and it went around Sakura's neck, closing at the back. It then stopped glowing.
The Vision blinked its long lashed eyes at her.
Sakura touched the necklace, and spoke to The Vision.
"You're right. He would want me to wear it."
The Vision smiled at her knowingly. It began to trace an outline in the air, and where it traced, there appeared a blue glimmering line. When she had traced the full outline of a square, an image flickered into it. It was a much younger version Sakura, at the airport, last time Li left.
"Why would he want me to see this?" she asked it.
It held up a finger as it to tell her to be patient, and held the square with the other hand. Another image flickered on to the screen. It was Li, also a younger version. He was walking into what she guessed must be his house in Hong-Kong, looking sad. Melin was attached to his arm like she would die if she let go. What followed was about ten minutes of some kind of silent movie, in which Sakura saw everything that Li had been trying to explain to her.
She saw him walking to his new school with that legendary glare on his face as some kid looked at him weird, then got slammed in the side of the head with a plastic swing set, and the confused look on Li's face after it happened. She saw him checking the mail, getting a disappointed look every time there was nothing there, and two people who she assumed must be Lila and Kevin. There was also one of him, probably when he was fourteen, with his dark black hair and a frustrated look on his face as he explained to his mother the piercing on his left eyebrow. She saw his sisters all laughing with him and smothering him in hugs and kisses at his grade eight graduation. Then began the more recent events. She saw him using the Conceal card to become invisible and sneak on to an airplane, the scene at the party where Kris had separated them, and that he did when he found the necklace on the floor outside her room.
The Vision re-traced the square, and it disappeared. Surprisingly, Sakura wasn't crying.
It held up its hand for her to wait again, and this time traced a circle in the air. An image appeared after a second, and it was Li, as he had been the night before. He was sitting it that very room, and this time, there was sound.
"Sakura, I don't know what The Vision will show you, but I trust it to show you the things it thinks are most important for you to see. This spirit is a kind of guardian. It's been with me since I was younger, and it knows all my deepest secrets. Hopefully it will help you to understand what I was talking about. I made it when I was thinking about you. That's why it resembles you, warmth, caring, light, beauty, and friendship. After you see this, you won't be able to use it again. That's just the way this card works."
In the background, thunder rumbled in the distance, and she could see a tiny bolt of fork lightning out the window.
"It looks like there's going to be a storm."
The door opened behind him and one of Li's sisters came in to the room.
"Li, come on. What are you doing in there? We have to get going or we'll miss the plane."
"Okay, I just need another minute!"
She closed the door and left him.
"Sorry." He rubbed his eyes. "I guess I'll be leaving in a minute. I've been up all night writing you that letter and making this card so you can use it. Everything I've said, I mean. I'll always love you, and it makes me ashamed to think you're only in the next room, but I'm too much of a coward to wake you up and say goodbye. Goodbye Sakura. I'll see you in my dreams."
She saw him wipe his face with his sleeve, and then he was gone. The Vision looked like it was about to cry. It came to her and hugged her again. Sakura understood. The Vision stepped back again and fiddled with her sleeve.
"Thank you," Sakura told it. It bowed to her. "I guess…you can go now."
The Vision showed her one last, smiling image of Li the morning after he came back to her, before returning its card on the desk. When it was completely returned, the eyes of the picture were closed. There would be no more visions.
Sakura walked out of the room dazedly with the Li card in her hand. She found herself standing downstairs beside the telephone. She picked up the receiver and punched in the digits. The phone rang five times before there was an answer.
"Hello?" Madison croaked.
"Madison? Did I wake you up?" she asked absently.
"Oh no, not at all. I always get up early on weekends." She said sarcastically. "What do you want?"
"Can you come over? Really fast?"
Madison suddenly sounded more awake. "Why, what's wrong?"
"I need a ride to the airport. Li's leaving again." Her voice ended up in the air.
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"WHAT?!" Li screamed. Every person waiting to board the airplane in the waiting section turned to stare at him.
"I'm in love with someone! There, I said it! I knew you'd be mad! We still have to get married, and we both know we don't love each other!"
A grin spread over Li's face. "This is fantastic! We don't have to get married now! It's a mutual agreement! You've released me from my promise! There's no way they'll make us now! It would be too stupid!"
"Aren't you worried about your mother though?"
"Melin, this is true love. Of course I care about my family, but if it means losing the one you love more than anything, don't you think that that is more important right now than making my mother happy?"
Melin looked into his eyes, which now had their life back.
"I…I guess so. What do we do? The plane will be ready to board any minute!"
"I don't know, but we better think of something, fast."
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"Sakura, what's going on?! Why is he leaving?! Why didn't you tell me sooner!?"
"I'm sorry, but I'll explain later! Can we just go?!"
"Okay, come on, I got the driver to leave the car running. We can just jump in and go."
Sakura had gotten dressed so quickly that she hadn't even brushed her hair, and apparently Madison had done the same. As soon as she heard what was going on she had jumped out of bed to come and help her friend.
"Dudley, to the airport! Step on it!" Madison yelled to the driver as they jumped, already soaking wet, into the car.
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A/N: HAHAHA! I'm just evil, cutting it off like that. Don't worry, I'll write more VERY soon. Thank you all for the feedback, and Ashley-Chan, I have to say that's the most burn-like review I've ever gotten^_^ Hopefully the quality is on the rise? Happiness is bound to return SOONER or later. If you guys have any suggestions, tell me! Check out my website: http://thespatulatree.homestead.com/spatulatree.html
And send me something if you have anything! I don't have much yet, but I only started about a week ago. Wow, I can't believe that that was only 6 pages.
