Why, Hello and welcome to my little world of weirdness!
I state for the record that, while I really, really wish I did, I don't own any of the wonderful characters that will grace this story . . . they are all CLAMP's, always have been, always will be! However I do lay claim to a few of the original characters, for example . . . I own Hei-ying, and his false form, Tomodachi Yukito, I own Mystrasa Kyree, and Carolyn and Amanda Reed, I don't own The Dragon, Saurian because he is on loan from my very good friend, the ever intangible Blue Goo. All Hail J.K For the Term Muggle!!
In This Tainted Soul . . . There Lies Hope . . .
By Dr Megalomania
Part Fourteen: To Live again, And Die Another Day
The next morning in Hong Kong, China . . .
Strands of her hair whipped about her face, she breathed in the smell of the salt water. The air filled her lungs, and she closed her eyes. The warmth of the Sun beat down upon her bare back, her hand tightened on the rail.
"Such a beautiful day . . ."
Smiling, she turned away from the harbour and leant against the railing. The Li Clan family home was imposing and beautiful at the same time, sprawling across the land owned by the family for the last eight centuries. The garden was just as lovingly tended to as it had been the day the first fathers had laid their foundations. The reeds bent gently in the warm breeze; spring bringing out the best in Hong Kong's flowers.
The sweet smell of lotus and roses filled the air. She smiled and pushed away from the railing. The gravel crunched quietly under her slippered feet, her summer dress wrapping and billowing about her legs, she giggled as she clamped a strong hand on her hat to stop it from escaping her.
She stepped up to the part of the garden she and her favourite cousin had added and tended to, the Japanese style had both earned admiring from outsiders and had irked the elders. She chuckled to herself as she went to Syaoran's pride and joy, a delicate Sakura tree.
The beautiful light pink petals and the healthy green little leaves rustled gently as she walked over slowly, smiling with a tint of sadness. The Sakura tree was as beautiful as the girl Syaoran dreamt of under this tree when he was separated from her when he came to stay here in Hong Kong.
Meilin chuckled and lifted her head again, "It's been five years . . . Syaoran and Sakura are very happy . . . and you are far too young to be lamenting a childhood crush . . ." She smiled and pulled out Syaoran's latest letter, and laughed out loud as she read their traditional opener.
My dearest cousin, Mei-rin.
I hope you and Mother are well, that my sisters are not driving you crazy, and that my garden is being well kept . . .
Meilin smiled as she looked up, his garden was perfect and she had kept their promise to keep it, and tend it herself while he was gone. It was his haven, and, like his sword and his robes, he trusted few to look after it while he was away. She smiled and caught a cherry blossom as it floated down around her.
. . . Life here in Japan has become infinitely more complicated, we have a new teacher. I am convinced that she does not like Sakura at all. She is constantly on Sakura's case, demanding answers from her. It's as if she expects Sakura to be more than she is, or even she feels disappointed in her somehow, I don't understand it.
I don't understand why she, the teacher – Did I mention her name? It's Mystrasa Kyree. She's so . . . so very strange, it's like she knows who we are, she's from England.
Which reminds me, Hiirawagizawa Eriol has also returned from England too, he came first. I know that you have spoken with mother, and I have to say I wonder what your response to the news is.
The Reeds are dead.
Meilin sighed and looked up, Li Yulan, Syaoran's mother and her auntie, had gathered the family and taken them before the elders, Li Xiao Fao Lan, the eldest of the elders sipped his tea slowly. The entire family, from the Clan head's immediate family to the northern territories most remotest members, waited in utter silence as the Elder Father looked up.
"The Reed family is no more. There are no males who hold blood relation to the Reeds, there are no females, and the name of Reed has died with a single young girl." His hands shook slightly, "All ties between the Reed line, the Li line, and the Master Clow Reed is now gone." He nodded his head, "Let their downfall, their dishonour be a lesson to all of us . . . the Clan's survival must come first, our blood to remain proud and strong . . . Our magic must remain as it has since this family was established."
Yulan frowned slightly as the Elder Father's bright eyes fell on her, the dig at Syaoran's choice of bride still smarting.
Meilin sighed, and returned to her cousin's letter.
I feel nothing as I write this, Eriol is broken hearted. The young girl, Carolyn, I gather her name was. She was Eriol's favourite Reed descendent. His guardians have been preventing him from speaking much about her. However I am glad to say the news has brought Tomoyo and Eriol closer.
Tomoyo continues to be as strange as always and continues to provide my Sakura with the most intricate of designs.
Meilin smiled as Syaoran continued, describing the daily routine of the group, their plans and their ideas. She looked up at the sky, and thought about what she could write in response. She pulled out a pen and a slip of paper.
My Dearest Cousin, Xiao Lang.
You should concentrate more on what is happening around you than what is being done to your sweet garden . . .
Li Yulan smiled as she fanned herself slowly, she closed off her senses from the other world and fell into a light sleep, her daughters were probably in the tearoom, drinking tea and gossiping loudly. She smiled quietly; at least they were having fun . . . her eyes tipped toward the telephone again. //The Reed family are dead . . .// Her son spoke with little emotion in his voice, the sound of quiet sobbing in the background, the card mistress and her soft heart. // . . . Not a single member survives . . .//
It was a sound like . . . a sound like a bird twittering but not quite. Meilin looked up from her letter, and looked around. Another cherry blossom floated down gently in front of it. Meilin turned her head, and glanced up into the branches, the tree shouldn't have been shedding it's blossoms just yet.
The branches rustled gently, and a small orange creature hovered out like a humming bird.
Meilin gasped, it was a small dragon with a long tail and fast beating wings. She giggled as it floated right up to her face, beating it's wings so fast they were a blur. It's whip thin tail swayed gently from side to side, it's small head cocked to one side as it stared at her.
She smiled, dragons were a sign of strength and goodness in China . . . and it had red eyes, she blinked, as the dragon twittered meekly again and bobbed about her like a fairy, it's sharp red eyes staring at her inquisitively. Red was a sign of good luck, Meilin lifted her hand, "My name is Li Meilin . . . Welcome to the grounds of the Li Clan . . ."
Yulan sat up, Clow Reed's aura . . . or at least his magic was nearby . . .
//Xiao Lang . . .?//
When her son didn't answer, Yulan quickly picked up her robes and her fan. If her son wasn't here then he didn't bring the Card Mistress and her guardians with her . . . she paused as she closed her eyes, she felt . . . she felt . . .
Something powerful . . .
Definitely Clow Reed's magic but it was . . .
. . . wrong . . .
Meilin smiled as the dragon bobbed around her one more time, "Would you like to meet the rest of the family?"
The dragon stopped in front of her, and smiled. "No."
Meilin blinked, "Did you just . . .?"
"Yes." The smile turned into a smirk as the dragon bobbed closer, "Hello . . . little thing . . ."
Meilin took a half step back, "Who are you?"
"No magic . . . You're a simple Muggle, aren't you?"
"I demand to know who you are!"
The dragon started to sway from side to side, "I'm going to enjoy eating you . . ."
Her fists flew up, and she instantly held up her guard, "I said who are you?"
The dragon's head fell back and his small wings wrapped about his body. Meilin might have had no magic, but she knew when a creature was transforming. She growled and spun, running quickly out of the small garden, "AUNTIE!!" She screamed loudly, trying to raise the alarm, "AUNTIE!!"
Yulan's head snapped towards the balcony, "Meilin!"
Meilin ran towards the ancient Li Clan gong, determined to raise the alarm with everyone, the gong was enchanted and would be heard by all Li's no matter where they were, "AUNTIE!! AUNTI---!!"
Yulan ran to the balcony, as Meilin's call was cut short, "MEILIN!" She called out, "MEILIN! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
Meilin rolled on the ground and yanked her leg away from the dragon's tail, "Get out!!" She hissed, "I won't be the only one here!! Soon all of the Li Clan will be here to defend our land!!"
The dragon laughed, his middle form leant back on his back legs, "I'm sure they will . . ." He lifted the gong's hammer with his tail and tolled the gong twice, "Let them come . . ." He chuckled darkly, "Let them come . . ."
DONGGGG! DONGGG!!
Meilin gasped as the dragon raised the gong's hammer and brought it crashing down towards her. She scrambled to her feet and stared at him, "Who are you?!"
He chuckled as he wrapped his wings about him again, "My name . . ." The dragon got larger, his voice deeper. "My name, little thing . . ." Meilin's mouth fell open as the dragon; she started to edge towards the house, fear gripping her heart. "My name is Saurian . . . I am Clow Reed's servant come to wreak revenge . . . and claim back his life for him!"
Meilin spun again and tried to run to the safety of the Li Clan house, Saurian smirked and chuckled menacingly, "I do like it when they run . . . it builds such an appetite for me." He grinned and spun around quickly, the sharp edge of his razor tail whipped out quickly. The black haired girl stumbled, shock and pain numbing her to anything and everything. She tried to push herself up, aware she was bleeding somewhere. She pushed hard with her arms but her legs wouldn't obey her, Meilin stared at the ground under her with increasing horror.
Blood was pooling all around her.
It was her own.
All her own.
The ground trembled slightly as the heavy dragon stepped toward her slowly. "Soon . . ." He hissed, "Soon . . ." he leant over her, pressing his snout against the back of her head, "Soon . . . When your foolish Clan head returns for you . . . the card mistress will be ours for the taking . . ."
Meilin felt her head weaken, felt unconsciousness eat rapidly at the edges of her, begging for her to take this last chance to die easily. She drew a ragged breathe, as the dragon's tongue lapped at the exposed kneecaps. "You cannot . . ." She panted slightly as she felt his sharp teeth nibble at the bare tendons, "You will not win . . . I won't let you . . ."
"Boohoo . . ." The dark chuckle came again, "The Muggle girl thinks she shall stop me . . ." He drew his tongue up her back and let it play on the back of her neck, his rank breath almost choking her. "You're such a pretty, *tasty* thing . . ."
"When the rest of our Clan come . . ." Meilin smiled grimly, "You'll be fed to the carps in the pond . . ."
"Scream for me . . ."
"Never . . ." Meilin growled, she clenched her fists and willed off what little of the pain shock had failed to absorb, she felt the pool of blood below her start to cool. //Just a little longer . . . Auntie, help me . . .//
"Scream for me, pretty thing . . ." Saurian lifted his heavy foot and let it hover over her back, his razor sharp claws wiggling just in the corner of her vision. "Scream nice and loud . . ."
"Never . . . Syaoran . . ." Meilin lifted her head defiantly, the sight of the claw galvanising her, she drew three deep breaths, "Li Xiao Lang . . . Head of Our Clan . . . will avenge me."
"I sincerely hope he tries . . ." The dragon lowered his foot slowly, not quite putting all his weigh on her, not just crushing her just yet, he wanted to savour this moment, "Scream for me . . ."
"The Li Clan will never fall . . ." Meilin closed her eyes, drawing another breath, // I shall die a Li, I shall not scream// Saurian growled, losing patience with the stubborn girl under his foot. He drove his heel down, and smirked in satisfaction as he heard bones start to fracture. "Scream for me."
"Sakura will defeat you." Meilin gasped as what was left of her legs collapsed, "She's the card mistress."
"*Scream* . . ." He growled deeper, forcing the heel down further. "Scream loud and strong . . . *beg* for my mercy . . ."
"I will not yield. I am Li Meilin. I will *never* yield."
She chuckled weakly as he growled deeper in frustration, "You are such a pretty thing . . . I'd hate to have to rip you to pieces . . ."
Yulan ran out of her house, her daughters fast on her heels, each girl with their sword ready to hand. For the first time in her life, Yulan cursed the Li Clan's name, cursed her forefathers for choosing such a large house with such large grounds, "MEILIN?!"
"MEILIN?! WHERE ARE YOU?!"
The dragon crouched down low, "Do you hear that, pretty thing? They are looking for you . . ." He licked the side of her face, "Why not tell them where you are . . .?"
The thought was enticing, Meilin fought to stave of glorious unconsciousness a little longer as the dragon's claw started to dig into the ground around her. She kept her eyes locked with the Sakura tree, //It's a trap . . . Whatever's happening in Japan . . . This is a *trap* . . . Syaoran . . .// Meilin closed her eyes and cried out softly as her pelvis bone finally gave. //Don't break . . . Syaoran . . . I must . . .//
"Scream for me . . . Beg my mercy and I'll let you die with *only* the smallest *drop* of pain!"
Meilin's eyes snapped open, the offer so tempting . . .
The dragon lessoned the pressure as he heard the girl gulp air, filling the small space he allowed her to have, to fill her lungs with air. He smiled as he listened for her plea . . .
"IT'S A TRAP!!" Meilin screamed desperately, "AUNTIE, IT'S A TRAP FOR XIAO LANG!!""
Her four daughters darted off in the direction of Meilin's screams faster than the time it took for Yulan to snap her head towards her son's garden. Her eyes widened as she listened. "Meilin . . ."
"TELL HIM TO STAY!! STAY WITH SAKURA!! IT'S A TRA---"
Yulan crumpled to the ground with a silent sob of pain as she felt Meilin's life force, weak and un-enhanced by magic as it was, give and fade. "Mei-rin . . ."
She looked up as she heard her daughters toll the gong, for all to hear . . . a Li was dead . . .
The same morning . . . Tomoeda, Japan . . .
Silence had fallen, Nakuru sighed and returned to her cooking. Yue was forcing Yukito to sleep, and had locked the door to his bedroom. Hiirawagizawa-sama and Touya-kun had retired to the study and were pouring over Clow-sama's books, looking for something anything that could explain how this demon guardian had escaped. Her twin guardian was with Keroberos, trying to persuade him away from Yue's door, but the stubborn old lion refused to move until his brother had appeared to them. He was probably still pawing at the door, desperate to see at least a hair of his brother. Sakura was still sleeping under the orders of Tomoyo.
Tomoyo sat on the edge of Sakura's bed, and held her hand. A frown crossed Sakura's features again, the dark circles under her eyes matching Eriol's almost perfectly. Tomoyo squeezed her hand and glanced at Syaoran. The amber eyed boy stared at her resolutely, she blinked as he pulled out the large black bead that held his sword in the magic realm, "What is it?"
Syaoran sat straighter, "My family . . ." The Black stone seemed to vibrate with a sound unheard, Syaoran's brow cleared of everything as he whispered in horror, "No . . ." Tomoyo sat up as the Little Wolf stared at the vibrating ball and cried out wretchedly, "Not my family!"
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And Now It's Time To Leave It To Leave It To Doctor Megalomania!!
Saurian: Oooooooh yeah . . . [licks lips] It was good . . .
DrM: [slaps him] HAVE SOME RESPECT FOR MEILIN! [Grumbles] You just killed her, you bastard!
Cartman: Neah! Have some respect for DrM's authritaaaay!
Saurian: Shut up little fat boy, or I'll eat you too.
Cartman: YOU WILL RESPECT MY AUTHRITAAAAAAY!!
DrM: [rolls eyes as Cartman starts to hit Saurian] Anyway . . . I'd just like to mention, I forgot to mention it last time but . . . [Squeals] I got fanart from Caroltrue!! [Go Read her Dark Yue fic!! It's very good!!] Which I'm very thankful for!! And if I had a website of my own, it would be SO there already! [Sighs] but unfortunately I don't . . . meeehh. . .
Yue: [Walks in and looks around, steps over Cartman, and reads fanfic while drinking coffee]
DrM: And I also just signed up for Streamload, and got this brilliant song sent to me . . . I've fallen in love with it, it's the best non-CCS song I've ever heard . . . It's called 'Pure Snow' by Yuko Sasaki and I love it!
Yue: [suddenly spits out coffee everywhere] HEY!!
DrM: [jumps] What?!
Yue: I got all of . . . [reads again, gasps] TWO mentions?! What?! [Shakes DrM] You realise if I don't kill you, Moon Mistress will?
DrM: Oh . . . I know . . . [grins] Which reminds me, Moon Mistress? [Innocently] Would *I* kill Yue? It's like I told Meilin, 'would *I* kill Meilin?' . . . [Grins and shakes head] I wouldn't *dream* of such a thing . . . *Saurian* though . . . he's a completely different matter . . .
Yue: [Slaps DrM, and then kicks her out of the window, sighs and turns to readers] Don't worry, I'll make sure she doesn't kill me . . . but I'll need help . . .
Hei-ying: [brightly] I'll help!
Yue: [stares at Hei-ying blankly, then looks at readers] As I was saying . . . I'll need help, to enlist for the Anti-Yue-Abuse-Society you MUST R&R . . . understand? Good! Go, Go NOW, press the review button now!! Quickly!!