AN: _ I wanna stop writing this story already it's getting blahhh...but I'll continue it I guess, I can't leave it unfinished. ::sigh:: R&R please...

Well...email me with criticisms or comments at lil808angel@hotmail.com. ^^

Her lips were in a thin line as she boarded the private jet. The more she thought about it, the weirder it seemed that the Clan needed her home. Questions wracked her brain, trying to figure out logical reasons for the sudden turn of events.

Meiling settled back into the chair with her eyes still on the ground, as it got farther and farther away.

Clumsily Yama got to his feet, helping Tomoyo up at the same time. It was then that Tomoyo got a good look at the face of the stranger before her. She did a double-take. Her eyes grew wide as she gaped at the stranger before her.

Surprised, she forget all formalities and blurted out his name, "Eriol!" She murmured his name again and bowed deeply, "E-Eriol-kun! Gomen nasai...I...We didn't mean to...it's just that when there's someone new in town we like to have a little fun at their expense. If I knew it was you, I...We wouldn't have done it gomen...." she said while gesturing to his porch and giving him a helpless look.

Tomoyo stopped rambling when she heard his chuckle. "It's quite all right Tomoyo-chan, I assure you." He paused and smiled at her with teasingly, "May I call you Tomoyo? I mean you did called me Eriol-kun."

She blinked. She hadn't noticed she used his name with such forwardness. Tomoyo turned a bit pink at that and nodded, embarrassed.

"Who's this?" Eriol smiled as he gestured to the man next to her.

"Oh! This is my bodyguard, Yama." Tomoyo jabbed the browned hair lad next to her with her elbow. He took her hint and bowed deeply to Eriol. Amused, Eriol bowed back. "Yama this is Eriol...he's a friend of mine from school..." she trailed off and they were thrown into a stilled silence.

Eriol broke the awkward silence by clearing his throat, "Do you always welcome your neighbors like this? I didn't know you were like that..."

Tomoyo smiled sheepishly at him. "Well, " she looked at Yama standing beside her, who looked a little left out, "Yama and I have had this tradition for a while. It really is quite funny to see the reactions of the people when they see their property in the morning."

"I can clean up your porch if you want, I won't mind. I mean it was my fault anyway, I suggested to Tomoyo that we do this tonight," Yama offered, looking a bit sorry.

Eriol chuckled and shook his head. "No, no. Don't worry about it, I'll just have Nakuru and Spinel get it in the morning."

Tomoyo frowned at Yama, "It wasn't all your idea! Don't take all the credit!"

"Well, Princess Tomoyo, I don't think you'd want your mother to find out how you've been terrorizing your new neighbors." Eriol had a mischievous smile plastered on his face. Yama laughed out loud.

Tomoyo scowled at both of them suspiciously. "You're both working in on a conspiracy to spite me aren't you?"

Yama bowed deeply and grinned at her. "Gomen. I actually didn't think you liked to do hard work, Princess Tomoyo so I offered."

Eriol and Yama grinned at the sight of the fuming Tomoyo.

With a 'hmph' she stalked back down the steps and towards her mansion.

Yama looked at Eriol, worry etched in his face as he watched her retreating form. "Think we went to far?"

Eriol smiled triumphantly, "Nope, she deserved it. She really is quite bossy sometimes if you get to know her, it feels good to get back at her."

Yama nodded knowingly and smiled apologetically at the blue haired boy. "Gomen about your porch, if you need any help with it, I'll be happy to help."

Eriol brushed it off, "Don't worry about it." Yama bowed once before following Tomoyo back to her house.

Just as Meiling was stepping off the plane, one of her cousins grabbed her arm and pulled her towards a limousine.

"Hey!! Let go!! I can walk myself!!" Her outbursts caused others to look their way as they walked.

Meiling tried yelling at her loudest but there was no answer from her stiff cousin. "Hey, do you talk?"

The only answer Meiling received was a glare.

During the ride to her former home, nobody spoke to her. Not even so much as to utter a 'Welcome back Meiling.' They were nice and courteous but very quiet. This was getting weirder and weirder by the minute.

She barely had time to unpack, for right when she got to her room, someone was sent to retrieve her. She fidgeted as she walked to her grandfather's room. Nervous of what was going to happen. Quietly she opened the doors to find her grandfather sitting on a chair, looking pale.

Curious she walked closer, "Grandfather Li?"

Grandfather opened his eyes and peered at her, "Meiling, I'm so glad you came. Have a seat."

Without a word Meiling sat down in a chair opposite from his. She was about to open her mouth to rid them of the silence when he spoke, "Meiling, your father is a traitor."

"Traitor?" she echoed, confused.

"Yes traitor."

"Traitor to what?" she asked her confusion growing.

"To us."

Meiling narrowed her eyes and looked at him with anger, "No Grandfather Li. He's just a traitor to you. You've never liked him. Ever since mother got married to him, you've always had something against him. Now that he's done something wrong you single him out as a traitor. He's not a traitor, he's my father!!"

He slammed his hand on the table. His sharp voice cut through the heavy tension. "No Meiling! He's a traitor to all of us!!"

She looked at him with defiant ruby eyes. "And you want me to tell you where he is perhaps? Or you want to use me to bend his will?"

"No. We don't want to use you. We just need you here, in case he does anything he might regret." He stood up and walked around to her, bending down to her level. "We just want you safe."

Meiling ignored his comment, "So where's my mother?" She crossed her arms, "You have her locked up somewhere to lure him out I suppose?"

He saw something flash through her grandfather's hard eyes. "No, she's...dead"

Her heart pounded in her chest, "Dead?"

Grandfather nodded curtly, "Yes dead."

"B-but but...how?!" Meiling shivered and her shoulders dropped, making her look vulnerable.

"Why don't you ask your father?"

Meiling's eyes grew wide with disbelief.

"Yes Mei, that is why we have to protect you. We don't want your father to get you too."

She stalked out of his room without another word and sprinted to hers as a single droplet fell to the floor.

A vase flew across the room and crashed to the floor. Meiling hurled anything she could get a hold of to the wall. Her mother died, how could her mother die? She had promised she'd be there, through it all she would be there. She promised! In the midst of all the destruction, her locket glowed a faint purple.

Anger gripped Meiling as she sat on the floor and rocked back and forth. She couldn't take it. How can her life go down the drain again? Her mother dead and her father killed her? How can that happen? Now they want to keep her prisoner to lure her father out? This was absurd! Crazy! Illogical! Totally wrong...


In nearby rooms, objects began floating and hurling themselves into walls. Then, as if by magic, they picked themselves up and floated back to their set places. A servant girl stared in horror as the objects rearranged themselves slowly, eerily.

Tomoyo flopped herself onto her bed frowning. She hated to get picked on, especially by guys. A knock on her balcony door caused her to look up suspiciously. Quietly she threw opened the doors to find a bouquet of lavender roses laying there. She smiled softly, without even looking at the card she knew who it was from. Who else could make roses lavender colored?

Meiling sighed. Here comes another crappy day. It's been a week since she had found her mother gone and her father a traitor. She didn't think she'd ever see the day. Her parents had looked so much in love. How could her father kill her mother? It made no sense whatsoever. No sense at all. But Grandfather Li had told her he saw it happen with his own eyes and other family members had confirmed it. So she had no other choice but to believe her father killed her mother. For what reason he would do that she did not know, but what she did know is that even if he is her father, she would get revenge.

That's what Grandfather Li had told her anyway. He told her that she would have to get revenge for her mother and for the Li Clan. It would be her mission. She had solemnly agreed to it at her mother's funeral and now she'd have to stick by it. She can't refuse it now, for she would be seen as weak and cowardly. And probably be disowned if she refused.

She brushed the tombstone with her fingertips. How she missed her parents. How she missed her life. A tear slid down her cheek and dripped onto the dead floor of the ground. She sat there a moment before standing up and blowing a kiss to the grave.

"I love you mother," she whispered as she walked away.

A moment later, the spot where her tear drop fell suddenly bloomed. In the place of barren dirt was a dozen violet flowers.