Cessation
Izzy Girl VI 'I wish I could turn back time, cos now the guilt is all mine' "That's madness! It just can't be done!" Spinel was irritated that they would even suggest it. He grumbled and hardly looked up once from the rather large volume he had been scanning when his afternoon was disturbed. "Sakura did it once." Tomoyo insisted, Kero rolling his eyes from his seat on her shoulder, "She told me about it!" "Yes, but that was different!" Spinel finally glanced up, but only slightly, "You don't just interrogate them. There is a certain methodical way to do it. It involves magic, focus and cooperation from both sides, which in this case we are not going to find!" "I told you it was pointless." Kero muttered, "He wouldn't know anymore than I do. Why won't you listen to me, Tomoyo. It just can't be done!" Tomoyo bit her lip and blinked back tears. She crossed her arms and made a struggling expression, "If you won't help me, I'll look for a way myself." "What!?" Kero demanded, "You don't even know magic!" "Yes, but he does." she pointed at Syaoran who was leaning against the back wall of the library, "And he'll help, right Syaoran." Syaoran crinkled his brow, "I... I was actually going out to look for Meiling. I'm sorry Tomoyo but I don't think it can be..." Tomoyo held up her hand to stop him from speaking. She made a fustrated noise and paced a few steps, running a pale hand through her ebony hair, "Fine." she said firmly, "Then I suppose I'll have to do it myself." "I'll research it with you." Touya said suddenly. Tomoyo spun to look at him and he shrugged, "It's for Yuki... I don't understand magic like you all do, but..." Kero snorted, "You're all impossible, you know that. Spinel, say something!" Spinel sighed helplessly and rose from his book, glaring out at his audience pointedly, "Nothing I say will change their minds, Keroberos. Humans are stubborn creatures. I might as well help... I don't like the idea of you poking around all those old texts without supervision. Some of them are dangerous or, even worse, delicate." "We should begin now." Tomoyo said resolutely, "We may only have hours until Yukito gives out." "I'll be out looking for Meiling." Syaoran nodded, "She's probably angry with me beyond words, but that doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous for her to be out alone." he started towards the doorway, but Kero flew after him, landing on his shoulder and grinning. "Well, then I'm coming with you." Syaoran stared at him darkly, "This is my business." "Yeah, but you expect me to stay here with these loonies! The world's all gone mad... besides, you always have a way of getting yourself into trouble, clan boy. You need protection." he leaned in and lowered his voice, "Sides', I'm worried as anyone about Yukito and Yue. I need something to keep my mind off the tension, you know what I mean." Syaoran wavered a moment, then released Kero from the death glare. He waved lightly and exited the library leaving the others to their research.
Meiling had never been inside the Clow Manor before. It was a dark and forboding old building, gothic in design and all moth eaten and decaying inside. It smelt musty and the air was thick with hundred year old air. 'What am I doing here?' Meiling wondered, holding herself catiously and peeking around opened doors and long hallways that seemed to curve around corners. She knew her answer immedietly, of course. She was here to see 'him'. She had spent nearly an hour of wandering aimlessly around town planning a hasty revenge against her cousin. It was simple, but quite effective. Unfortunately, Meiling hadn't an inkling of magical blood in her being so the much dreaded Eriol Hiiragizawa was a necessary link in the chain. 'If he's as insane as Syaoran claims, would he even be here?' she wondered as she turned down yet another empty hallways that branched off into even emptier rooms, 'This place has been left to rot and from what I remember of Eriol he was obsessed with order. A bit on the froofy side, he always kept his things clean and neat...' She stopped walking as she met a crossroad, The house was much larger than it seemed from the outside. Perhaps it was magical and went on forever. Once again, she asked herself what she was doign and her courage screwed up. She had already decided to trace her steps backwards and leave when she heard it. Faint piano notes. Ambient and lonely and the first sign of life she had been privy to since entering the manor. She quieted her breathing and padded softly through the halls until the music grew louder, the dischordent notes stringing themselves into melody and into a song. Suddenly, it stopped. Meiling stopped too, breaking out in a cold sweat. Had she done something wrong entering the manor? Had she been to presumptious? Was Eriol so far gone that he would no take kindly to visitors? She was paralyzed as the footsteps made their way towards her and, without much ceremony, the Master Clow appeared from behind an unusually sharp corner. "Oh." he said, "A most unexpected visitor... Meiling Li." he smiled at her warmly, moreso with his penetrating, violet eyes than his mouth. He wore elaborate, flowing robes that seemed to meld with the near darkness of his gloomy home, "What is it that I may help you with?"
Yue had been left to keep vigil over Yukito. The boy breathed labouriously, contoinously reminding Yue of how ridiculously fragile humans were. Master Clow had always had an affinity for them, of course, being one himself (though sometimes one would forget that). Yue considered many times sacrificing himself to save Yukito's life, afterall, what was his purpose now that both Masters were incompacitated? Sakura dead, and Clow... Eriol was far gone, probably didn't even know who he was anymore. With no Master of the Cards to serve, there was no point for Yue to exist. Slowly he felt his will causing the life to ebb out of him, and though he desired nothing more than to let it go completely, his bonds would not let him. He was a creature created for absolute loyalty, he could not kill himself without asking permission. Which didn't make any sense, since Sakura was long dead so all her ties to him should have been broken unless.... No, he must not allow his mind to wander like that. Hope was a false and irrelevent emotion. He had picked up far too many bad habits from Yukito: hope, regret, fear, love... his inability to give up his life force must be the lingering traces of his relationship with Clow. "Contemplating suicide, Yue? How... selfless of you." Yue crossed his arms a bit more firmly at the sound of the voice but made no other noticiable motion, "Ruby Moon. How long have you been here?" "Long enough to gather the only thing you could be thinking right now, standing and staring like that, is sacrificing yourself to save Yukito's life. So why don't you?" Yue sniffed, "It's not in my nature." "Oh, you don't expect me to believe that. You lived far too long inside of that delicate little boy there not to have picked up at least some semblence of human emotion." She strolled into his line of vision and flipped a long strand of red behind her shoulder, "Anyways, you would never let Touya suffer such a loss." "What gives you that idea." Ruby paced closer and leaned forwards, placing a black gloved hand on Yue's chest, "You love that boy just like Yukito does. His emotions and yours are one and you couldn't bear to see Touya in such pain. Oh, you're a joke Yue, dear! So transparent." Yue turned his cheek, putting his nose in the air haughtily, "You don't know anything about me at all. You're not even a real gaurdian, just a cheap carbon copy of me." Ruby reeled back and crossed her arms behind her back, "You say I'M not the real gaurdian?" she laughed, "Look at yourself! You're the only one of us who has ever taken a temporary form that is not a transformation of ourselves! You're not even a whole person anymore. You might as well have just stayed inside Yukito and ceased to exist!" Yue leveled his cold gaze and said softly, "He asked me to leave." Ruby blinked, "Really, now. Sorry if I have a hard time believing that." "I really don't care what you believe. It's the truth." Ruby shrugged, "Well then, in that case I guess it's not any of my business, is it?" she stretched out like a cat on the high-bakced arm-chair in the corner of the room Mr. Kinomoto sat in when he read. She yawned loudly and let her eyelids fall. "Why are you here?" Yue asked icily. Ruby's eyes snapped open and she looked at him innocently, "Why, I just wanted to spend some time with you, Yue dear?" "Ruby Moon, tell me the real reason you're here..." She sighed dramatically and sunk a bit more in the chair, butterfly wings folding gracefully behind her, "Something... is about to happen." Yue raised an eyebrow and she stuck out her tounge, "I really mean it!" she continued, "I know it sounds stupid, but I have this... feeling." she shuddered, "And it's... unsettling. Everyone else is otherwise preoccupied, so I thought that..." "If you haven't noticed, I am also preoccupied." "I don't think Yuki's chances of living will be heightened any with you keeping watch..." "Ruby Moon, I do not have the time to indulge your ridiculous superstitions. Just because you're bored..." "Hey! Do you really think I'm that selfish." "Yes." "That's a bit uncalled for, Yue. I may be just a carbon copy, but you're nothing more than a..." whatever insults Ruby was about to throw at her predecessor were brutally cut off as a wall was suddenly blown out of the house. Yue turned his head, expression widening in something that could almost have been categorized as shock. "The cards!" he said urgently. "I told you something bad was about to happen." Ruby replied breathlessly.
"The Cards!" Kero and Syaoran spoke almost in unison, both leaping to attention in the general direction of Sakura's house. They looked at each other surreptiously for a moment, then Syaoran swore loudly. "We shouldn't have left them in the house!" he fumed, "We're idiots! Now Yukito's in danger!" Kero paced Syaoran's shoulder, brow furrowed in deep thought, "This isn't right. It doesn't feel right..." "It isn't right! We have to go!" Kero nodded, "Of course, but I..." he shook his head, "Nevermind. It's not important." he flipped off Syaoran's shoulders casually and was engulfed by golden light. Syaoran averted his eyes respectfually as the stuffed animal transformed as quickly as he could manage. "Hop on." Kereberos muttered reluctantly, unfolding his wings to make space for the young cardcaptor. Syaoran mounted him with equal reluctance and Kero leapt into the air with long, powerful strides. No sooner did he take to the air that he was thrown back to the ground. Syaoran flew a couple feet, grunting as he smashed against the stone and Kereberos looked around in shock. "What the hell just happened!?" Syaoran demanded, rising painfully. "I'd like to know that myself." Kero growled, walking a few steps, only to find himself thrown back again. Syaoran himself rose and began testing the edges of their invisible prison. "Well, obviously someone doesn't want us to stop those cards." Syaoran winced as he misjudged one of the walls and tumbled forwards, "And I think I have a good idea who's behind this." "Eriol up to his old tricks?" Kero wondered. "But the real question is why? What reasons would he have for trapping us in here while he lets the four most dangerous cards run loose around the city." "Maybe he has a point to prove. Perhaps he's testing you like with Sakura." Syaoran shook his head, "No. No that's not it at all..." he folded himself into a kneeling position and drew a circle on the ground. He muttered a few words in broken chinese, and the circle rose and hit the top of the transparent structure and caused the entire globe to freeze for a few seconds. Syaoran leaned back on his heels and felt with his left hand for the wall. He open his eyes, "Still there." "Of course it's still there, you idiot. This is Clow magic we're talking about. You may be a distant descendant of the guy, but you're dinky little spells don't stand a chance!" Syaoran shot Kero a sharp, insulted glare, "No offense or anything kid." the sun gaurdian settled on his hunches and raised his weary eyes skywards as the first column of fire spiraled towards the clouds, "Well, we might as well lean back and enjoy the show." Syaoran's eyes widened, "You can't be serious!" "Well, there's not really anything else to do, is there. Besides, the others will take care of it."
"Your thirst for revenge is irrational, Ms. Li. It could very well cost many people their lives." "I don't care." Meiling was seated docily in the back on the room, staring at her hands folded in her lap. "I don't agree with your reasoning." "Then why are you helping me?" Eriol shrugged nochalantly, "I don't know." "What kind of an answer is that?" Don't you know everything?" "What gave you that impression? I know no more than you about what's going on, even less of my own actions. Sad, isn't it?" "Yes." Meiling answered truthfully. She was thinking about herself though. Were her actions really so irresponsible? Eriol was insane, so he had an excuse. What was hers? Honor? What a joke? "Xiao Lang is a coarse induvidual. He's been under a lot of stress lately. I have no doubt that he was searching for you to apologize, in fact, when you came to me." Meiling raised her eyes sharply and bore holes into Eriol's back, "What makes you the expert on my cousin all of a sudden." "Oh, I'm the expert on everything." he assured quietly, moments after admitting ignorance, "On everyone, in fact. Would you care to hear my expert opinion on you, Miss Meiling Li?" Meiling looked at her hands again, "Yeah. Go ahead." 'Like any of it will be true. You don't even know me...' "Your a bitter little girl. You've never been what you wanted to be so your force yourself to make the best of what you have, yet you never live up to your own expectations. You are harsh, unforgiving and overly-critical of everyone, especially yourself. And pride means everything to you, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Losing ground with Xiao Lang would mean that he is better than you because he knows magic, because he's the kind of warrior your parents always expected you to be." Meiling paled, "That... that's not it at all." she stuttered, "I've never been jealous of... of Xiao Lang." Her cousin's chinese name sounded strange on her tounge after so long pronouncing it the Japanese way, "I admire him. In fact I used to love... I'm upset because he made me look weak. He doesn't appreciate me." that was really it, wasn't it? "So much for your 'expert opinion'." Eriol was either embarassed or too self-assured to care what she thought. Instead of engaging in an argument with her, he addressed another matter, "You'd better leave now if you don't wish to miss the show. And quite a spetacular show it's going to be!" Meiling rose, but turned as she was halfways throught the dark doorway, her hand resting lightly on it's frame, "You have your own reasons for doing this, don't you?" "Of course. I have reasons for everything, even if 'I' don't know them, 'he' does. Convinient, isn't it, having a man inside your head who knows the answers to everything." Meiling paused for just a moment, pondering his half-mad words, then left quickly, suddenly frightened by Eriol's prescence. This strange boy who wasn't a boy at all. No wonder Syaoran always seemed do shaken after speaking with him. In such a naturally aimiable induvidual, the insanity was almost contagieous.
Izzy Girl VI 'I wish I could turn back time, cos now the guilt is all mine' "That's madness! It just can't be done!" Spinel was irritated that they would even suggest it. He grumbled and hardly looked up once from the rather large volume he had been scanning when his afternoon was disturbed. "Sakura did it once." Tomoyo insisted, Kero rolling his eyes from his seat on her shoulder, "She told me about it!" "Yes, but that was different!" Spinel finally glanced up, but only slightly, "You don't just interrogate them. There is a certain methodical way to do it. It involves magic, focus and cooperation from both sides, which in this case we are not going to find!" "I told you it was pointless." Kero muttered, "He wouldn't know anymore than I do. Why won't you listen to me, Tomoyo. It just can't be done!" Tomoyo bit her lip and blinked back tears. She crossed her arms and made a struggling expression, "If you won't help me, I'll look for a way myself." "What!?" Kero demanded, "You don't even know magic!" "Yes, but he does." she pointed at Syaoran who was leaning against the back wall of the library, "And he'll help, right Syaoran." Syaoran crinkled his brow, "I... I was actually going out to look for Meiling. I'm sorry Tomoyo but I don't think it can be..." Tomoyo held up her hand to stop him from speaking. She made a fustrated noise and paced a few steps, running a pale hand through her ebony hair, "Fine." she said firmly, "Then I suppose I'll have to do it myself." "I'll research it with you." Touya said suddenly. Tomoyo spun to look at him and he shrugged, "It's for Yuki... I don't understand magic like you all do, but..." Kero snorted, "You're all impossible, you know that. Spinel, say something!" Spinel sighed helplessly and rose from his book, glaring out at his audience pointedly, "Nothing I say will change their minds, Keroberos. Humans are stubborn creatures. I might as well help... I don't like the idea of you poking around all those old texts without supervision. Some of them are dangerous or, even worse, delicate." "We should begin now." Tomoyo said resolutely, "We may only have hours until Yukito gives out." "I'll be out looking for Meiling." Syaoran nodded, "She's probably angry with me beyond words, but that doesn't change the fact that it's dangerous for her to be out alone." he started towards the doorway, but Kero flew after him, landing on his shoulder and grinning. "Well, then I'm coming with you." Syaoran stared at him darkly, "This is my business." "Yeah, but you expect me to stay here with these loonies! The world's all gone mad... besides, you always have a way of getting yourself into trouble, clan boy. You need protection." he leaned in and lowered his voice, "Sides', I'm worried as anyone about Yukito and Yue. I need something to keep my mind off the tension, you know what I mean." Syaoran wavered a moment, then released Kero from the death glare. He waved lightly and exited the library leaving the others to their research.
Meiling had never been inside the Clow Manor before. It was a dark and forboding old building, gothic in design and all moth eaten and decaying inside. It smelt musty and the air was thick with hundred year old air. 'What am I doing here?' Meiling wondered, holding herself catiously and peeking around opened doors and long hallways that seemed to curve around corners. She knew her answer immedietly, of course. She was here to see 'him'. She had spent nearly an hour of wandering aimlessly around town planning a hasty revenge against her cousin. It was simple, but quite effective. Unfortunately, Meiling hadn't an inkling of magical blood in her being so the much dreaded Eriol Hiiragizawa was a necessary link in the chain. 'If he's as insane as Syaoran claims, would he even be here?' she wondered as she turned down yet another empty hallways that branched off into even emptier rooms, 'This place has been left to rot and from what I remember of Eriol he was obsessed with order. A bit on the froofy side, he always kept his things clean and neat...' She stopped walking as she met a crossroad, The house was much larger than it seemed from the outside. Perhaps it was magical and went on forever. Once again, she asked herself what she was doign and her courage screwed up. She had already decided to trace her steps backwards and leave when she heard it. Faint piano notes. Ambient and lonely and the first sign of life she had been privy to since entering the manor. She quieted her breathing and padded softly through the halls until the music grew louder, the dischordent notes stringing themselves into melody and into a song. Suddenly, it stopped. Meiling stopped too, breaking out in a cold sweat. Had she done something wrong entering the manor? Had she been to presumptious? Was Eriol so far gone that he would no take kindly to visitors? She was paralyzed as the footsteps made their way towards her and, without much ceremony, the Master Clow appeared from behind an unusually sharp corner. "Oh." he said, "A most unexpected visitor... Meiling Li." he smiled at her warmly, moreso with his penetrating, violet eyes than his mouth. He wore elaborate, flowing robes that seemed to meld with the near darkness of his gloomy home, "What is it that I may help you with?"
Yue had been left to keep vigil over Yukito. The boy breathed labouriously, contoinously reminding Yue of how ridiculously fragile humans were. Master Clow had always had an affinity for them, of course, being one himself (though sometimes one would forget that). Yue considered many times sacrificing himself to save Yukito's life, afterall, what was his purpose now that both Masters were incompacitated? Sakura dead, and Clow... Eriol was far gone, probably didn't even know who he was anymore. With no Master of the Cards to serve, there was no point for Yue to exist. Slowly he felt his will causing the life to ebb out of him, and though he desired nothing more than to let it go completely, his bonds would not let him. He was a creature created for absolute loyalty, he could not kill himself without asking permission. Which didn't make any sense, since Sakura was long dead so all her ties to him should have been broken unless.... No, he must not allow his mind to wander like that. Hope was a false and irrelevent emotion. He had picked up far too many bad habits from Yukito: hope, regret, fear, love... his inability to give up his life force must be the lingering traces of his relationship with Clow. "Contemplating suicide, Yue? How... selfless of you." Yue crossed his arms a bit more firmly at the sound of the voice but made no other noticiable motion, "Ruby Moon. How long have you been here?" "Long enough to gather the only thing you could be thinking right now, standing and staring like that, is sacrificing yourself to save Yukito's life. So why don't you?" Yue sniffed, "It's not in my nature." "Oh, you don't expect me to believe that. You lived far too long inside of that delicate little boy there not to have picked up at least some semblence of human emotion." She strolled into his line of vision and flipped a long strand of red behind her shoulder, "Anyways, you would never let Touya suffer such a loss." "What gives you that idea." Ruby paced closer and leaned forwards, placing a black gloved hand on Yue's chest, "You love that boy just like Yukito does. His emotions and yours are one and you couldn't bear to see Touya in such pain. Oh, you're a joke Yue, dear! So transparent." Yue turned his cheek, putting his nose in the air haughtily, "You don't know anything about me at all. You're not even a real gaurdian, just a cheap carbon copy of me." Ruby reeled back and crossed her arms behind her back, "You say I'M not the real gaurdian?" she laughed, "Look at yourself! You're the only one of us who has ever taken a temporary form that is not a transformation of ourselves! You're not even a whole person anymore. You might as well have just stayed inside Yukito and ceased to exist!" Yue leveled his cold gaze and said softly, "He asked me to leave." Ruby blinked, "Really, now. Sorry if I have a hard time believing that." "I really don't care what you believe. It's the truth." Ruby shrugged, "Well then, in that case I guess it's not any of my business, is it?" she stretched out like a cat on the high-bakced arm-chair in the corner of the room Mr. Kinomoto sat in when he read. She yawned loudly and let her eyelids fall. "Why are you here?" Yue asked icily. Ruby's eyes snapped open and she looked at him innocently, "Why, I just wanted to spend some time with you, Yue dear?" "Ruby Moon, tell me the real reason you're here..." She sighed dramatically and sunk a bit more in the chair, butterfly wings folding gracefully behind her, "Something... is about to happen." Yue raised an eyebrow and she stuck out her tounge, "I really mean it!" she continued, "I know it sounds stupid, but I have this... feeling." she shuddered, "And it's... unsettling. Everyone else is otherwise preoccupied, so I thought that..." "If you haven't noticed, I am also preoccupied." "I don't think Yuki's chances of living will be heightened any with you keeping watch..." "Ruby Moon, I do not have the time to indulge your ridiculous superstitions. Just because you're bored..." "Hey! Do you really think I'm that selfish." "Yes." "That's a bit uncalled for, Yue. I may be just a carbon copy, but you're nothing more than a..." whatever insults Ruby was about to throw at her predecessor were brutally cut off as a wall was suddenly blown out of the house. Yue turned his head, expression widening in something that could almost have been categorized as shock. "The cards!" he said urgently. "I told you something bad was about to happen." Ruby replied breathlessly.
"The Cards!" Kero and Syaoran spoke almost in unison, both leaping to attention in the general direction of Sakura's house. They looked at each other surreptiously for a moment, then Syaoran swore loudly. "We shouldn't have left them in the house!" he fumed, "We're idiots! Now Yukito's in danger!" Kero paced Syaoran's shoulder, brow furrowed in deep thought, "This isn't right. It doesn't feel right..." "It isn't right! We have to go!" Kero nodded, "Of course, but I..." he shook his head, "Nevermind. It's not important." he flipped off Syaoran's shoulders casually and was engulfed by golden light. Syaoran averted his eyes respectfually as the stuffed animal transformed as quickly as he could manage. "Hop on." Kereberos muttered reluctantly, unfolding his wings to make space for the young cardcaptor. Syaoran mounted him with equal reluctance and Kero leapt into the air with long, powerful strides. No sooner did he take to the air that he was thrown back to the ground. Syaoran flew a couple feet, grunting as he smashed against the stone and Kereberos looked around in shock. "What the hell just happened!?" Syaoran demanded, rising painfully. "I'd like to know that myself." Kero growled, walking a few steps, only to find himself thrown back again. Syaoran himself rose and began testing the edges of their invisible prison. "Well, obviously someone doesn't want us to stop those cards." Syaoran winced as he misjudged one of the walls and tumbled forwards, "And I think I have a good idea who's behind this." "Eriol up to his old tricks?" Kero wondered. "But the real question is why? What reasons would he have for trapping us in here while he lets the four most dangerous cards run loose around the city." "Maybe he has a point to prove. Perhaps he's testing you like with Sakura." Syaoran shook his head, "No. No that's not it at all..." he folded himself into a kneeling position and drew a circle on the ground. He muttered a few words in broken chinese, and the circle rose and hit the top of the transparent structure and caused the entire globe to freeze for a few seconds. Syaoran leaned back on his heels and felt with his left hand for the wall. He open his eyes, "Still there." "Of course it's still there, you idiot. This is Clow magic we're talking about. You may be a distant descendant of the guy, but you're dinky little spells don't stand a chance!" Syaoran shot Kero a sharp, insulted glare, "No offense or anything kid." the sun gaurdian settled on his hunches and raised his weary eyes skywards as the first column of fire spiraled towards the clouds, "Well, we might as well lean back and enjoy the show." Syaoran's eyes widened, "You can't be serious!" "Well, there's not really anything else to do, is there. Besides, the others will take care of it."
"Your thirst for revenge is irrational, Ms. Li. It could very well cost many people their lives." "I don't care." Meiling was seated docily in the back on the room, staring at her hands folded in her lap. "I don't agree with your reasoning." "Then why are you helping me?" Eriol shrugged nochalantly, "I don't know." "What kind of an answer is that?" Don't you know everything?" "What gave you that impression? I know no more than you about what's going on, even less of my own actions. Sad, isn't it?" "Yes." Meiling answered truthfully. She was thinking about herself though. Were her actions really so irresponsible? Eriol was insane, so he had an excuse. What was hers? Honor? What a joke? "Xiao Lang is a coarse induvidual. He's been under a lot of stress lately. I have no doubt that he was searching for you to apologize, in fact, when you came to me." Meiling raised her eyes sharply and bore holes into Eriol's back, "What makes you the expert on my cousin all of a sudden." "Oh, I'm the expert on everything." he assured quietly, moments after admitting ignorance, "On everyone, in fact. Would you care to hear my expert opinion on you, Miss Meiling Li?" Meiling looked at her hands again, "Yeah. Go ahead." 'Like any of it will be true. You don't even know me...' "Your a bitter little girl. You've never been what you wanted to be so your force yourself to make the best of what you have, yet you never live up to your own expectations. You are harsh, unforgiving and overly-critical of everyone, especially yourself. And pride means everything to you, otherwise you wouldn't be here. Losing ground with Xiao Lang would mean that he is better than you because he knows magic, because he's the kind of warrior your parents always expected you to be." Meiling paled, "That... that's not it at all." she stuttered, "I've never been jealous of... of Xiao Lang." Her cousin's chinese name sounded strange on her tounge after so long pronouncing it the Japanese way, "I admire him. In fact I used to love... I'm upset because he made me look weak. He doesn't appreciate me." that was really it, wasn't it? "So much for your 'expert opinion'." Eriol was either embarassed or too self-assured to care what she thought. Instead of engaging in an argument with her, he addressed another matter, "You'd better leave now if you don't wish to miss the show. And quite a spetacular show it's going to be!" Meiling rose, but turned as she was halfways throught the dark doorway, her hand resting lightly on it's frame, "You have your own reasons for doing this, don't you?" "Of course. I have reasons for everything, even if 'I' don't know them, 'he' does. Convinient, isn't it, having a man inside your head who knows the answers to everything." Meiling paused for just a moment, pondering his half-mad words, then left quickly, suddenly frightened by Eriol's prescence. This strange boy who wasn't a boy at all. No wonder Syaoran always seemed do shaken after speaking with him. In such a naturally aimiable induvidual, the insanity was almost contagieous.