It was a beautiful morning. Meilin shot to her feet and stuffed them into fluffy slippers before wrapping a robe around her nightgown clad body and skipping down the stairs to where Syaoran was already awake and preparing breakfast after his morning workout.

"Sakura stayed late last night. Did you figure something out?" Meilin grabbed the toast that popped just as she reached the toaster and proceeded to butter both slices. She put one on each plate before turning to the eggs that he'd just abandoned in favor of the bacon. She finished the omelets with some cheese and vegetables and slid them on to the plates before going to the refrigerator to get the milk out. Syaoran put two crisp pieces of bacon onto the toast and picked up both dishes to follow Meilin and the glasses of milk out into the dining room.

"We need a shunt." Syaoran said as he started in on his plate.

"A shunt?"

"The spell is going to create a huge amount of energy. So while I keep the power stable in a shield we're going to need someone on the opposite side to absorb the energy and then feed it back into me and into the shield itself. You were right about that last night. It was a good idea." he nodded when she glared at him.

"You need a NULL." she accused.

"You don't mind, do you?"


Tohru was determined to let Kyo know that their misunderstanding the previous night was just that. But it was hard when the boy ran off to school before she could even say two words to him. She ended up walking with Yuki and Tomoyo in a depressed little silence. The last thing he said her her, "I'll stop reaching…" did he mean it?

Tomoyo glanced back at Tohru, who was slowing down more and more as they walked. Yuki hadn't noticed though. So Tomoyo lagged back a little and took Tohru's hand. She sniffed gently and wiped away a stray tear with the hand that was unoccupied. Tomoyo looked down and tried to see through the girls concealing bangs.

"Whats wrong?" she asked softly, hoping that Yuki wouldn't hear. He was too caught up in his own thoughts to hover protectively over Tohru like he usually did.

"Nothing." Tohru denied.

"Ahh… does this nothing have anything to do with the reason that Kyo is not walking with us today?"

"Noooo…" Tohru sniffed again and squeezed Tomoyo's hand like a death trap.

"He's wrong."

"What?" the flat confidence in the wavy haired imp was enough to have Tohru blinking at her. "But you don't even know what happened!"

"It doesn't matter. The boy is always wrong." it was so unreasonable that Tohru found herself laughing despite herself inflicted mope. "That's better. Now lets duck into the ladys room and fix your face before everyone bugs you with their concern." She tugged Yuki's shirt and told him that she and Tohru were taking a detour. Amused by how the rat was distracted, and only grateful that he didn't really look at Tohru, she shoved Sakura into the nearest bathroom as they walked into the school.


Meilin didn't visit just so she could go to school again. But she decided that it wouldn't kill her just to see the new set up. So she walked next to Sakura as the auburn haired witch gestured to all sorts of things . The soccer fields, the swimming pool, the tree yard etc. She was more interested in the different people walking around. Some of them were quiet and studious, sitting on stairs or under trees. Others were more boisterous and took advantage of the open fields for club meetings or sporting events. More than not Sakura was hailed and greeted by the people they past, and as an extension so was Meilin. She was happy that Sakura was such a wonderful person that most people liked her. She wouldn't give up Li to any one who wasn't extraordinary. Meilin settled back for a second and reviewed her feelings over the situation. She was glad that Sakura and Syaoran were together. They really were like two halves of a whole, even more now that they had been the last time she saw them. Sakura brought Syaoran a joy to life that he'd never had before, while Syaoran provided a base for Sakura that she had desperately needed in order to grow into the woman she was becoming. They fit, and Meilin was more than happy to let them.

As they walked into the building Meilin heard Yuki talking to a boy standing in the doorway of one of the classrooms.

"You know Momiji, that you need to calm yourself. You've been in a mixed school for three years now…" his voice was soft as always, and the scolding he gave the young blond was taken in earnest by the boys bright blue eyes. He looked down quickly as Yuki ended the lecture, and pretended to be repentant. But Yuki was not to be fooled. His voice suddenly turned sharp, "I mean it Momiji."

"Yes Yuki." Momiji bit his lip, then looked up at his cousin with a smile. "I'll be more careful, I promise!" His laugh was so infectious that Meilin found herself laughing as well. Yuki coughed back his own laugh hastily as he felt a shiver travel down his spine at the full bodied chuckle. He'd been thinking about it so much he was sure that he was imagining it. But he turned around and smiled gently when he saw Sakura and Meilin approaching.

"Yes Yuki." Meilin teased, pulling a chunk of hair that fell in front of Yukis eyes playfully. "Does everyone obey you?"

"Yuki?" Momiji tugged Yuki's shirt in question, "She's not wearing the uniform?"

"She doesn't go to school here Momiji. She's Syaoran Li's cousin from Hong Kong." he explained patiently to the younger Sohma.

"Oh! OH!" Momiji clapped his hands together, then held one out to shake. "I'm Momiji Sohma! Its nice to meet you!" Meilin grasped the boys hand, then immediately changed the thought in her mind. This was no boy. The voice and eyes may radiate sweet innocence. But the young mans hand shake was firm and controlled.

"Meilin Rei." she replied, "it is good to be making your acquaintance."


"Its not that the zodiac member has to have someone to love them, its more the realization that someone could,they need. They need to know that they are worth something. That they are capable of love and to have that love returned." Li caught Eriol before class started, he desperately needed his ancestor to agree with him. Because no matter what he planned, the entire spell hinged on the zodiac being able to accept their lives without their curse.

"Are you going to tell Kyo your theory?" Eriol asked, setting himself down to sit on the desk. He was at eye level with Li, which unsettled the teenager somewhat. He had a creepy feeling that somehow he was being given a test.

"I'm not sure."

"Not sure?" Eriol let an eyebrow raise. It was intimidating from behind those large glass orbs. They reflected the light from the windows so that Li couldn't see the expression in his eyes.

"What if the foreknowledge of this somehow creates a doubt? I think that Kyo has seen that he is worthy of affection from the people around him. Most of them anyway. And Tohru has done that part of the spell for me. But if he knows that this piece in him is missing and needs the hope that Tohru gives him, the CAT might be able to break the trust they have in each other." he took a breath, "though if he doesn't know that he needs it, then the spell will break if he doesn't realize that the hope is the main component."

"So what conclusion can we come to?" Li breathed out and smiled as the answer became clear. From the open window the sound of Meilins laughter rang. Kyo was brooding on the roof, and Sakura was downstairs with Yuki and Meilin. Tohru and Tomoyo were walking toward the room, and suddenly he knew.

"I will not tell Kyo everything. I will tell him that when the time comes, he'll know what to do. I have faith in him, in my friend, that in his heart he knows he is worthy of love and friendship. The CAT has no hold on him other than the death grip on his throat that he will be gladly rid of." Eriol laughed as the door slid open and the girls stepped inside. Li smiled as his ancestors hand gripped his shoulder.

"Good job Syaoran," he grinned at the girls, who grinned back at their teachers infectious attitude. Suddenly Tohru felt much better, and Tomoyo gave Li a thumbs up. She knew, somehow, that what was being discussed would be a wonderful thing.

"I get to tape it." she whispered in his ear as she passed him.


Kyo sat on the roof until the bell rang. He sculked down the stairs and into his classroom seconds before the second bell and sat down with a frown on his face. But the mood in the room was too bright to allow him to sulk. Even Yuki seemed to be in an upswing. Meilin was sitting in on the class, she sat in the only available seat, next to Yuki, and needled everyone in the class when she began answering Eriols questions without waiting for him to call on anyone. It earned her a death glare from Eriol before she decided to shut her smart mouth. Kyo chuckled at the expression on her face, then shut up himself when Eriol pinned him with a death glare. Meilin then chuckled at Kyo, who chuckled back as the death glare was once again transferred.

"Maybe you two should learn some discipline." Eriol threatened. The entire class went silent.

"Ahh…"

"Maybe I should have you both stand in the hall for a while." he smirked as Kyo coughed. "Go." he demanded. As the two passed him he stopped them and handed them buckets that appeared from under his desk. "Don't forget to fill these up, nothing disciplines like the weight of a guilty conscience."