Disclaimer: I don't own ccs or the characters! Although, I wish I did!
Lilover131: Hey! What's up? I hope you liked the last chapter! Well anyway, here's chapter nine!
Cry of a Wolf- Chapter Nine: The strength to move on
Yelan had finished telling her story of their tragic loss. The others remained silent, and they were too shocked for words. To see someone so precious to you die…this was a pain that none of them could comprehend. Meilin bowed her head down. She remembered that day…
Meilin's flashback
Meilin Li played with her friends happily. Her studies were over for today, and the weather was perfect. Hide and seek was Meilin's favorite game. She always played with Shen and Hui, her best friends.
"You're it!" Shen and Hui said to Meilin.
"What? But, I don't wanna be it!" Meilin protested.
"That's the rules! If you won't be 'it', then you can't play!" Hui said, with her hands on her hips.
Meilin sighed in defeat.
"All right."Meilin put her head against and tree and began to count to ten.
"One…two…three…four…" Meilin started as the two girls trotted away giggling.
"…Five…six…seven…" she continued. Meilin could hear the slight roar of thunder.
" …Eight…nine…ten," Meilin finished. She turned around just in time to see a lightning bolt strike close to a mansion.
Meilin knew that mansion. It belonged to the Li clan leader. She had seen the leader play with his son and four daughters. They were some of her cousins. She had seen them talk in the Li gardens before…though she had never really spoken to them. The four daughters had always been giggling, and the son seemed shy, but fairly open. Meilin had heard that the son was incredibly intelligent. He was only four years old, like herself, but he was addressed in the clan as 'The Li Clan Heir'.
It was strange how quickly the clouds had appeared. It had been perfectly sunny just a minute before. Meilin saw another lightning bolt strike the same place it had struck the first time. 'That's strange. Mama always told me that lightning never hits the same place twice' Meilin thought.
"These clouds are not ordinary!" she heard an elder say. The Li clan elders were very powerful, and they were the one's that decided how things should run.
Meilin hid behind the tree as she began to eavesdrop on the elder's conversation.
"The source is coming from Kyo-sama's home!" another elder said.
"We must banish this evil quickly…before it destroys our leader!" said yet another elder. The elders all prepared to head to the Li clan leader's home, but they were stopped by the head elder.
"It is…too late to assist the leader," The head elder stated.
"What do you mean?" the other elders asked, confused.
"His aura…is gone. Li Kyo no longer is alive," said the head elder, closing his dark eyes.
Meilin's ruby eyes widened. She stared at the mansion in disbelief. The kind leader they had all come to admire…was dead. Meilin ran from her spot quietly as not to alert the elders. Her mother awaited her at the door with a worried, but now relieved look on her face.
"Meilin! Where on earth were you?" her mother lectured. Meilin only stared at the mansion again. The rain then began to fall…
A few days later, the clan held a funeral for the fallen leader. Meilin saw the once strong man now being lowered in the ground, never to be seen, and never to be forgotten. She gazed to the leaders' family. The wife and four daughters held handkerchiefs to their tear streaked eyes. Then she gazed to the son. His expression was completely emotionless, but his eyes held pure sadness within those amber orbs. Meilin remembered how happy and open he had used to be. Now he was sad, and all of his emotions were locked in, never to be seen or expressed. Meilin now realized…that things would never be the same again.
Present
Meilin's flashback was interrupted as she heard the soft sound of crying. She turned to see Sakura Kinomoto wiping away tears that fell from her eyes. Tomoyo handed her friend a handkerchief. Sakura's emerald green eyes were drenched in tears, which caused them to glow.
"…I-I didn't know th-that you've been in so much pain!" Sakura said stuttering from her tears.
Yelan was shocked, but she then smiled. Sakura really was a caring person. Although, she did not expect any tears to be brought out from this conversation, let alone the person listening. Not even she herself had the courage to cry when telling the story. Eriol placed his hand on Sakura's shoulder for comfort, and then he gazed at Yelan.
"Thank you for caring so much about us, Sakura-san," Yelan said with a warm-hearted smile.
The four sisters crowded around Sakura, and they gave her a warm comforting hug. This hug was not like their usual crazy 'you're so cute!' hugs. This was one that said, 'we're all right, and there is no need to worry'. Sakura's tears soon faded, and all that was left was a smile.
"Now, I think we should all be getting to bed. It is late," Yelan said looking at the clock. Everyone in the group nodded in agreement.
"Futtie, Sheita, Fanren, Feimei, will you please lead our guests to their rooms?" Yelan asked.
"Of course!" the sisters all said in unison.
Yelan turned to look at Meilin.
"Meilin, you may stay here tonight if you like." Meilin smiled in response.
"Thank you, Auntie. I will call mama," Meilin said heading towards the phone. She then looked to Eriol.
"I will stay up a little longer," Eriol said to Yelan, heading towards the Li garden. Feimei grabbed Sakura's hand and began to lead her to her room. Fanren did the same with Tomoyo.
Feimei led Sakura through the dimmed hallways of the Li mansion. Sakura followed closely so that she would not get lost. After all, the mansion was HUGE!!
"I never realized how much your family has gone through. It must've been awful," Sakura said bowing her down.
"It's all right. That is all in the past now. To keep our family strong, we must keep going on," Feimei said with a smile.
"What was Mr. Li like?" Sakura asked curiously.
"He was a wonderful father," Feimei said thinking back of the good times.
"He always put us before himself or anything else."
"You must've loved him very much," Sakura said.
Feimei sent a grin towards her.
"That's why we love Syaoran so much," she said. Sakura had confusion written all over her face.
"What?" asked Sakura.
"Syaoran is just like our otousan (Otousan-father). He has the same amber eyes, the same messy brown hair, the same personality…everything!" Feimei said. Sakura smiled as she now had a better picture of Kyo's appearance.
"I wish I would've gotten to meet him."
The two stopped at a door in the hallway.
"This…" Feimei said while opening the door.
"…Is the room you will be staying in."
When the door was opened, it revealed a room fit for a princess! There lie a queen size bed with a canopy cover for privacy. Pink covers with cherry blossom symbols covered the bed, and light pink, frilly pillows decorated the dream resting area. Next to the bed, there was a dresser with a mirror, which had intricate designs on the frame. On top of the dresser, there was a vase with peonies of many colors. The walls were colored sugar pink and were decorated with pictures of flowers.
Sakura walked across the dream room and saw two doors that led to a veranda (a balcony). She opened the doors, which revealed many stars in the sky and a beautiful view of the Li garden. Right next to the balcony was a cherry blossom tree with shook in the night breeze.
"This room is beautiful!" Sakura said to Feimei as she flashed a bright smile.
"I'm glad you like it," Feimei said as she headed towards the door.
"Well…I'll see you tomorrow at breakfast! Sleep well!" Feimei said as she closed the door behind her.
Sakura unpacked her bags and changed into pink, silky pajamas. She tucked herself into the enormous bed, and she fell asleep with her 'Syaoran bear' in one arm. Down the hall were Tomoyo, and Meilin, who both had their own rooms as well.
Eriol sat up in the cherry blossom tree, which stood in the Li garden, obviously deep in thought. Suddenly, Suppi and Kero flew out of the bag that lay next to him.
"FRESH AIR!!" Kero said as he dragged himself out of the bag. Suppi, who was never much of a complainer, simply flew out without a word. Eriol, even being the reincarnation of Clow Reed, had a horrible memory sometimes. He had totally forgotten that Kero and Suppi were still in his bag!
"Thanks a lot Eriol! I nearly suffocated in that bag!" Kero complained.
"Gomen, Keroberos," (gomen-sorry) Eriol apologized.
"I don't need an apology! I need some food!"
Eriol pulled out a candy bar from his pocket and handed it to the complaining guardian. Kero snatched the chocolaty treat and ate it like a greedy child. Suppi landed on Eriol's lap.
"Master Eriol…what were those two enormous powers a while ago?" Suppi asked.
"A new enemy named Naraku…and Syaoran," Eriol answered.
"The brat?" Kero said quite shocked.
"That's impossible!"
"I never knew the boy had that much power!" Suppi said. Eriol looked up towards the star stricken sky deep in thought. His gaze then turned to Syaoran's window.
"And I think…that neither did Syaoran," Eriol said as he walked back to the Li mansion.
Lilover131: Hey! Thanks for reading! This chapter wasn't as exciting as some of the rest, but I hope you liked it anyway! I will try to get more Tomoyo, Meilin, and Eriol in it next time! And I won't forget the GIGANTIC LOADS OF S+S!!! please send reviews!