YAY! Fic in celebration of my B-day! Or perhaps not quite yet! I may write
another one before then if I'm in the mood. Either way, I was inspired to
write this and so thus I did. I will probably continue to post different
one-shots in this length with a similar theme of strength in all of them.
Or something like that.
Anyway, enjoy!
The Lotus Blossom
Li Mei Lin looked around briefly before smiling and shaking her head in humourous exasperation. Sakura was late again. With a sigh, she headed over to the park swings and sat down comfortably. This was a park full of memories. It had laid witness to many feats of strength and emotional outbursts. It was a symbol of her childhood just as much as Wei had been. Back in the days when she called Sakura Kinomoto and treated her with a haughty disdain at first and then with the careful friendship which grew into the loving trust they had now.
Though, even to this day, Mei Lin wondered if she would have continued calling her Kinomoto to this day if she hadn't shared a last name with her now.
Li Sakura. A true Li, even if not by birth. She was adored by all the clan, Mei Lin no exception. But who could not adore her? She was...perfect.
Back in the days of their youth, Mei Lin had learned that the hard way. It had taken her some time to overcome the bitterness she felt towards the beautiful Card Mistress, even after they had become fast friends. Sakura was, well, Sakura was everything. She was the purest of souls and the most perfect person Mei Lin could ever imagine being.
She was also incidentally better than Mei Lin at almost everything. The red eyed girl had not taken this realization well or at all quickly. But it was true. Even on the first day of their meeting, Mei Lin realized that she was not competition for the cute girl fated to capture the Cards.
Gymnastics, running, sports, things which Mei Lin had always excelled, second only to the man she had always adored, Sakura did easily. She was beautiful and sweet. She fit into every situation with smile and ease, not caring if she were on top of the tallest building or trapped in a cave.
Not if there was a Card.
And that Sakura held over Mei Lin most of all. Sakura was the most powerful sorceress in the entire world. Mei Lin was without magic. It was a drastic difference. Even in later years they managed to find some small traces of magic in Tomoyo's veins, not surprising considering her kinship to the Card Mistress. Mei Lin was the only one who knew the secret who had never had magic.
It had made her bitter. She was second best to Xiao Lang peaceably but becoming third in everything mad her hurt. She had never been good enough. She had never been special. Everything she did well, Sakura did better. Everything ingenious she did, Sakura had thought up. Every time she had helped save the day, it was at Sakura's urging.
Sakura was the driving force behind those days. She was perfect and sweet in her perfection.
Ultimately, that is what assuaged Mei Lin's bitterness. Long after she had become friends with the dense girl who still seemed to see so much more than anyone ever could guess, she had held on to that trace of bitterness. Until one day that same object of attention turned to her and smiled her amazingly beautiful and entrancing genuine smile and said something Mei Lin would never forget.
"I'm so glad you are my friend, Mei Lin-chan! You are so much stronger than I am! I couldn't have done all that I have nor be where I am now without you. Thank you!"
Mei Lin had stared at the honey haired girl in awe for a moment. If it had been anyone else, Mei Lin would have mistrusted the words, searched in them for a hidden barb, hidden poison. She would have understood them to the opposite and felt the worst of pains and sarcasm. But it was Sakura.
Sakura needed her. Even if she really didn't, Sakura thought she did and found strength in her presence. In that there was no greater gift Mei Lin could have received from her dear friend.
And so, it was that as she sat on that swing, lazily swooping back and forth, she merely laughed as Sakura hurried towards her, looking worn and obviously rushed.
"I'm so sorry, Mei Lin! Syaoran wouldn't let me leave for the longest time! Said he had a bad feeling about today."
"Tell that husband of yours he can stick his bad feelings-"
"Mei Lin!"
The black haired woman laughed. "Alright. Anyway, I expected you to be late anyhow. I swear, Sakura, you should work on being on time!"
"I will," she giggled. "Are you ready?"
"Of course I am! You just have to promise that you won't take this up and become ten times better at it than I am!"
"I could never be ten times better than you at anything, Mei Lin! Still, thank you so much! I just couldn't do without you!"
The ruby eyed lady just smiled and waved it aside. And thus they began, in that very park where Mei Lin had proved her one asset so many years ago, she began to teach Sakura the only thing she was truly better than her at. Gladly.
A/N: I was inspired to write this after reflecting on Mei Lin. She really is this wonderful and talented girl. But she always came in second to Sakura in everything but martial arts. And I felt sorry for her. She was so good about it too. She still became friends and helped Sakura get her man.
So thus this is dedicated to her. A mental perspective of what I think Mei Lin feels towards Sakura. It's not really about Mei Lin finding strength, because she is already this amazingly strong person. But rather, about her understanding that you don't have to be the best at something to be thought important and essential to someone who is. Everyone needs their friends to help them and everyone is valued to someone else.
And Mei Lin is loved and treasured by Sakura.
But I think we all know that Sakura would somehow end up being better at Martial Arts than Mei Lin. Still, yay Mei Lin! I'll probably get around to writing another one shot about her. I really love her char.
Anyway, enjoy!
The Lotus Blossom
Li Mei Lin looked around briefly before smiling and shaking her head in humourous exasperation. Sakura was late again. With a sigh, she headed over to the park swings and sat down comfortably. This was a park full of memories. It had laid witness to many feats of strength and emotional outbursts. It was a symbol of her childhood just as much as Wei had been. Back in the days when she called Sakura Kinomoto and treated her with a haughty disdain at first and then with the careful friendship which grew into the loving trust they had now.
Though, even to this day, Mei Lin wondered if she would have continued calling her Kinomoto to this day if she hadn't shared a last name with her now.
Li Sakura. A true Li, even if not by birth. She was adored by all the clan, Mei Lin no exception. But who could not adore her? She was...perfect.
Back in the days of their youth, Mei Lin had learned that the hard way. It had taken her some time to overcome the bitterness she felt towards the beautiful Card Mistress, even after they had become fast friends. Sakura was, well, Sakura was everything. She was the purest of souls and the most perfect person Mei Lin could ever imagine being.
She was also incidentally better than Mei Lin at almost everything. The red eyed girl had not taken this realization well or at all quickly. But it was true. Even on the first day of their meeting, Mei Lin realized that she was not competition for the cute girl fated to capture the Cards.
Gymnastics, running, sports, things which Mei Lin had always excelled, second only to the man she had always adored, Sakura did easily. She was beautiful and sweet. She fit into every situation with smile and ease, not caring if she were on top of the tallest building or trapped in a cave.
Not if there was a Card.
And that Sakura held over Mei Lin most of all. Sakura was the most powerful sorceress in the entire world. Mei Lin was without magic. It was a drastic difference. Even in later years they managed to find some small traces of magic in Tomoyo's veins, not surprising considering her kinship to the Card Mistress. Mei Lin was the only one who knew the secret who had never had magic.
It had made her bitter. She was second best to Xiao Lang peaceably but becoming third in everything mad her hurt. She had never been good enough. She had never been special. Everything she did well, Sakura did better. Everything ingenious she did, Sakura had thought up. Every time she had helped save the day, it was at Sakura's urging.
Sakura was the driving force behind those days. She was perfect and sweet in her perfection.
Ultimately, that is what assuaged Mei Lin's bitterness. Long after she had become friends with the dense girl who still seemed to see so much more than anyone ever could guess, she had held on to that trace of bitterness. Until one day that same object of attention turned to her and smiled her amazingly beautiful and entrancing genuine smile and said something Mei Lin would never forget.
"I'm so glad you are my friend, Mei Lin-chan! You are so much stronger than I am! I couldn't have done all that I have nor be where I am now without you. Thank you!"
Mei Lin had stared at the honey haired girl in awe for a moment. If it had been anyone else, Mei Lin would have mistrusted the words, searched in them for a hidden barb, hidden poison. She would have understood them to the opposite and felt the worst of pains and sarcasm. But it was Sakura.
Sakura needed her. Even if she really didn't, Sakura thought she did and found strength in her presence. In that there was no greater gift Mei Lin could have received from her dear friend.
And so, it was that as she sat on that swing, lazily swooping back and forth, she merely laughed as Sakura hurried towards her, looking worn and obviously rushed.
"I'm so sorry, Mei Lin! Syaoran wouldn't let me leave for the longest time! Said he had a bad feeling about today."
"Tell that husband of yours he can stick his bad feelings-"
"Mei Lin!"
The black haired woman laughed. "Alright. Anyway, I expected you to be late anyhow. I swear, Sakura, you should work on being on time!"
"I will," she giggled. "Are you ready?"
"Of course I am! You just have to promise that you won't take this up and become ten times better at it than I am!"
"I could never be ten times better than you at anything, Mei Lin! Still, thank you so much! I just couldn't do without you!"
The ruby eyed lady just smiled and waved it aside. And thus they began, in that very park where Mei Lin had proved her one asset so many years ago, she began to teach Sakura the only thing she was truly better than her at. Gladly.
A/N: I was inspired to write this after reflecting on Mei Lin. She really is this wonderful and talented girl. But she always came in second to Sakura in everything but martial arts. And I felt sorry for her. She was so good about it too. She still became friends and helped Sakura get her man.
So thus this is dedicated to her. A mental perspective of what I think Mei Lin feels towards Sakura. It's not really about Mei Lin finding strength, because she is already this amazingly strong person. But rather, about her understanding that you don't have to be the best at something to be thought important and essential to someone who is. Everyone needs their friends to help them and everyone is valued to someone else.
And Mei Lin is loved and treasured by Sakura.
But I think we all know that Sakura would somehow end up being better at Martial Arts than Mei Lin. Still, yay Mei Lin! I'll probably get around to writing another one shot about her. I really love her char.