Chapter 10- Showdown 1
Sakura paced back and forth in front of her locker, waiting of course. She hadn't seen Syaoran all afternoon which didn't bother her because they didn't have lessons together but usually he would have reached his locker by now. She had ten minutes before she needed to show up for this duel. Those girls had showed up several classes ago issuing a challenge. "Meet us afterschool around 3p.m. Kiko wants to show you what happens when you interfere with the Li fanclub". She had enough problems now with her feelings, Li clan business without this crap. She knew they were planning a magical duel because Meiling had said that it was common to go off of school grounds for such a thing.
She dashed outside to the soccer field where a crowd had gathered. She covered her entire aura as she stepped into the ring. No one could feel a thing from her.
The Li-sama Fan Club Leader was waiting for her. "We need a witness."
"Could someone quickly explain the rules for me, I don't really know how this works."
A boy she had seen in her economics class stepped forward. "I shall be the witness and give the run through."
"You can't you have no magic." Sakura said. The boy shrugged and said that he came from a magical family but his specialty resided in plants and healing.
Syaoran came running onto the scene. "What the hell is going on?"
"Oh Li-sama you don't know how much it means you came to cheer me on." The girl gushed and Syaoran gave her a weird look.
Before the boy could start speaking Syaoran butted in, "Will someone please tell me what is going on?" A boy nudged him and said something. "A DUEL!"
"Sakura you can't be serious about this. You don't have enough magic to withstand this kind of activity." She smiled graciously at him realizing he had said her name.
She approached him quickly so that she could do this and get on with the match. "Are you worried about me Syaoran?"
He didn't say anything right away. "Do as you will."
She bowed, "Wish me luck Little Wolf." He seemed startled by her translation. He smirked at her and picked up her hand to place a kiss upon his clan's ring. The crowd appeared confused as Li-sama did not do pleasant in any form.
Sakura skipped back to face off against her opponent, who appeared mad at the exchange between herself and Syaoran. The boy looked pointedly at Sakura, "Are we ready now. Both parties nodded.
"Okay so I Hiira Shenji, hereby witness the magical duel between Mistress of The Sakura cards and Yangtze clan priestess in training, Kiko. The terms of the agreement are if upon losing Sakura Kinomoto gives up Syaoran Li as her fiancé, and Kiko Yangtze will no longer bother Syaoran Li if she loses." Syaoran looked quickly at Sakura that was ignoring him in order to concentrate. He had a sickening fear that she might get hurt because this stupid girl had it out for her.
"Both parties have agreed and as rules dictate each will use the full extent of ones magic with no help from others until the other person calls it to an end. Please now get out your articles of magic so that we can begin. After each person has released their aura we can begin. I will be watching along with these other people to make sure no cheating is done. Please change."
Sakura stepped forward first. She released her aura and everyone was blown away because they only saw her as a weak girl. Syaoran smiled knowing she would be fine now feeling she had sufficient power back. "Key which hides the power of the stars show your true form before me I Sakura command you under our contract release." For the first time she twirled it like a baton and stood at the ready. The other girl just pulled out a set of beads she had inherited from her family.
Kiko called out first, "chain of water rise and wrap around this interloper."
Sakura shouted back, "Freeze, turn this water into ice; windy capture the person yonder and hold her in place." The girl was astounded that her water had been frozen and was now useless. It was her strongest attack and she was then captured by a whirling women. She struggled against her hold.
"Sword card lend me your sword." Sakura stepped up to the frightened girl. She was struggling like a wild thing but windy held her tight. The girl stopped moving as she felt the sword pressing against her abdomen. "Kiko, I can easily humilate you and we both know it call it quits."
"No, Li-sama is my special project, he acts like nothing affects him and then you come and create this complete change. Why you?"
Sakura didn't comment on this topic and instead said, "I didn't say you couldn't admire him from afar I just want you to not interfere with myself or his personal bubble."
The girl nodded and turned to Shenji. "I yield."
"Sakura cards return." Kiko was released as the cards came back to her hand. The crowd blew out their bated breath. Sakura felt bad that all these people thought she would intentionally hurt this girl.
"I, Shenji, have witnessed the defeat of Kiko Yangtze and declare this duel over."
Everyone separated wanting to tell their friends the latest news. Kiko approached Syaoran. She bowed and said, "I am sorry to have bothered you Li-sama I hope you can forgive me." Syaoran nodded absentmindedly his eyes were on Sakura.
She nodded to Shenji in thanks for his participation. "Teleport." She went back to the apartment. She felt woozy now; she had started to feel the effects after the cards were returned. She needed to lie down. She concealed her aura again and jelly-legged made her way over to the futon in her apartment. She crashed onto it and fell asleep.
Syaoran looked worried but headed home hoping she had arrived safely. He swung through the doors and his mother came up to him. "Syaoran I haven't seen Sakura since yesterday early, do you know where she is." He really hated when she teleported.
"What do you mean? She isn't here?" He started to look around like it was somebody's idea of a joke.
Syaoran thought a moment about where she could possibly go in the city. He had toured several spots such as the abandoned well and had seen no trace of activity. He produced the lasin board and used it. The light beam flowed in in a strange direction. He didn't think she had any reason to go that way.
He ran in that direction and found himself outside an apartment building. He scowled she couldn't have an affair going on. He would like to think the interest between herself and Ling was one-sided. He rushed past the reception before the man could stop him. He went up the 5 flights of stairs. He was running on pure anger. He stomped up to the door and threw it open. The place was bare except for a knocked over crate in the middle of the floor. He picked up on faint sounds of snoring. He wandered into another room and she was sleeping like a log on a small futon. He looked around bewildered. At least there wasn't a man here. He went and closed the door. He touched her forehead and it was raging hot. He felt her magic surging and she needed to be calm for her to sleep properly. He held his hand over her and muttered in ancient Chinese, "Healing gods from north, south, east, and west, please pull this being towards you in order to restore the balance." The burn of his magic came forth and the green light absorbed into her skin. She seemed to fidget and then became quiet. Her fever was still high so he crawled into bed with her to use his body heat to heat the strange fever out of her. He didn't touch her or show any means of knowing her. He fell asleep for lack of anything else to do.