Hello! This is my second fic. I know I didn't finish L&B yet but I'm
working on it. However, I wrote this fic a loonnnnggg time ago. well at
least the fist two chapters. I just found it on my harddrive and decided to
clean it up and post it. If you guys like it, then I'll continue it cuz I
have to finish my other story and I'm not too sure about this one.
SO, if you like this (or don't) then please review and tell me so! tell me what you think. Without further ado, here is. (I know I stole the title from a Jet Li movie ^-^;;)
standard disclaimer ***************************************************************
Once Upon a Time in China
Prologue
The night was dark, without a sliver of the silver moon or a twinkle of the golden stars. It was still; the air was filled with suspense and anticipation for something to come, a great tragedy.
Sakura ran as fast as she could. Something was wrong. Her father was in trouble. She could hear him calling her, but his voice was getting weaker by the second. In the quiet of the night, only her footfalls could be heard. Faster and faster she ran, her lungs were bursting but she knew she couldn't stop. Why is it taking so long? She thought frantically; home never seemed to be this far away!
Finally, the weathered arch of her home drifted over the horizon into view. Sakura flung the heavy wooden doors open, and ran inside. The site that greeted her was unspeakable.
The courtyard was trashed. The beautiful oriental furniture was askew, broken and mangled. There was debris all over the ground. Sakura felt the panic rising inside of her. "Father?" she screamed, "Father? Where are you?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she raced inside the house, searching from room to room. She knew something bad had happen. Not just the trashed house, but something happened to her father. She ran into her father's study. The elegant room was destroyed beyond restore. Her father's prized books were thrown across what was left of the rug. The beautiful vases and antiques were all broken into pieces.
Sakura didn't see any of this; all she saw was the crippled form lying on the floor. "Father!" Her expressive eyes widen in disbelief. Tears were pushing their way to the surface but she forced them down. Sakura refused to believe that her father was dead. She stumbled blindly to her father's side. She couldn't hold down the tears anymore. She touched her father's face with a trembling hand. "Father?" she whispered.
The bloody form in her arms slowly opened his eyes. "Sakura?" he asked weakly. The white hair, always so neatly kept in a queue, was now matted with blood about his ashen face. His once clear twinkling eyes were now dull, almost lifeless.
Sakura gasped and held onto Aiden tighter. "Father?" she asked wildly, "You're going to be alright, you'll make it through. We've been through tougher times than this." Her mind was reeling.
Aiden coughed and blood came past his lips, "No my dear cherry blossom," he gave her a sad smile, "I won't make it this time," He looked into his daughter's eyes. "I'm so sorry Sakura. I tried to keep them away. They were after the cards. But they were too strong."
"Who Father? Who did this to you?" Sakura wrung out. Here eyes blazing with fear and hatred.
"The Wuten. Sakura, you must stop them. You must." Another cough racked his body. With a last breath he whispered, "XiaoYin, zhao Li jia qiu." His head dropped lifelessly in Sakura's arms.
"Father? Father?!" Sakura looked frantically into Aiden's glazed eyes while tears fell unstopped down her face, "NO!! FATHER!!!" She turned her face towards the sky and let the pain wash over her while never loosening the hold on the lifeless body in her arms. "FATHER!!"
***************************************************************
"LIN!! What do you mean you don't have the cards?! Answer me?!" her voice echoed omeniously in the darkened hall. Black tapestries hung over the lightless windows. The torches cast a flickering light upon the two rows of bowed heads on each side of the carpeted way leading up to the raised throne at the end of the hall. No one dared to meet her eyes. Anger flushed her pale cheeks. Murder was in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Master Jing," her loyal disciple answered quietly as she stepped from her place in the line to bow down before her master's throne, "The cards weren't with the father." Lin bowed her head to the ground, afraid to look up, "The girl must have had possession of them."
The belligerent fire in Jing Du's eyes suddenly disappeared. In its place was an icy evil. "The girl had them you say? Are you sure?" she asked with a chilling coolness.
Lin started to tremble, "Yes Master." The fear in the room was palatable.
She looked over to the rest of her five students who fell into line behind Lin. "Well, well, well," she said. Her violent eyes glittered. "It might be better this way. I guess then we can have a little fun," her silky voice said as a very elaborate plan began to form in her mind.
SO, if you like this (or don't) then please review and tell me so! tell me what you think. Without further ado, here is. (I know I stole the title from a Jet Li movie ^-^;;)
standard disclaimer ***************************************************************
Once Upon a Time in China
Prologue
The night was dark, without a sliver of the silver moon or a twinkle of the golden stars. It was still; the air was filled with suspense and anticipation for something to come, a great tragedy.
Sakura ran as fast as she could. Something was wrong. Her father was in trouble. She could hear him calling her, but his voice was getting weaker by the second. In the quiet of the night, only her footfalls could be heard. Faster and faster she ran, her lungs were bursting but she knew she couldn't stop. Why is it taking so long? She thought frantically; home never seemed to be this far away!
Finally, the weathered arch of her home drifted over the horizon into view. Sakura flung the heavy wooden doors open, and ran inside. The site that greeted her was unspeakable.
The courtyard was trashed. The beautiful oriental furniture was askew, broken and mangled. There was debris all over the ground. Sakura felt the panic rising inside of her. "Father?" she screamed, "Father? Where are you?" Tears welled up in her eyes as she raced inside the house, searching from room to room. She knew something bad had happen. Not just the trashed house, but something happened to her father. She ran into her father's study. The elegant room was destroyed beyond restore. Her father's prized books were thrown across what was left of the rug. The beautiful vases and antiques were all broken into pieces.
Sakura didn't see any of this; all she saw was the crippled form lying on the floor. "Father!" Her expressive eyes widen in disbelief. Tears were pushing their way to the surface but she forced them down. Sakura refused to believe that her father was dead. She stumbled blindly to her father's side. She couldn't hold down the tears anymore. She touched her father's face with a trembling hand. "Father?" she whispered.
The bloody form in her arms slowly opened his eyes. "Sakura?" he asked weakly. The white hair, always so neatly kept in a queue, was now matted with blood about his ashen face. His once clear twinkling eyes were now dull, almost lifeless.
Sakura gasped and held onto Aiden tighter. "Father?" she asked wildly, "You're going to be alright, you'll make it through. We've been through tougher times than this." Her mind was reeling.
Aiden coughed and blood came past his lips, "No my dear cherry blossom," he gave her a sad smile, "I won't make it this time," He looked into his daughter's eyes. "I'm so sorry Sakura. I tried to keep them away. They were after the cards. But they were too strong."
"Who Father? Who did this to you?" Sakura wrung out. Here eyes blazing with fear and hatred.
"The Wuten. Sakura, you must stop them. You must." Another cough racked his body. With a last breath he whispered, "XiaoYin, zhao Li jia qiu." His head dropped lifelessly in Sakura's arms.
"Father? Father?!" Sakura looked frantically into Aiden's glazed eyes while tears fell unstopped down her face, "NO!! FATHER!!!" She turned her face towards the sky and let the pain wash over her while never loosening the hold on the lifeless body in her arms. "FATHER!!"
***************************************************************
"LIN!! What do you mean you don't have the cards?! Answer me?!" her voice echoed omeniously in the darkened hall. Black tapestries hung over the lightless windows. The torches cast a flickering light upon the two rows of bowed heads on each side of the carpeted way leading up to the raised throne at the end of the hall. No one dared to meet her eyes. Anger flushed her pale cheeks. Murder was in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Master Jing," her loyal disciple answered quietly as she stepped from her place in the line to bow down before her master's throne, "The cards weren't with the father." Lin bowed her head to the ground, afraid to look up, "The girl must have had possession of them."
The belligerent fire in Jing Du's eyes suddenly disappeared. In its place was an icy evil. "The girl had them you say? Are you sure?" she asked with a chilling coolness.
Lin started to tremble, "Yes Master." The fear in the room was palatable.
She looked over to the rest of her five students who fell into line behind Lin. "Well, well, well," she said. Her violent eyes glittered. "It might be better this way. I guess then we can have a little fun," her silky voice said as a very elaborate plan began to form in her mind.