Chapter 10
A: n/ Thanks for following my story so dutifully guys! P.s Shaaarona, I'll check out your story ASAP! Hehehe, I've still got to update my other stories. I'm really chuffed that I've actually got this far with this story! Oh yeah, someone mentioned Eriol- he was going to be in the story, but I completely forgot about him, so I'll drag him into the story somewhere, I think I know where already…
So, a quick review of last time, then on with the story!
Tomoyo felt so guilty, she knew how much Sakura loved her. But Tomoyo was paranoid and thought that Chelsea was prettier than she was. She didn't like another person talking to Sakura.
Tomoyo was stressed; she was scared for her, and Sakura's safety. In the fight, if they were captured and taken to the Li castle, then who knew what horrors would befall them?
Tomoyo had never been brave, she had always ran and hid but since she had met Sakura, she felt she had nothing to fear because Sakura was always there to protect her. But who would protect Sakura?
(A: N/ This summary doesn't exactly tell you much, and the only reason I do a summary is so that I know where I am lol)
Li Castle:
It was around about the sixth hour in the morning and Li woke up with an elated feeling.
He got out of bed and in his silky pyjamas, he did his morning stretches. When Li was finished, he walked calmly to Meilin's room. He knocked on her door very hard.
After knocking for the fifth time, a groggy Meilin appeared.
"What the bloody hell Li?" She moaned.
"It's a lovely day today, don't you think?" He replied cheerfully.
Meilin's mouth dropped open.
"Why are you so happy?"
Li stopped in his tracks. "I'm not happy, do I seem happy to you because I'm not happy. Not happy at all, me be happy-
"- Li shut up. You're happy because you're fighting miss prissy Kinomoto."
"You got it in one Meilin. Now come on! Teach me how to fist fight!"
"You don't want Wei to teach you?"
"No, Wei's getting too old, all he can do now is direct and not demonstrate."
Meilin giggled, well I know you're happy about the fight Li…but really?" Meilin glanced down.
Li also looked down and noticed that he was just a tad wet…
"I'll just get changed Li." Meilin giggled, as soon as she had closed her door Li raced down the corridor and back into his own room.
He bathed and changed into his ceremonial robes, and went to Meilin's room unabashed.
"Ready?" When she opened the door Li noticed that she too was wearing her ceremonial robes.
They walked through the garden, past Li's training grounds, and entered Meilin's training grounds.
"Wow, I've never been here before Meilin."
She's got 12ft hedges, I guess she's got a maze. blimey, she's got a mini assault course, I want one! What's with the wooden poles?
On a raised platform, in the middle of Meilin's training zone, there were four wooden poles, one smelt fresh and new. There was an opening in the hedge to a side, which Li assumed, led through the maze, on the other side, there was a slightly hidden assault course, it looked a fair size.
"The poles," Meilin informed Li, "Are my punching targets, if you put your hand sideways, and place the tip of your middle finger against it, curl your hand into a fist, but keep it at an equal distance, then punch. See if you can dent it."
"If I had more of a distance I could."
"Well, you haven't" Meilin demonstrated what shed just instructed Li to do, but instead of denting it, she punched straight through it.
"Whoa…I could easily take these stupid sticks out with a sword."
"You're learning combat, not how to attack a log with a sword." Meilin seemed angry that Li was mocking her training facility.
Li turned his hand sideways, curled, and punched. But to no avail, his hand was now hurting, red and bloody.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
And so it continues…
Kinomoto Castle:
Sakura woke up with a feeling of deep dread in her stomach. She rose from her bed slowly, rubbing dry sleep with it.
Sakura shuffled her feet along the wooden flooring, her pink nightdress dragging behind her.
She walked to the other bedroom, the door was wide open.
She must be eating breakfast.
Sakura traipsed downstairs, desperate to find Tomoyo, but unwilling to reveal her only weakness to other people.
She walked to the great hall; her family were in there, but still, no sign of Tomoyo.
"Father, where is Tomoyo?" She shouted, her voice breaking and tears threatening to fall out of her eyes.
"I believe that she ate earlier Sakura, but I myself have not seen her."
Sakura ran from the dining room leaving a bewildered Fujitaka behind.
What is that sound?
There was a beautiful and entrancing noise coming from the west side of the castle.
Tomoyo!
Sakura had completely forgotten that Tomoyo was 'The Princess Of Song'.
(Or rather I forgot lol).
Sakura raced to the music room, expecting Tomoyo to be doing her favourite thing…playing the piano whilst accompanying it with her angelic voice.
But it was a somewhat different sight that greeted her, Tomoyo was in fact playing Sakura's mothers old harp, Tomoyo was singing softly whilst plucking the strings with delicate grace.
There's a little bird
Somebody
sent down to Earth
To live on the wind
Blowing on the wind
And
she sleeps on the wind
This little bird, somebody sent
Light
and fragile
And feathered sky blue
Thin and graceful
The sun
shining through
She flies so high up in the sky
Way out of
reach of human eyes
Light and fragile
And feathered sky
blue
Thin and graceful
The sun shining through
She flies so
high up in the sky
Way out of reach of human eyes
Light and
fragile
She's feathered sky blue
Thin and graceful
The sun
shining through
And the only time that she touches ground
Is
when that little bird, little bird
Is when that little bird,
little bird
Is when that little bird, little bird
Is when that
little bird dies
Sakura stood at the doorway in silence, whilst Tomoyo sang and played.
Tomoyo finished, with fresh tears streaming down her face.
"That was beautiful Tomoyo, just like you."
Tomoyo was startled; she hadn't noticed Sakura standing in the doorway, she wiped her tears away hurriedly.
"My mother used to sing me that song, whenever I was scared or afraid."
Sakura walked over to Tomoyo and knelt by her side.
"Why are you scared Tomoyo? I'll always be here to protect you."
"But who's going to protect you?"
Sakura remained silent, it seemed she could not think of a reply to Tomoyo's question.
"You can't answer me can you?" Again, Sakura made no attempt to reply. "CAN YOU!" Tomoyo bellowed.
Sakura flinched in her fright, Tomoyo had risen now and Sakura had never seen Tomoyo angry before.
"I cant. But your love will save me." Sakura replied, tears breaking free from Sakura's heartless prison, yet again, Sakura found herself holding back tears.
"Well it wont save you anymore." Tomoyo hissed before she stormed out.
Sakura clung to her knees tightly, all her anguish pouring out of her.
Li Castle: (Several hours later)
"I think I can see a slight dent Li…" Meilin said nervously.
"Don't patronise me! This wood has remained impassive and my hand feels like it's going to drop off Meilin!"
"Maybe you should have a break Li."
"I'm not leaving this area until I have done the same as you!" Li roared.
"Well, I'm going to get some food." Meilin turned her back on Li and left him punching the wood.
Well, I should have known his happiness wasn't going to last long…and he still remains as stubborn as ever.
Meilin sighed, all she had tried to do her whole life was help Li, but all he had ever repaid her with was anger and violence. That was the only reason Meilin learned to fight, she wanted all the bruises to go away, all the blood to disappear and all the scars to fade. It was now possible to defend herself, but Li's anger towards her had grown. It seemed to annoy him that she was better than him, stronger, faster and more talented than him.
Meilin walked past a servant, she spun around.
"YOU! what's your name?" she demanded.
"Err…Naoki your highness."
"Good, deliver this to Li." And without any hesitation Meilin punched Naoki straight in the face, delivering an instant nosebleed.
The girl fell to the floor sobbing hard.
Meilin walked away, she felt awful for doing that, her anger had gotten the best of her, just as it always had.
Flashback:
Meilin, aged 10.
She was in an old Chinese training room, an old man with a long white beard stood before her.
"As your final lesson Meilin, you will learn to be calm and patient."
"I can't master Yeng"
"You will learn apprentice."
In an instant her master had simply vanished, she looked around her surroundings (which was a drab and empty room) and heard a clicking noise, it was obviously a lock. She jumped up from her kneeling position and began ferociously attacking the walls, kicking and punching.
"LET ME OUT MASTER YENG!" She screamed. There was no reply.
Five hours later, an exhausted Meilin was still trying to knock down the walls.
"GET ME OUT!" she bellowed before kicking the door again.
After another hour, Meilin still hadn't given up, when her master entered the room.
"Perseverance is a strong virtue of yours…or is it a curse? Patience was never a gift bestowed on you and will lead to your downfall."
"I hate you, more than these walls that have confined me."
"Hate, is a strong emotion, that leads to revenge, and revenge leads to anger, which in turn will lead you to a premature death."
Meilin went to her room, which was plain and simple. She fell asleep due to her exertions in the locked room. She mumbled in her sleep.
"I will get my revenge…"
The next day, Meilin was preparing the meal, she pulled a small vial from under her shirt, she poured the colourless liquid into the larger bowl, she stirred, hid the vial and brought the food to the table.
Her master ate the food without any suspicion, and the next day, he was dead.
End of flashback.
I could never hurt Li, no matter how much he's hurt me in my life, I love him too much.
Meilin walked to the dining room in a sombre mood. She sat with Li's parents and ate in a depressed silence.
Li meanwhile, had begun to dent the wood slightly.
"At last!" He gasped.
Kinomoto castle:
Night had fallen once again, and with it a strong chill that seemed to rattle Sakura's bones. She was outside practicing with her new sword. (Yes another one.) This sword was straight and light (for a sword) the stone was in the shape of a love heart, one half pink, and the other half purple. Engraved on one side was Sakura's name, and on the other, Tomoyo's, with small tribal designs adorning the names.
She swung the sword around with more grace than that of a ballet dancer.
The fight would be tomorrow, and for the first time in her life, she was scared of another swordsman. Falling out with Tomoyo could kill her, as she wasn't focused, and prone to distraction.
If she lost…she tried not to think about it.
A:n/ Erm…you guys are so going to hate me… I'm just trying to get some background information in y'know? Besides the fight will 100 be in the next chapter as I cant get too much to happen in half a day, can I? so I can promise you this time and actually believer what I'm saying myself, when I say I promise the fight will be next chapter, and yes, Eriol will be in this somewhere, and about the Sakura + Syaoran thing, well I don't want to ruin it, but yeah, they will get together.
So hey, another fast update from me (even if it isn't what you wanted) and please R&R!
Yours,
Vicky
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