Chapter 11: Burnout – Part II

"How are things over there?"

The phone was silent for a few moments from the other end, which in itself gave an indication to the answer, before Wei finally spoke. "Syaoran returned home today in pretty bad shape." The voice in the other end hesitated for a moment before continuing. "It looked like he had been crying."

She pictured the words Wei had spoken to her. The image she conjured was almost unbearable to look at, which meant the real thing was probably more heartbreaking. She put it out of her head with difficulty and continued with her inquiries. "And the girls?"

"Fudie's still in a bad mood but I think she's coming out of it. All of them have been trying to reach out to her and I do believe it's slowly working."

"I see." Yelan thought back to the last time they met and wished deeply she could've left under better circumstances. She could only hope it wasn't too late to mend their relationship when she returned.

"It's not your fault, Mistress." said the voice from the other end, as if he could read her thoughts. "Please don't take that burden onto yourself."

"I appreciate the sentiment, old friend, but they are my children, my responsibility. It is no one's burden but mine, one that I gladly bear."

"That is why they will understand your actions are for their sake. Deep down, they know you want what's best for them."

"I know." she replied in a soft voice, one without her usual confidence. She had only ever spoken in this way to three people, including Wei and her mother. Even then, she only allowed herself to convey vulnerability for a fleeting moment before returning to her business-as-usual tone again. "I will try to wrap things up here as fast as I can and return within the week."

"How are things over there?" Wei asked concernedly.

"Slow, as I anticipated. I'm pulling on every connection I have to secure an audience, but it's been difficult."

"You know it's a possibility they could refuse to see you out of spite. Your relationship with them isn't exactly the best."

"I'm well aware." Yelan replied. "But they can't ignore my presence for long. They probably already know that I'm here. As long as I continue to stir things up, they will have to acknowledge me sooner than later."

"Provoking the Elders is a dangerous game to be playing, Yelan. Some might even say it's unwise."

She noted his use of her name, something he only did when he was speaking seriously. She met him with equal severity. "Then I became a fool long time ago. You know well enough that there's no love lost between us, but I will not let that affect my family anymore, and I'm willing to give everything for that. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't."

"I know." Wei replied with understanding. "I know you've made up your mind. Just be careful, Yelan. You can offer everything for your children, but at the end of the day remember it's you they need the most."

"I will. Thank you, Wei. I'll be going now. Give my love to the children."

"Of course. Good bye, Mistress."

"Goodbye, Wei."

Yelan kept her ear to the phone as the call disconnected and the dial tone began to ring before slowly placing the phone back. Slowly, she sat down and rubbed her temples.

She had put on a confident front but the truth was she was also worried and scared. Even with her plan, there was still a strong possibility things would not go her way and that terrified her. It would mean she had sacrificed all that time and to some extent her relationship with her children for nothing. Fear began to settle over her and her right hand reflexively reached to her left ring finger to grasp the object in it: a silver ring embedded with a small, jade gemstone. It was a simple ring: relatively thin with the small gem fitting inside it's bounds and slightly loosely fitted on her finger, allowing her to somewhat twirl it around. All the same she treasured it deeply that even when he had offered her to replace it with something fancier, she had insisted on keeping this one. A feeling of strength and comfort came and partially drove of her worries but with it came a deep longing in her heart, for it was in times of fear when she would yearn for him the most. She spun the ring around her finger until the green gemstone was full-circle back into the center of her view again. A bittersweet smile crossed her lips as she spoke in that soft, vulnerable tone again:

"I miss you."

Syaoran put his bag on the chair and fell down to the bed face first. All throughout school he hadn't been able to focus on any of his lessons and a few times he had to be broken out of his trance by his bench mate. The boy had assumed the lessons were the problem and humorously sympathized with him in an attempt to lift up his spirits, but that wasn't the problem. Of course, Meiling had noticed something but he had dismissed it and refused to answer her when she prodded further. In his head, he would drift back into yesterday's events repeatedly despite his best efforts and now, without the distraction of school it was back in full force. He had cried alone in frustration yesterday when he got home, but now a feeling of emptiness had replaced that sadness and he didn't know how to deal with it. Sleep is an option, but he still had to face it when he woke up and he didn't feel like sleeping now. With effort, he got up from the bed and went to change out of his uniform. Getting into more comfortable clothes, he pondered how to pass time. He could finish whatever homework he had but he didn't feel like his mind was in the right condition to do so. Training was even less favorable; Syaoran had trouble keeping his mind off the day before as it is. Even the thought of gripping his sword seemed heavy to him. It seemed like whatever he did, the shadow of yesterday's events would still follow him.

'I could use some tea.' suggested his subconscious suddenly. It was a random whim, but Syaoran grasped the thought like a lifeline. It was better than nothing and tea would be a good way to calm down, something he needed more than anything now. Immediately, Syaoran set off from his room to the pantry to make himself some tea. As he walked, he could feel a tinge of lethargy creep into his movements, making him feel a little slower. He tried to counter the unnatural feeling by putting more force into his movements but that only made them feel more awkward and rigid.

"Xiao Lang, what are you doing?"

Syaoran turned to the source of the voice in front of him to see Fuutie regarding him curiously. It was then he realized that his movements must've looked silly. He recomposed his stature. "Nothing important." It then dawned on him that this was the first time he'd seen Fuutie since their mother left.

"You're not in your room." he commented.

"Yeah, I got bored of being alone, I guess." She took a good look at her little brother. "You look a bit out of it, little brother, though I guess I shouldn't be the one to talk." She gave a chuckle to provide humor and Syaoran indulged her with a brief smile before turning his lips down again. Fuutie's expression changed as she realized that he was not feeling well.

"Well, I'm glad that you're feeling better. I'm going to go now, if you'll excuse me." Syaoran walked past her and was about to turn to another corridor when she called back.

"Wait!" Fuutie shouted as she briskly walked to Syaoran's direction. She caught her breath and looked at him with a small smile. "Would you like to talk?"

Both of them decided that tea was still a good thing to have while they talked and Fuutie helped Syaoran make some before they settled on the garden chairs. Syaoran placed a tray with a teapot, a cup, and a glass filled with iced tea on the table. He poured himself a cup of hot tea while Fuutie drank her iced one from a straw. She had found it odd that he wanted a hot drink in the afternoon instead of a cool one, but it helped him to feel calm. Sure enough, he could feel the warmth radiate through inside his body and giving him a sense of serenity as he drank the liquid. Above them, the sun was already moving towards the horizon to set. Both of them stared at the sky for a while watching as the first tinges of red slowly seeped into the blue sky. A moment later, Syaoran broke the silence.

"Are you okay now?"

Fuutie gave him a small smile. "I am, thank you. Sorry for making all of you worry."

"It's okay." Syaoran replied. "You had your reasons to be upset."

"That's not an excuse. I acted immaturely despite being the eldest." Fuutie shook her head adamantly and sighed. "So much for being a role model to my siblings."

Syaoran considered her words for a moment. "I think… that's okay."

Fuutie looked at him in surprise but he paid no mind. "Sometimes it's better to act how you feel rather than force yourself to act the way you should. At least, that's what I think now."

Fuutie stared in surprise for a few more seconds at him before chuckling. "Oh my."

"Did I say something funny?" Syaoran asked, confused at his sister's unusual response.

Fuutie extended her palm towards him and shook it back and forth. "No, no. It's just I didn't expect that from you, of all people. That really surprised me." As her giggles subsided, she looked at Syaoran with a smile. "You've really changed, Xiao Lang."

Syaoran smiled at the words, but quickly turned away with a somber expression. "Maybe that's not enough."

Fuutie watched his little brother's expression, one she had never seen on him through all the years she'd known him. She'd seen that look on the mirror all through last week, but to see it on her brother who had always radiated strength and resolve was strange and unsettling.

"Xiao Lang, did something happen?" Fuutie reprimanded herself internally for being too caught up in her own emotions to notice her surroundings.

"I've… been thinking about something lately."

Fuutie focused on him intently. "What is it?"

Syaoran felt his mouth turn dry and his chest turn to stone. He had never felt this heavy trying to talk about something since the night he told his intention to go back to Tomoeda to his mother, and the knew why: the minute he spoke of this to another person, it would no longer be a thought in his mind. It would make the idea more real, something he would actually have to consider. He clutched his hands tightly and took a deep breath to steady himself. Syaoran knew that he would have to face this question eventually, and after all that happened yesterday, that moment was now.

"I've known since I returned that there would be a penalty for my failure to capture the Clow Cards, and I thought I was strong enough to endure that, if it meant I would be closer to reaching my goal. I knew it wasn't going to be easy but I still thought that I could overcome it as long as I had the resolve. And yet, things keep getting harder and the more I try, more troubles keep appearing. It only seems I'm getting further away where I started, so-"

The next few words lodged up in his throat as Syaoran's chest grew heavy again. This was it. What he said next was going to be the ultimate admission of weakness, something he loathed immensely, but it was too late to stop now. He wasn't one for doing things halfway.

"So that's why I've been considering whether remaining in the Clan is going to get me closer to my goal. When I set out to do this, it never occurred to me that it could come down to one or the other. I was going to return to Tomoeda no matter what. That goal hasn't changed and, but now I'm wondering whether the Clan is the best way to do so. I've also heard a lot of unfavorable things about the Clan and lately it only seems like there is truth to them. The Clan is set in their ways and they don't look like they allow me to pursue my goal, so leaving would be a logical choice. But I really don't want that, since doing that would mean I wasn't strong enough to face the challenge I've been given."

Syaoran paused and took a deep breath again. He poured himself some more tea and drank it to calm himself. "It would mean I'm admitting defeat and giving up before the fight, and I've never done that. Even when I was capturing Clow Cards and my magic was stretched thin, I continued on even though I didn't succeed in the end, and it paid off in another way; I met Sakura. Giving up on this could mean I'm giving up before something better comes around the corner. But more than that, the Li Clan has been a huge part of my life: it's part of who I am and I can't even imagine walking away after all this time."

Syaoran drank the remaining tea in his cup. The liquid has slightly cooled, but still warm enough to soothe him, though he wasn't in much need for that now. He felt a huge weight had been lifted from his chest and while he still felt the uncertainty within him, it was nice to finally talk to someone about it. He placed his empty cup on the table. Meanwhile, Fuutie took her glass from the table and took a long sip as she processed what he told her. When she stopped drinking, she looked at him again with a look of concern and sympathy on her face.

"Have you told anyone else this?"

Syaoran shook his head. "No, I wanted to think on this myself first."

"I understand." Fuutie replied. "Well, I can somewhat relate. I've had thoughts about distancing myself from the Clan." She chuckled lightheartedly to lighten the mood. "But I can't say I share your attachment to the Clan."

"I know. The Clan can be particularly harsh to people who don't meet their standards."

"That's part of it." Fuutie admitted. "But it's more than that."

Syaoran looked at her questioningly. "What do you mean?"

Now it was Fuutie who took a deep breath. She took a long sip to prepare herself. "Xiao Lang, the Clan is a big part of your life; they've inserted themselves into your life from early on." She took a sip of her drink and placed it on the table. "But that's not true for the rest of me and your sisters. Back then, the Clan was almost non-existent in our lives. It was just the six of us: Me, Huanglian, Feimei, Xuehua, Mother," Fuutie paused and smiled. "And Father too."

The mention of his father brought about curiosity within him. Despite their obvious relation, he had only seen the man through the pictures on the mansion and while he couldn't deny the resemblance, it was no replacement for the real thing, so he didn't know how to feel about him save for a level of obligatory respect. Syaoran couldn't help but draw parallels to Sakura and wondered how she felt about the mother she had never met.

"What was Father like?" he asked.

Fuutie' immediately lit up in enthusiasm. "Oh, I wish you could've met him, Xiao Lang! He was a great man, the greatest man I've ever known. He was funny, relaxed and you rarely saw him without a smile on his face. I remember he used to like cracking jokes all the time and we would all laugh together so loudly that Mother complained about us making noise in the house. When that happened, he would sweet-talk her out of her temper, and surprisingly, it worked most of the time." Fuutie looked at Syaoran's expression of disbelief and gave a chuckle. "I know, right? You wouldn't believe it till you see it, but he was the only one who could soften Mother up. We'd often ask him to talk to her whenever she was being strict with us and he'd try to negotiate with her, though he'd side with her if he believed we were in the wrong. He also had a lot of integrity and he worked hard for us; both of them did. It wasn't hard to see why he and Mother matched each other." Fuutie's expression suddenly turned from happy recollection to sad remembrance. "Back then, Mother was different too. She was still strict and tight about rules, but she wasn't as cold back then. There were moments where we saw her soften up and smile, especially if Father was there. She was happy back then, we all were. Even though we weren't as well-off as we are now, we had each other and that was enough."Fuutie's expression darkened to hateful contempt. "And there was no Clan in our lives."

"There was no presence of the Clan at all?" That last line intrigued him. Syaoran knew Fuutie wouldn't lie but that sounded hard to believe, considering how tightly the Clan monitors it's members.

"None that I know of. I know how weird that sounds, but it's true. "Fuutie leaned forward on her chair and looked up in contemplation. "Looking back with what I know of the Clan now, it's definitely suspicious."

"Is it possible they thought you weren't important enough to be considered? Meiling told me that was the case for her."

Fuutie shook her head. "They'd still monitor us at some level; even in Meiling's case they didn't completely cut all contact with her family. But in our case, there was hardly ever any word or anything from them, no Clan representative ever came or even visits from relatives, nothing. It was like we were in our own little bubble, but bubbles pop sooner or later. It was almost inevitable that they would come into our lives at some point."

"What happened?"

Fuutie took another sip of iced tea to rehydrate before continuing. "One day, Father and Mother gathered all of us and told us we were going on a trip. Mother told us that her mother, our grandmother, had passed away and we were going to her wake. To say we were surprised would be an understatement; this was the first time we had ever heard mention of a relative or family member outside our own. Your sisters and I were confused but we followed them anyway. So we went to the funeral home where her wake was being held." Syaoran observed her face darkened a little more. "I'll never forget the way everyone looked at us when we arrived. At first, they looked shocked but after the surprise wore off a lot of them started looking at us suspiciously, like we weren't welcome there. It made us feel afraid, especially since we were still children back then. Father calmed us down and huddled us closer to him, but we could see he was also slightly on edge. Meanwhile, Mother ignored their looks and moved ahead of us to where the body was and placed some flowers there. It was an open wake where the body was in full view, so we could see Grandmother's body. It was the first and last time we ever saw her. I remember thinking how much she resembled Mother and wondering how she looked when she was alive. All of us were too young to think then why we've never met her until she died, so we just followed Mother when she told us to pray for her spirit. After we prayed, Mother approached a group of people in the front of the wake, which we didn't know that back then were the Elders. She spoke to one of them, though we didn't hear what she said. Whatever it was, the man she spoke to looked away from her like he was trying to ignore her. After a while, he turned to her and spoke a few words. They had a short conversation before Mother turned back to us and quickly told us we were going. By then, we could tell that she was angry so all of us decided to follow her along and leave. It was only later when I asked Father who she had been talking to that he told us that the man she had spoken to was our grandfather."

"I see." Syaoran paused to reflect on that. His mother never talked about her family to him so he always assumed they had a normal relationship. "So they had bad blood between them."

Fuutie nodded in response. "I'm not surprised you don't know, since she hardly ever talks about it. Even the sisters and I don't know much about him, or her for that matter. Now you understand how strange it is for us to be so ignored. For the Clan to completely shut us out like that, especially with her being the daughter of an Elder -"

"We must've done something wrong in their eyes." Syaoran finished.

Fuutie nodded. "At the very least, there is unpleasant history between them. This was obvious enough when we got the same looks while attending the funeral the next day. We left back home that night without saying a word of parting to anyone. Honestly, your sisters and I were glad to be out of there when we saw how being there badly affected Mother, though perhaps she was mourning more than anything. We went home back to our lives and after a while, things went back to normal. I thought that was the end of it." Fuutie gripped tighter on the glass. "But it was only the beginning."

Fuutie took another sip to rehydrate. "About a year after, Mother started looking troubled again and she went away on a trip again. She didn't tell us why and when we asked Father, all he would tell us is that she had family matters to attend to. She got back a few days later looking even more stressed. Sometime after that, Father and Mother started becoming tense. It wasn't like they were outright fighting, at least not openly in front of us, but something serious was happening between them. Things got a little heated between them but after a while, they returned to normal. I guess they settled things between themselves, but soon after they delivered big news to us; our Grandfather had died and left us his house, which we would be moving to immediately. So we moved to this house and we've been living here since."

"So that's how it happened." Syaoran knew that the house was originally his grandfather's but he had always assumed they've always stayed there. The conversation with Fuutie was as confusing as it was revealing. He was finding out a lot of things he didn't know about his past.

Fuutie saw his reaction and nodded. "Your sisters and I also reacted the same way, and we were even more excited when we saw this mansion for the first time. You're familiar with this mansion since you were born in it, Xiao Lang, but back then we lived in a little house crowded with just the six of us, so when we entered this house it seemed so large and fancy unlike anything we've ever seen. I mean, our old house wasn't that bad or anything but it felt so little compared to the mansion back then, though now I would gladly move back there in a heartbeat if I could." She added as a bitter afterthought. "Not long after that, Mother took the position as Head Sorceress of the Li Clan in Hong Kong and brought the Clan into our lives with it. All of a sudden, we were seeing all of these new people. It was always some relative visiting or some Clan official coming to see Mother about Clan business. I really didn't like it. It felt like our home was no longer private." Fudie rehydrated her throat and finished the last of her drink.

"But it didn't stop there. The Li Clan is a clan of sorcerers after all, so it didn't take long for our magic to come into question. Mother had taught us magic since we were children; everything we knew about it was from her, so it was surprising when a relative that came to visit suddenly asked about our magic. This was the first time someone else besides Father or Mother mentioned magic to us. At first, I didn't really find anything weird but as more and more people came to visit, I noticed that something was off. It was in the way they talked whenever they asked about our magical abilities. You could hear their voice turn from curiosity to condescension when they found out about our magic, even if they didn't say it directly. It wasn't like our parents didn't do anything though. Both of them did everything to protect us, Mother in particular wasn't above striking back against anyone who stepped out of bounds, but even if they stopped people from talking in our presence they can't stop people from talking outside. After a while they just looked at you and you can see it in their eyes that they're looking down on you."

"I see. It must've been tough." Syaoran said sincerely. Having had only a taste of judgment under the Clan, he can't imagine how tough it must be to grow up under those circumstances.

To his surprise, Fuutie smiled at him. "It was, but not as tough as you'd think. Mother and Father shielded us from the worst the Clan had to offer and I also did the same for your sisters. We always had each other when things got tough, so there was rarely a moment where we were really hit hard."Fuutie paused and her smile faded away. "At least, not until Father died."

The subject brought a whole new level of unfamiliarity to the conversation. Again, his lack of knowledge of his father alienated him from his sister. Syaoran knew only little facts about him, like the time of his death.

"He died shortly after I was born, right?" he asked.

Fuutie nodded. "Yeah, but he was sick for a long time before that. He tried to cover it up for a while, but eventually he couldn't keep it a secret. It was in the details. Father was quite physically fit, yet at that time he would often tire quickly after quite a while only walking for a short period. His appearance also started to change as he looked more pale. I also caught him coughing up blood several times, though he concealed it when he noticed me there. After a while, it was too obvious to cover up so he finally told us he was sick. Even then, he didn't say what it was, just that it was dire and his days are numbered. Unfortunately, that news came around the same time we knew that Mother was pregnant with you. I felt like it was unfair then and I still do now. It felt like God or Fate was adding insult to injury by offering us a cruel trade; one life for another."

Fuutie paused as she realized what her words implied. She immediately faced Syaoran and shook her hands back and forth. "I'm sorry! I don't mean to blame you or insinuate it should've been you or anything. Please forget what I just said!"

Syaoran waved it off. "It's okay. I'm not offended. I know this must've been hard on all of you."

Fuutie exhaled a sigh of relief and continued." Yeah, it was. We watched him slowly deteriorate while you were growing inside Mother. I think that hit him the hardest, knowing that there's a chance he might not live to see you. Even so, Father was always an optimist. He always taught us to always do the best with our time, so he did just that. He focused on doing whatever he could in the limited time he had left, even after he was mostly bedridden. Likewise, we all did all we could to help for all the time we had. Mother sought help from multiple sources, both medical and magical. As for me and your sisters, we did what we thought we could as children. We spent all the time we could with him, cheered him up every chance we could get, and made sure to let him know that we cherished him very much. In the end though, we were all just trying to prolong the inevitable, since none of us were ready to lose him. I think he knew this, so he told us that he would always be with us no matter what, that death would not separate us."

"He was also very concerned about you, you know. Anytime Mother worried about his health, he would dismiss it and ask her about your development instead. It's just like him to focus on life instead of death." Fuutie turned to Syaoran and gave a sad smile, the tears pooling in her eyes reflecting in her gaze. "You kept him going, Xiao Lang. I don't think he would've lasted as long as he did if you weren't there. All he wanted was to live long enough to see you and he did, just a few moments after you were born. I think that seeing you finally gave him closure, so not long after that he…he…"

She never finished that sentence as she broke into uncontrollable sobs. The tears that had been building finally let loose as her body trembled in emotion. Her hands reflexively went to her eyes to wipe the steady stream of water. Syaoran watched his sister let loose the emotions she had been holding. A year ago, he would've been at a loss at how to deal with emotional outbursts, but he had changed a lot since then, and almost reflexively, he immediately stood up from his chair and hugged her. He felt her body tense in surprise at the gesture but it quickly settled and she reciprocated and placed her arms around him. They stayed locked there in an embrace until Syaoran felt the sobs quiet down. When they finally stopped, he let her go and looked at her tear-stained face, a few tears also shed from his own.

"Thank you." Fuutie wiped the rest of the droplets and looked at Syaoran with her familiar bittersweet smile. "You know you're a good person, Xiao Lang. Father would've been proud of you. It really is unfair that you were the only one of us who didn't get a chance to know him. I keep wishing that he was still here and we were together, all seven of us, well eight including Wei." Tears threatened to come out again, but she took a deep breath and held them in. "I really miss him."

Syaoran looked at his sister's longing expression, filled with affection for a man he couldn't meet. Fuutie had always made her disdain for the Clan quite transparent, but he had always assumed it was because of the hard judgment they gave her. Now he felt that there were deeper roots from which her contempt had spawned from. He considered whether voicing his suspicions after her emotional outburst was appropriate but decided to take the risk.

"Do you blame the Clan for what happened to Father?" he asked cautiously.

Fuutie's initial shocked reaction made him worry he had treaded on her emotions, but she quickly recomposed herself and replied with conviction. "I do. I know it's somehow irrational since Father's sickness was not the Clan's fault, at least that I know of, but some part of me does blame them. Since they came into our lives, the Clan has brought us nothing but misfortune, so I can't help but believe they're somehow responsible for him passing too. It wasn't like they ever had any respect for him either. Even after his death, they only offered condolences out of obligation. Even those were just attempts to repair their tense relationship with Mother after you were born. I don't think they would've even said anything if they didn't know that you were born with strong magical powers. The only constant thing the Clan has shown is how entirely self-serving they are. I don't even know why Mother thought bringing us back into their fold was a good idea."

"Do you blame her for all that's happened?"

Fuutie pondered the question for a moment. "I don't. That would be unfair to her. The decision to 're-enter' the Clan was made by both our parents, not just her, but I also can't deny that decision also brought more bad in our lives than good and now she's the only one left now who can tell us why. I just want her to answer why she put us back under the Clan, yet she constantly refuses to tell us anything about her relationship with the Clan. I mean, it's also obviously taking a toll on her. Doesn't she know we're also worried about her? I'm worried about her?! I don't want to lose her too, you know! Ieven tried to find things out myself and while I have my suspicions, I don't want to assume anything. I want to hear it from her."

"I see." Syaoran considered asking Fuutie what she 'found out' but decided it wasn't needed to listen to conjecture. What she said was true enough, Yelan kept her dealings with the Clan under wraps. Even now, she was off in Beijing to negotiate for him and Syaoran didn't know what she was doing to do that. It was perhaps one of his greatest fears in indulging the idea of leaving; he had no idea how his mother would react. Even though he's seen that she bears some disdain for the Clan, she was still a part of it and he didn't know how she would take that.

"Are you afraid of what she'd say if you left the Clan?"

The question broke through his trance and Syaoran looked at Fuutie in shock, but she just chuckled. "We are talking about her and you suddenly went all moody. What else could it be?"

He couldn't argue with that reasoning. "Yeah, I am."

"Hmmm…" Fuutie rubbed her chin in contemplation. "Well, I can't give you an answer for that either, but..." She stood up from her chair and placed her hand on his shoulder. Syaoran looked up at his sister, her eyes brimming with determination. "Xiao Lang, I've seen the Clan use you as their personal magic pawn and abandoning you when you were no longer of use to them. They don't deserve you, Xiao Lang, so I wholeheartedly support you if you were to leave the Clan. If the moment comes when you decide to take that step, know that I will stand by you, no matter who may oppose you, even if it is Mother herself. Back at the library I said I would support your decision and I meant it. We all did. We are at your side, no matter what. Nothing should stand in the way of your happiness, not even the Clan."

The firmness in her voice shook him. "Thank you." Syaoran replied, "Though you may have a hard time convincing the others to face Mother."

Fuutie chuckled and replied with an air of humorous confidence. "Leave that to me. I can convince your sisters to do anything, though it may take a while for this particular task." She finished and playfully winked at him.

Syaoran couldn't help but laugh a little at her little crack. "Then I'll return the favor. When you decide to ask Mother about her reasons, tell me. I'll come along and help as best I can."

"Deal!" Fuutie offered her hand and Syaoran shook it firmly. She smiled at him with a cheerful grin that he had not seen on her face for this last week. He thought about how funny it was that not too long ago he had considered that expression annoying, yet looking at his sister now he wouldn't have her looking any other way. Reflexively, a smile also crossed his face.

The overhead squawk of a bird brought them back to the world. Both of them looked at the sky, now already red with streaks of darkness croaching in. In front of them, the sun was already setting behind the horizon.

"Guess we've been talking for a while, huh?" Fuutie commented.

"Guess so." Syaoran replied contentedly. "Let's head back inside."

Both of them turned and walked back towards the mansion when they caught sight of three people heading their way. Feimei was running at the front and behind her Shiefa and Fanren followed, the latter rather falling behind. Even so, they were synchronized as they yelled out under the evening sun.

"Fudie!"

The subject of their calls looked at them and smiled heartily.

"They were really worried, you know." Syaoran spoke.

Fuutie nodded in reply. "I know. Guess I'd better tell them I'm okay." Fuutie began to rush forward but looked back and gave Syaoran a wink. "If you'll excuse me."

Syaoran smiled in reply and watched as Fuutie ran to meet her sisters while shouting at the top of her lungs. "Hi, girls!". All four of them met up halfway and huddled together in a mess of hugs. There were a lot of screaming and tears but all of them were smiling. Syaoran watched his sisters and couldn't help but feel a bit happy. His own problems still plagued him in the back of his mind, but sharing his thoughts and concerns with Fuutie had relieved his heart a little. He hadn't come to a decision but it gave him peace of mind that he wasn't alone, that someone else understands how he felt and was ready to support him. He would have a lot of thinking to do in the days to come to make the right choice, but that could wait. For now, he was content with seeing his sisters laughing together.

M: Testing.

M: Did you get it?

T: Yes! I got your message.

M: Wow, I can't believe it actually worked. This is amazing, Daidouji-san! Thanks for sending it to me!

T: Thank you. It's still a test copy though, so it's really plain looking. The program is still in it's early stages and we're still working out the issues it has so for now this is only limited to text, but we're developing ways to send images and videos as well. The good news is technology could be advancing pretty fast in the next few years so we may even be able to talk directly using video soon.

M: Wow, instantaneous messaging. What will you think of next? Your company sure is amazing, Daidouji-san!

T: Haha it's Mother you should be thanking, but I'll be sure to give her your compliments!

T: So how are things in Hong Kong? Your last email said Li-kun has been having a hard time lately.

M: Yeah, and I think things have gotten worse. He was pretty out of it at school today. I think something happened but he wouldn't talk to me about it. Honestly! He's really annoying when he's being stubborn.

T: That sounds just like Li-kun!

M: Yeah, but I'm worried about him. If he keeps forcing himself like this he'll end up hurting himself just like back then with the Clow Cards.

M: Anyways, nothing much else has happened other than that. School's been pretty normal for me. How about you, Daidouji-san? How are things back in Japan?

T: It's going great! We're still preparing for the festival but everything's going along smoothly. Sakura-chan still has trouble with her lines though.

M: Ah that girl's as clumsy as ever.

M: How is Kinomoto-san doing, anyways? I sent her a letter but I haven't gotten her reply yet.

T: She's doing fine, but she's been having trouble focusing lately. She even lost focus in the middle of saying her lines today.

M: Honestly, that girl is such an airhead!

T: It's one of Sakura-chan's charms! Besides, I get to have footage of her daydreaming face, and it's so cute!

M: That sounds just like you, Daidouji-san, but don't you think you're spoiling her a bit? You should get a little tough with her sometimes like I do to Syaoran.

T: Well, that's just how Sakura-chan is! I wouldn't dream of changing her!

T: Although she has been daydreaming more than usual lately. If I had to guess, it's because she misses a certain someone…

M: I still can't believe she hasn't properly said her feelings yet, and Syaoran allowed it!

M: Honestly, dealing with those two can be frustrating sometimes!

T: They'll get there eventually. We just have to be patient. Their slowness is exactly why they fit each other.

M: Yeah, well at this rate nothing will happen at all.

M: Hmmm…

T: What are you thinking, Meiling-chan?

M: Summer break's coming soon in Japan too, right?

T: Yes, it is!

M: I think it's about time for our two lovebirds to reunite, don't you think?

T: YES!

T: LET'S DO IT!

T: I AM GOING TO GET SO MUCH GOOD FOOTAGE!

M: You're really something else, Daidouji-san…

A/N: This one really took a while to update, sorry about that. Long story short, I had to go to surgery and deal with exams, which added with me being too perfectionist, greatly delayed the progress of update. I'll work to post the next one faster. I posted this story on Archive of Our Own first, so I do more detailed notes there if you're interested. Otherwise, here's chapter eleven. Enjoy, and let me know what you think!