Hi, Starshower here. Sorry this took so long to get out, but I've been
busy. And sorry it's so short. Oh, well, here it is.
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you recognise. Pity, isn't it?
***
Li Meilin tensed as the phone rang. On the second ring, she picked it up.
"Moshi moshi?" she answered.
"Li Meilin." Said the computer voice.
"Ye..." she began to say but, the computerised voice continued. It reminded Meilin of an answering machine.
"This is Ubuto. The ransom has been doubled. For this reason." The voice paused, and another voice came on. Sakura's, pleading for help. Then it sounded like Sakura was pulled away, and another familiar voice came through the phone.
"Tomoyo..." Meilin breathed, wondering how Syaoran and everyone else would take this.
"I want five million American dollars in cash. For each. In separate suitcases. I'm sure your fiance can afford it."
The phone went dead as soon as the last word was said. No time for Meilin to contact anyone, or to get a trace.
She wondered, not for the first time, how Ubuto had managed to get the number to her private phone. Not even Syaoran had the direct number, she had only gotten it installed when her boyfriend, who the clan elders didn't know about, had asked for a way to contact her, without having to go through all of the guards.
Meilin frowned, suddenly. Her boyfriend, Akira, had been visiting family friends in America for the past week, a little more actually. And come to think of it, Akira had seemed very interested in why they couldn't be seen in public, and when he found out the reason, he was intent on finding out all about Syaoran. She had told him all about Sakura's boyfriend, Sakura herself, and everyone in Tomoeda, but it never occurred to her, that Akira might be...
Meilin shook her head. No. Akira couldn't be Ubuto. They had nothing in common. Akira was sweet and cute and kind and he loved her.
A tear slipped from her eye as she realised what he could be doing.
"NO." she said out loud. "I'm not going to think bad of him. There had to be another way that Ubuto got my phone number. He can't be Akira. I refuse to believe it! I..."
Meilin stopped, shocked. She had been about to admit, to herself, for the first time, that she loved Akira. Then she smiled.
'I love him. Love goes past everything. If it is him, which I doubt' she thought, 'I love him anyway. I'll stand by him, as long as...' she gulped. The outcome of this battle between Ubuto and Syaoran would most likely end in death. She didn't want to lose either of them, if Akira was Ubuto.
Then she sighed and stood up. She would have to tell everyone of this new development. Suddenly a smile broke through, as she thought of telling Eriol that Tomoyo was with Ubuto. The reincarnation of Clow would be furious.
Suddenly, she was startled to hear yells, three of them. Recognising two of the yells – Syaoran's and Touya's – Meilin raced downstairs. She vaguely recalled hearing the third yell, but couldn't place it, until she got downstairs, and saw the scene.
Touya was staring in shock at Syaoran, who was glaring at a small floating creature, who was glaring right back at Syaoran. The creature looked like a yellow teddy bear.
Kero.
"Kero?" Meilin asked, in a shocked voice. "What are you doing here?"
The bear turned, and Meilin was looking into the worried face of Keroberos, the guardian of the Sun.
"Little Girl!" Kero said happily, using his old nickname for the black haired girl.
"Kero. Don't." Meilin said shortly.
"Meilin, what's wrong?" Syaoran asked, seeing her face.
"In a sec. Kero, what are you doing here?"
Kero had the decency to look sheepish. "I...uh, hid in Touya's suitcase, and tagged along."
"Kero!" Meilin said in an exasperated tone. "You could have done better in Tomoeda."
"Wh...what are you talking about, Meilin?" Syaoran asked, sensing something deeper.
"Tomoyo's missing."
"Yeah, we know that." Syaoran said. "I got a call from Eriol. He said that Tomoyo was really upset over Sakura, and had run away."
"He was wrong." Meilin said. "Kyron has them both now. And he's demanding more. Five million dollars for each." Meilin briefly considered telling them about Akira, but at that moment, Ming Zhu, Mei Yu and Mei Zhen ran in. Meilin held her tongue. She was probably wrong anyway. It wouldn't be good to make them worry over something that she wasn't even sure about, especially with all that was going on.
Ming Zhu looked around the room. She and her sisters had come running in when they heard the yells, one of anger and one of fear, both mixed with surprise. Ming Zhu stared at Kero, before turning to her brother.
"Who, or what, is that?" she asked pointing at Kero. The flying teddy bear flew up to her.
"I am Keroberos, guardian beast of the seal." It said proudly.
"Well, if this isn't a regular get together." Said a new voice. Everyone stared around in shock looking for where the voice had come, but there was no one in the room but the seven of them.
Suddenly, the large, widescreen TV, with satellite hook up turned itself on, and after a few seconds of static, a grinning face came on. Meilin gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock.
It was Akira!
"The guardian beast, the top female martial artist in China, the heir of the Li clan, the physic elder brother of the Clow Mistress," the person on the TV turned his gaze on Meilin. "And the girlfriend of Akira Ubuto. My twin brother. I thank you, Miss Li, for your help in finding out just who would cause the most emotional pain to both your fiancee, and also to the reincarnation of Clow."
Meilin stared at him in shock. "h..how?"
"I had your phone calls with my brother tapped. And I found your phone number in his diary. Once again I thank you." He turned to Syaoran. "Li, I want my money within two days, or I'll kill both girls. I'll give you further instructions on where to leave it later. Bye bye."
The face disappeared, and the screen returned to static.
"What have I done?" Meilin moaned.
***
That's it for now. Please R+R.
P.s. I need a beta reader. Anyone wanna help? If you do, email me at bdash@chariot.net.au
Disclaimer: I don't own anyone you recognise. Pity, isn't it?
***
Li Meilin tensed as the phone rang. On the second ring, she picked it up.
"Moshi moshi?" she answered.
"Li Meilin." Said the computer voice.
"Ye..." she began to say but, the computerised voice continued. It reminded Meilin of an answering machine.
"This is Ubuto. The ransom has been doubled. For this reason." The voice paused, and another voice came on. Sakura's, pleading for help. Then it sounded like Sakura was pulled away, and another familiar voice came through the phone.
"Tomoyo..." Meilin breathed, wondering how Syaoran and everyone else would take this.
"I want five million American dollars in cash. For each. In separate suitcases. I'm sure your fiance can afford it."
The phone went dead as soon as the last word was said. No time for Meilin to contact anyone, or to get a trace.
She wondered, not for the first time, how Ubuto had managed to get the number to her private phone. Not even Syaoran had the direct number, she had only gotten it installed when her boyfriend, who the clan elders didn't know about, had asked for a way to contact her, without having to go through all of the guards.
Meilin frowned, suddenly. Her boyfriend, Akira, had been visiting family friends in America for the past week, a little more actually. And come to think of it, Akira had seemed very interested in why they couldn't be seen in public, and when he found out the reason, he was intent on finding out all about Syaoran. She had told him all about Sakura's boyfriend, Sakura herself, and everyone in Tomoeda, but it never occurred to her, that Akira might be...
Meilin shook her head. No. Akira couldn't be Ubuto. They had nothing in common. Akira was sweet and cute and kind and he loved her.
A tear slipped from her eye as she realised what he could be doing.
"NO." she said out loud. "I'm not going to think bad of him. There had to be another way that Ubuto got my phone number. He can't be Akira. I refuse to believe it! I..."
Meilin stopped, shocked. She had been about to admit, to herself, for the first time, that she loved Akira. Then she smiled.
'I love him. Love goes past everything. If it is him, which I doubt' she thought, 'I love him anyway. I'll stand by him, as long as...' she gulped. The outcome of this battle between Ubuto and Syaoran would most likely end in death. She didn't want to lose either of them, if Akira was Ubuto.
Then she sighed and stood up. She would have to tell everyone of this new development. Suddenly a smile broke through, as she thought of telling Eriol that Tomoyo was with Ubuto. The reincarnation of Clow would be furious.
Suddenly, she was startled to hear yells, three of them. Recognising two of the yells – Syaoran's and Touya's – Meilin raced downstairs. She vaguely recalled hearing the third yell, but couldn't place it, until she got downstairs, and saw the scene.
Touya was staring in shock at Syaoran, who was glaring at a small floating creature, who was glaring right back at Syaoran. The creature looked like a yellow teddy bear.
Kero.
"Kero?" Meilin asked, in a shocked voice. "What are you doing here?"
The bear turned, and Meilin was looking into the worried face of Keroberos, the guardian of the Sun.
"Little Girl!" Kero said happily, using his old nickname for the black haired girl.
"Kero. Don't." Meilin said shortly.
"Meilin, what's wrong?" Syaoran asked, seeing her face.
"In a sec. Kero, what are you doing here?"
Kero had the decency to look sheepish. "I...uh, hid in Touya's suitcase, and tagged along."
"Kero!" Meilin said in an exasperated tone. "You could have done better in Tomoeda."
"Wh...what are you talking about, Meilin?" Syaoran asked, sensing something deeper.
"Tomoyo's missing."
"Yeah, we know that." Syaoran said. "I got a call from Eriol. He said that Tomoyo was really upset over Sakura, and had run away."
"He was wrong." Meilin said. "Kyron has them both now. And he's demanding more. Five million dollars for each." Meilin briefly considered telling them about Akira, but at that moment, Ming Zhu, Mei Yu and Mei Zhen ran in. Meilin held her tongue. She was probably wrong anyway. It wouldn't be good to make them worry over something that she wasn't even sure about, especially with all that was going on.
Ming Zhu looked around the room. She and her sisters had come running in when they heard the yells, one of anger and one of fear, both mixed with surprise. Ming Zhu stared at Kero, before turning to her brother.
"Who, or what, is that?" she asked pointing at Kero. The flying teddy bear flew up to her.
"I am Keroberos, guardian beast of the seal." It said proudly.
"Well, if this isn't a regular get together." Said a new voice. Everyone stared around in shock looking for where the voice had come, but there was no one in the room but the seven of them.
Suddenly, the large, widescreen TV, with satellite hook up turned itself on, and after a few seconds of static, a grinning face came on. Meilin gasped, covering her mouth with her hands in shock.
It was Akira!
"The guardian beast, the top female martial artist in China, the heir of the Li clan, the physic elder brother of the Clow Mistress," the person on the TV turned his gaze on Meilin. "And the girlfriend of Akira Ubuto. My twin brother. I thank you, Miss Li, for your help in finding out just who would cause the most emotional pain to both your fiancee, and also to the reincarnation of Clow."
Meilin stared at him in shock. "h..how?"
"I had your phone calls with my brother tapped. And I found your phone number in his diary. Once again I thank you." He turned to Syaoran. "Li, I want my money within two days, or I'll kill both girls. I'll give you further instructions on where to leave it later. Bye bye."
The face disappeared, and the screen returned to static.
"What have I done?" Meilin moaned.
***
That's it for now. Please R+R.
P.s. I need a beta reader. Anyone wanna help? If you do, email me at bdash@chariot.net.au