Thanks for all the reviews!
Big happenings in this chapter...

Love of War
Chapter Fifteen: Secrets

Meilin's eyes gazed around her at the beautiful mansion, filled with paintings, tapestries, you name it.

All stolen good from raids.

"What are we doing here Doremi?" Meilin asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Chill out Meilin." Doremi answered, his eyes sparkling with something, almost like excitement. "We're here to meet the boss. He wants to talk to us."

"Oh yeah," Meilin sighed. "Like he would ever want to actually talk to his lowly servants"

Doremi laughed, though it was bitter. "You'll see"

They continued walking down the hall, Meilin getting more and more curious along the way.

"Come on just tell me what he wants." She groaned. "This place gives me the creeps"

"Probably because all it's former residence were killed in this very hallway," Doremi laughed, patting his sword at his hip. "They died so easily"

The Chinese girl glared at him. Sure, she'd betrayed her own flesh and blood to go with Doremi and get power, but that didn't mean she liked everything about him.

Meilin sighed and hung her head, her mind flashing back to when Syaoran had so ruthlessly killed her comrades, but let her go free. She also remembered watching that girl, Sakura, rush into the tent and get a better view of the execution.

Sakura had changed Syaoran and for that Meilin hated her. She was supposed to be the one to change her cousin.

But he could never love Meilin the way he loved Sakura. Not now, after she'd betrayed him.

She rubbed her cheek to where Syaoran had hit her. He'd never hit her before.

But when she remembered his eyes, they were not full of hatred, as she'd expected. But…pity, and sorrow.

Most of all, confusion.

"Syaoran doesn't get it." Meilin said softly under her breath so that Doremi couldn't hear her. "He won't let himself believe that the Li clan killed so many innocent Kinomoto…and they weren't even the enemy"

"Welcome." A gentle voice said, edged with venom.

Meilin looked up and gasped. So their leader, he really did want to talk face-to-face with them.

"Hello sir." Doremi said, bowing his head.

Meilin did the same. "Hello"

Their boss nodded, his blue eyes flashing with a smile. "So I see that you are alright Meilin"

Meilin nodded, avoiding his eyes. Out of all of her comrades, this man was the most clever and murderous out of them all. His word could kill as many Japanese, as many Kinomoto, as he wished.

He was the one who'd told Meilin and Syaoran's group to attack the Kinomoto household and kidnap Sakura. He was the one who had ordered everyone in sight to be killed.

"What bothers you Meilin?" He asked, his sandy hair shading his eyes somewhat.

"She is still upset over her comrades deaths." Doremi answered for her.

Meilin wanted to tell them the truth. She didn't want to truly hate the Li clan…but she had no choice.

All because of Syaoran. He just had to love Sakura and not her.

Instead Meilin cracked and smile and nodded. "Yes. It was…terrible"

Truly, she could care less about her fallen comrades.

Their boss sighed and set his hand on the teenager's shoulder. "Meilin. You must come to terms that you have turned on the Li clan. Syaoran didn't want you and neither did your family. You were an outcast. I helped you Meilin, I brought you in. I want you here"

Meilin looked up at the man, he was in his early thirties. "Thank you."

Tears streamed from her eyes as a cold numbness set in.

He was right.

Syaoran didn't want her and her family hadn't treated her well. So why feel remorse?

"What are your plans sir?" Doremi asked, breaking the moment between Meilin and his leader.

"Ah yes," Boss sighed, letting go of Meilin. "About that Syaoran boy…he's becoming trouble I can see."

"He's very strong." Meilin said. "And an amazing fighter. He won't…he won't be easy to kill"

Her boss smirked. "That's the spirit Meilin. But don't worry, I'll have Doremi take care of Syaoran"

"But, I was to have Sakura, just for a while." Doremi said quickly.

Their boss shook his head. "No. Once Syaoran is dead and I have Sakura's powers, you may do with her what you wish," He turned to Meilin. "But it is Meilin who will finish her"

Meilin couldn't help it, she smiled. There was nothing more she wanted than to see Sakura, the girl who'd taken her love away, die. "I will sir"

He nodded. "Good. Now…how can we use these three to my liking?" He turned to three shapes that were chained to the wall, Meilin hadn't noticed them before.

"T-Touya Kinomoto!" Meilin gasped, looking at her master, confused. "But sir-"

He cut her off, ignoring her protests. "Touya, Yue and Keroberos. A perfect toy to twist Sakura into my arms"

Touya looked up at the man angrily. "How could you do this? How could you?"

"Shut up." Meilin's boss snarled. "You will be silent."

Touya glared at him, beside him on the wall was Yue in his human state as Yukito and Kero beside him as the small animal.

"Let us transform back." Kero growled. "Please sir!"

"I think not." Their boss said. "I need Sakura as weak as she can be…and as long as you two stay in your disguised forms, you will draw power from her, weakening her"

Meilin watched as Keroberos tried to pull himself from the chains, but instantly they started to glow, causing the guardian beast to growl in pain and sink to the ground. The chains were magic, they couldn't change back.

"There is also a wizard there," Doremi said. "Traveling with Syaoran. What's to be done with him?"

Their mater shrugged. "Whatever. I don't care, kill him if you want"

"You won't get away with this." Touya growled angrily, his dark eyes fixed on Meilin's master. "How could you do something like this?"

"Easy." The man laughed. "Because only women get the power, never the men. I deserve it more than Sakura"

"How can you possibly," Yukito said coldly, tugging on his chains. "Kill your own daughter?"

Fujitaka smirked. "Easily. She won't expect a thing"

Meilin turned away from her master, Sakura's father. Years ago he'd seen what great power Sakura had and grew jealous. So he sent Syaoran by boat at the same time he sent Sakura, hoping the young Li boy would kill her. But he failed.

Since then Kinomoto had been working hard to get to Sakura's powers, but he could never get them.

"The only way to get the girl's powers," Meilin remembered an old witch telling Fujitaka this. "Is to kill her, and then burn her body. Once there is nothing left, pour her ashes over your body. Then, you will have her powers"

Meilin would be the one to kill Sakura, and Fujitaka would be the one to gain her powers.

She smirked. No problem.

XxXxX

Sakura sighed, leaning against a nearby tree. "Something's wrong"

"Sakura? What is it?" Tomoyo asked worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"Yue and Kero," Sakura said softly, her emerald eyes fixed on the ground. "They haven't transformed in such a long time…they're drawing too much power from me, they're in their disguised forms"

"Can't you get them to change back by just pulling on their magic?" Eriol asked, standing beside Sakura and placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

Sakura shook her head. "Normally I could…but for some reason I can't…something's not letting me"

"This isn't good." Eriol said, almost to himself. He turned to Syaoran, who was talking with one of the soldiers. "Syaoran! Get over here"!"

Syaoran's eyes flashed over to Eriol and her walked up. "What? What's wrong Sakura?"

"It's Kero and Yue." Sakura said. "Something's wrong with them"

"Why? How can you tell?" Syaoran asked, confused.

"They haven't transformed back in a long time," She said. "They're drawing too much power from me to keep up their disguises"

Tomoyo sighed. "Syaoran, do you know who Meilin's working for now?"

Syaoran shook his head. "No. Why?"

"Because," Tomoyo said thoughtfully, her face darkened by a frown. "If we knew who she was working for, other that it helping us in this war…we may be able to know why Kero and Yue can't change back"

"You're saying my guardians have been captured?" Sakura gasped. "That means…Touya"

Tomoyo nodded. "They would never draw so much power from you willingly Sakura, you know that. But yes, I do think that something's happened to them, someone must know how to stop their transformations"

"But how?" Syaoran asked. "How can they not change back willingly?"

"Someone who has magic, or got hold of magic chains." Eriol said, deep in thought. "They must have known how to keep Sakura's guardians in their disguised state"

"But who? Barely anyone knew about them." Tomoyo sighed.

"Are you okay to go on Sakura?" Syaoran asked, turning away from Eriol and Tomoyo's conversation.

Sakura nodded, giving him a brief smile. "Yes. I'm fine, really. It just confused me. If we get in a battle, I won't be able to use as much magic as I need"

Syaoran frowned. "I wish we knew who Meilin had turned to. Maybe, once we get to the coast, we'll find out more"

Sakura nodded, but a flash of fright ran through her. "If Tomoyo and I…go to China with you guys. Will we be killed"

Syaoran shook his head. "If we didn't know as much as we know now, then yes. But when we get there you two will stay with us and I'll have to tell my mother about everything"

"We aren't the enemy anymore." Sakura smiled, wrapping her arms around Syaoran's neck. "I'm glad"

Syaoran nodded and hugged her tightly. "Me too. But for now, we'd better get going. We have to make it to the coast in less than two days, or our ship will leave without us"

Sakura nodded and let go of him. "Maybe, once your mother hears our story, everything will go back to normal, and the Li clan can help us defeat whoever Meilin is working for"

With a frown Syaoran agreed.

"But," Sakura said, stopping him before he could turn away. "Before her leader dies. We have to save Meilin"

"How?" Syaoran asked. "She made her choice, we can't force her"

Sakura shook her head. "I think that Meilin just lost hope. She probably thought that you were being taken away from her…and so she hated me. And when she met Doremi, he made her an offer she couldn't refuse"

"Or maybe she knew all along." Eriol said, cutting into their conversation.

"What?" Tomoyo said.

"I'm guessing that Meilin knew all about the war way before she's letting on." Eriol shrugged. "And she was just biding her time. But it's just a guess"

"No." Syaoran said. "I think your right Eriol. She hasn't been happy for a long time"

Sakura sighed. "Well, I still think that the real Meilin is in there somewhere…we just have to find it"

Syaoran nodded. "Let's go you guys. The faster we do, the faster this is all over with and we can move on."

Okay! Review!