A/N: Oh wow! I don't know what makes me happier: getting twenty reviews for
one chapter or getting CCS episodes 31-54, two memorials and the first
movie in one day! Thanks to (*takes a deep breath*) lilhopeful89, Le
Artist, Azure Rosas, Distant Moon, Mel, Peacewish (bring on the criticism
as long as you throw in some good along with the bad! I appreciate your
thoughts!), sugar, EcuaGirl, D0rKaLici0usVieT, Sailorsun195, mucous_head,
meinien, Carcaptor007, KawaiinessPnay (I'll probably E-mail you on Thursday
or Friday!), sWeEtAzNaNgEl, nagareboshi (I'm glad you like little
chapters!), AnimeObsessionFantasy, mucous_head (Your E-mail was the best!
Thanks!), Wassapi (I love you!) and hana no tenshi for the reviews
(*gasping for air*).
~*~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP, and Peacewish created the personalities of Meilin's parents for her extraordinary story Lotus Reborn. (Are you sure you're not a famous writer? You should be!) I encourage all of you to read her work. She's an ever so talented writer.
~*~*~*~*~
Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf
By Amethyst Beloved
Chapter 2: Little Wolf
~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran Li bowed at the Chinese girl in front of him. Outside the sandalwood walls of the training room, she was his best and only friend. However, when it came time to train, she was his rival, his opponent and someone who should never be able to beat him. Nevertheless, he and his favorite cousin Meilin Li were given the same amount of training so therefore the outcome always varied. Syaoran knew Meilin for as long as he could remember, and sometimes he could still remember their first meeting...
* Last Year *
A three-year-old boy clutched his mother's hand as she was taking him to his first day of training. The chestnut-haired child was told that he would have to start preparing for his role as the upcoming leader of the Li Clan. Little to his own knowledge, the current leader of the Clan was diagnosed with cancer that very same day. The Elders knew that they had to start teaching Syaoran Li if he was going to be a powerful leader without his father being around in the future.
"Awe we dere yet?" he asked his mother, amber eyes filled with wonder.
"We will arrive to Master Wei's house soon enough, my child," Yelan Li said. "We have to pick up your battle partner first."
Syaoran became very excited with the prospect of fighting against a boy just like him. He was going to show him that no one was better than a Li. There was nothing that could hold him back now.
Yelan stopped in front of her sister's house and smiled at the sight of her dark-haired niece watching the birds above with fascination. Despite the duties of a Li wife and mother of five, she always managed to spend some time with Meilin. The child did not know about any other love.
"Aunty Yelan!" she cried out once she saw her favorite person standing with a boy around her age. Was he the boy that everyone in her family was talking about?
"Hello Meilin," Yelan greeted softly giving her a hug. "I would like you to meet your cousin Syaoran."
"Hi!" she chirped cheerfully. She didn't have many friends around and hoped that he could be one of them. Maybe she could even get that scowl of his face.
"Hi," he mumbled back before turning to his mother. "Can we see my pawtnuh now?"
"Your partner is standing right in front of you," Yelan answered with a smile.
Amber eyes grew wide with disbelief while ruby orbs creased in confusion.
"I don't get it, Aunty," Meilin muddled. "Pawtnuh for what?"
Yelan smiled at their innocence. The fact that neither one of them could probably pronounce the 'r' made the situation quite humorous.
"Syaoran will be starting his training today, but he needs someone to help him with his sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat skills," she began. "Since you're the only one who is his age, we have come to the decision that you shall receive the same training as Syaoran."
"But Mommy," the boy whined. "She's just a guhl!"
"Now listen to me young man," Yelan ordered sternly. "You must be able to learn that girls are able to do the exact same things as boys, and sometimes they can do it even better."
Meilin nodded confidently in agreement. Aunty was never wrong about these kinds of things.
"Fine," he scowled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. If his mother was going to make him fight a girl, he wasn't going to be easy her. Then everyone will see who was the strongest.
* End of Flashback *
Ever since that day, Syaoran was impressed with his cousin's skills. She was very talented even if she was only a girl.
Yesterday they practiced their sword skills, much to Syaoran's delight. He was proud of the family heirloom that his father gave him on the first day of his training. Even if he was only four-years-old, he knew the importance of keeping the orb close to him at all times as the treasure never left his neck. When it came time to practice, Syaoran couldn't wait to use his magic to materialize the pendant into his sword. Although the blade was small, Syaoran's father told him that the sword's strength would increase with his power within. The little boy put his whole heart and soul in his beloved sword, and much to his cousin's dismay, he never lost a duel.
On the other hand, no one excelled at hand-to-hand combat like Meilin could. She was quick on her feet and even quicker with her hands. It was as if she had a sixth sense when it came to predicting her opponent's moves. No one knew how she was able to manage such a feat, but it was safe to conclude that the credit did not belong to magic. Meilin wasn't born with the power of the super natural, and her parents were disappointed in her all because of that fact. The child trained her hardest in martial arts, and even managed to be the victor when challenging the future leader of the Clan himself. Still, Meilin's parents never gave her the love and affection that every child needed because they were too consumed in disgust. The little girl pretended not to care. She built a wall around herself and she made believe it would happen, but she could always hope.
"The match is over," stated Wei as Syaoran failed to struggle away from Meilin's hold on him. "Meilin is the winner. Syaoran, you must learn not to underestimate your opponent. That's all for today."
"Wow Meilin, no one is better than you," praised Syaoran in admiration as she helped him up. "I think you're the bestest person in martial arts!"
"I think you're the bestest person with the sword!" Meilin answered. "I can never win you!"
"Come on, let's play before you have to go home!" suggested Syaoran as they left to go outside.
Unknown to both children, two adults were watching them until they scampered away.
"How do you think he'd react to the news?" Yelan asked her husband. "His fifth birthday is approaching soon."
"Since he's still young, he wouldn't think much of it," he replied. "After all, she is his best friend and an excellent fighter."
"But an arranged marriage at their age seems like such a drastic step to take," Yelan insisted. "Don't you want our son to fall in love on his own?"
"The cancer is numbering my days, love," her husband said softly. "These precautions have to be taken care of before I lose this battle. I'm afraid I can't fight any longer."
Yelan drew in a breath as her worse fear was close to coming true. The Li Clan was soon going to be a matriarch. She was going to do her best to make her other half proud.
Unknown to the Li Clan leaders, two people were listening in on their private conversation.
"Can you believe this?" a woman hissed to her husband. "Our pathetic excuse of a daughter can actually have a place in this family."
"For once that useless child is good for something!" answered her spouse. "It's our job to convince her that she'll be nothing without Syaoran as her husband."
His wife nodded in agreement.
"As long as we make her scare away any girl that gets close to Syaoran, the power is all ours."
"Let's think of the best way to tell her this once your brother-in-law croaks."
The two adults left with high spirits and dreams of being in control.
~*~*~*~*~
To be continued...
A/N: Once again, sorry for the short chapter. Because of my schoolwork, I won't be able to post up the next (and most likely the last) chapter until Friday, April 4th, the latest. I *really* hope to hear from everyone again, and if I get as much reviews as before I'll probably be in such a good mood, that I'll post on Wednesday, the earliest. In other words, if everyone reviews, you'll be closer to reading the next chapter, which is going to be titled "The Meeting" (and you know what that means!)! Thanks for reading (and hope to see your review!).
~*~*~*~*~
Disclaimer: CCS belongs to CLAMP, and Peacewish created the personalities of Meilin's parents for her extraordinary story Lotus Reborn. (Are you sure you're not a famous writer? You should be!) I encourage all of you to read her work. She's an ever so talented writer.
~*~*~*~*~
Cherry Blossom and Little Wolf
By Amethyst Beloved
Chapter 2: Little Wolf
~*~*~*~*~
Syaoran Li bowed at the Chinese girl in front of him. Outside the sandalwood walls of the training room, she was his best and only friend. However, when it came time to train, she was his rival, his opponent and someone who should never be able to beat him. Nevertheless, he and his favorite cousin Meilin Li were given the same amount of training so therefore the outcome always varied. Syaoran knew Meilin for as long as he could remember, and sometimes he could still remember their first meeting...
* Last Year *
A three-year-old boy clutched his mother's hand as she was taking him to his first day of training. The chestnut-haired child was told that he would have to start preparing for his role as the upcoming leader of the Li Clan. Little to his own knowledge, the current leader of the Clan was diagnosed with cancer that very same day. The Elders knew that they had to start teaching Syaoran Li if he was going to be a powerful leader without his father being around in the future.
"Awe we dere yet?" he asked his mother, amber eyes filled with wonder.
"We will arrive to Master Wei's house soon enough, my child," Yelan Li said. "We have to pick up your battle partner first."
Syaoran became very excited with the prospect of fighting against a boy just like him. He was going to show him that no one was better than a Li. There was nothing that could hold him back now.
Yelan stopped in front of her sister's house and smiled at the sight of her dark-haired niece watching the birds above with fascination. Despite the duties of a Li wife and mother of five, she always managed to spend some time with Meilin. The child did not know about any other love.
"Aunty Yelan!" she cried out once she saw her favorite person standing with a boy around her age. Was he the boy that everyone in her family was talking about?
"Hello Meilin," Yelan greeted softly giving her a hug. "I would like you to meet your cousin Syaoran."
"Hi!" she chirped cheerfully. She didn't have many friends around and hoped that he could be one of them. Maybe she could even get that scowl of his face.
"Hi," he mumbled back before turning to his mother. "Can we see my pawtnuh now?"
"Your partner is standing right in front of you," Yelan answered with a smile.
Amber eyes grew wide with disbelief while ruby orbs creased in confusion.
"I don't get it, Aunty," Meilin muddled. "Pawtnuh for what?"
Yelan smiled at their innocence. The fact that neither one of them could probably pronounce the 'r' made the situation quite humorous.
"Syaoran will be starting his training today, but he needs someone to help him with his sword fighting and hand-to-hand combat skills," she began. "Since you're the only one who is his age, we have come to the decision that you shall receive the same training as Syaoran."
"But Mommy," the boy whined. "She's just a guhl!"
"Now listen to me young man," Yelan ordered sternly. "You must be able to learn that girls are able to do the exact same things as boys, and sometimes they can do it even better."
Meilin nodded confidently in agreement. Aunty was never wrong about these kinds of things.
"Fine," he scowled as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. If his mother was going to make him fight a girl, he wasn't going to be easy her. Then everyone will see who was the strongest.
* End of Flashback *
Ever since that day, Syaoran was impressed with his cousin's skills. She was very talented even if she was only a girl.
Yesterday they practiced their sword skills, much to Syaoran's delight. He was proud of the family heirloom that his father gave him on the first day of his training. Even if he was only four-years-old, he knew the importance of keeping the orb close to him at all times as the treasure never left his neck. When it came time to practice, Syaoran couldn't wait to use his magic to materialize the pendant into his sword. Although the blade was small, Syaoran's father told him that the sword's strength would increase with his power within. The little boy put his whole heart and soul in his beloved sword, and much to his cousin's dismay, he never lost a duel.
On the other hand, no one excelled at hand-to-hand combat like Meilin could. She was quick on her feet and even quicker with her hands. It was as if she had a sixth sense when it came to predicting her opponent's moves. No one knew how she was able to manage such a feat, but it was safe to conclude that the credit did not belong to magic. Meilin wasn't born with the power of the super natural, and her parents were disappointed in her all because of that fact. The child trained her hardest in martial arts, and even managed to be the victor when challenging the future leader of the Clan himself. Still, Meilin's parents never gave her the love and affection that every child needed because they were too consumed in disgust. The little girl pretended not to care. She built a wall around herself and she made believe it would happen, but she could always hope.
"The match is over," stated Wei as Syaoran failed to struggle away from Meilin's hold on him. "Meilin is the winner. Syaoran, you must learn not to underestimate your opponent. That's all for today."
"Wow Meilin, no one is better than you," praised Syaoran in admiration as she helped him up. "I think you're the bestest person in martial arts!"
"I think you're the bestest person with the sword!" Meilin answered. "I can never win you!"
"Come on, let's play before you have to go home!" suggested Syaoran as they left to go outside.
Unknown to both children, two adults were watching them until they scampered away.
"How do you think he'd react to the news?" Yelan asked her husband. "His fifth birthday is approaching soon."
"Since he's still young, he wouldn't think much of it," he replied. "After all, she is his best friend and an excellent fighter."
"But an arranged marriage at their age seems like such a drastic step to take," Yelan insisted. "Don't you want our son to fall in love on his own?"
"The cancer is numbering my days, love," her husband said softly. "These precautions have to be taken care of before I lose this battle. I'm afraid I can't fight any longer."
Yelan drew in a breath as her worse fear was close to coming true. The Li Clan was soon going to be a matriarch. She was going to do her best to make her other half proud.
Unknown to the Li Clan leaders, two people were listening in on their private conversation.
"Can you believe this?" a woman hissed to her husband. "Our pathetic excuse of a daughter can actually have a place in this family."
"For once that useless child is good for something!" answered her spouse. "It's our job to convince her that she'll be nothing without Syaoran as her husband."
His wife nodded in agreement.
"As long as we make her scare away any girl that gets close to Syaoran, the power is all ours."
"Let's think of the best way to tell her this once your brother-in-law croaks."
The two adults left with high spirits and dreams of being in control.
~*~*~*~*~
To be continued...
A/N: Once again, sorry for the short chapter. Because of my schoolwork, I won't be able to post up the next (and most likely the last) chapter until Friday, April 4th, the latest. I *really* hope to hear from everyone again, and if I get as much reviews as before I'll probably be in such a good mood, that I'll post on Wednesday, the earliest. In other words, if everyone reviews, you'll be closer to reading the next chapter, which is going to be titled "The Meeting" (and you know what that means!)! Thanks for reading (and hope to see your review!).