Prologue- As the Rain Beats Down
It was a warm day- he could feel the sun's rays casting over him, bringing a comforting heat.
"The garden looks nice today," He thought subconsciously to himself.
The evidence of spring was all throughout the garden. Flowers littered the garden with color and sweet aromas.
A soft breeze picked up carrying the smell of Apple Blossoms. The smell reminded him of his cousin. She would often sit under Apple Blossom trees watching over the birds that their family kept.
He wondered if she were there at the moment. From lack of anything else to do he strolled over to the clearing of blossoming trees.
She was sitting there in her usual spot surrounded cages of small singing song birds.
Usually, her laughter could be heard along with the in high spirited songs of the birds who seem to be just as happy as she is when they're together but today, today was... different. Instead of dancing around and giggling, the girl was seated on the ground with melancholy look on her face. Although the sing song voice of the birds could still be heard, she didn't seem to be paying attention. She was looking at something.
Seeing this, the boy followed her gaze to a small cage.
'Nothing out of the ordinary' he thought, but upon looking closer, he noticed the cage didn't contain a bird. It was empty. A large shadow cast over him and the boy immediately turned his attention to the sky above. Dark clouds from the distance were coming at a rather rapid pace, covering the once clear blue sky-, and that meant a storm was brewing.
The boy decided to take his completely oblivious cousin inside. He stopped abruptly when the girl, eyes misty, glared up at the sky and yelled up at the gods, "Why me?! Why did you have to take my friend away?"
Her intimidating gaze tuned into a heartbreaking one as burning tears start to roll down her rosy cheeks. She just stood there looking at the cage not even trying to stop the droplets rain from falling on her.
A thunderous clatter from the gates took her attention away from the cage for a moment to the spot where the boy had watched her, but no one was there.
She was alone once again. Alone... just like she always had been and always will be.
The sun had completely disappeared by now and the wind was getting stronger with every passing minute. The girl didn't even notice it. . Huddling by the trunks of the large apple tree she held onto the empty cage tightly.
She evidently was drained, proof showed by her puffy read eyes. Tears start to fall once again as she stares at the cage that once held her only friend. . I guess not even the bird that I loved so much wants to be near me... that's why it left... to get as far away from me as it can, she thought miserably.
Droplets fall from her eyes onto her thin dress but it didn't make any difference since she was already soaked through and through. The tears that fell from her eyes rivaled that of the rain. She closed her tired eyes and held the cage even closer as the wind relentlessly attacked her fragile frame. As the winds passed by she opened her eyes slightly just incase the wind tried to sneak up on her again.
Suddenly her eyes grew wide, face showing her surprise as she saw her beloved pet land on her lap. Dropping the cage from her grip onto the ground she tenderly hugged her friend as tears threatened to fall from her eyes again.
"Careful, you wouldn't want to hug it to death would you?" startled the girl looked up to see a boy she hadn't noticed earlier standing in front of her. A wide smile appeared on her face and she jumped up and embraced him. Surprised by sudden attack, the boy lost his balance and stumbled backwards a few steps- just enough to leave the two in the pouring rain.
"How will I ever thank you Syaoran?" she whispered, causing a small smile to appear on his usually serious face.
"Your smile is enough Meiling" he said softly as he returned her embrace.
The storm turned into a small April shower, the parting clouds leaving room for the sun to peek through as the two children stood there hugging each other creating a priceless memory that not even time could erase.