Cards, Love, war, and rebellion
Chapter 12
Authors note: ok before we do the final battle maybe we should at least do a little bit of fluff for our couple don't ya think reader? I'm always a fan of a little heart to heart before going to a battle or war, it give the warrior a reason to go and come back. Either way let's get into the chapter.
3rd POV
It has been two days since the declaration to fight the Long clan and preparations were almost complete. And every one are getting ready for their own preparations. The plan was simple, the emperor will use his guards and the city guards to attack the Long clan soldiers while Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Meiling and Ryouma will bypass the battle and on into the long clan compound and cut the head of the snake. The plan seems fool proof but everyone was nervous since the actual time for assault was at midnight and it'll take a few hours for it to begin. Eriol was sitting on the rooftop of the main mansion of the Li compound. He was thinking about all the things he had done in the past remembering all of his mistakes, failures, and regrets he had for years. He just sat there till his two familiars ruby moon and spinel sun came to him.
"Are you sure that this is the right course of action to take?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"For now yes." Eriol answered bluntly
"You better be right about this, cause your plans are as crazy as always." Spinel commented.
"Are they?" Eriol wondered.
"Just out of curiosity why didn't you killed him when you had the chance?" Ruby asked.
"He was just like a son to me, plus he was the child of my very best friend. I can't kill the son of the man I am deeply in debt to." Eriol answered.
"Really?" Ruby said in wonder.
"Of course there were other options that I could have done at the time to prevent or end it but now that I think about it, I really could have done some of those things. . . I was full of grief and regrets but I still had fun in my life. Nonetheless this night will be the true end of Clows tale." Eriol said sagely.
"I hope what you said is true, we've had enough of this drama. Please let this crazy plan be of fruition." Spinel said dreadfully. With that the trio waited for the time to come as they sat on the roof. While these three waited, others are preparing for battle. Meiling was helping Ryouma with his armor, it is light and made of 2 layers of soft and boiled leather and laminated steel plates. The armor consists mainly of a single pauldron, some braces and greaves as well as a chest piece that covers half of the chest which Oddly enough it kind of resembles a munate like what female kyudo archers wear during practice. Meiling was worried for having her boyfriend to come along with her team but she knew that he can be a stubborn man as she has learned recently.
"Are you sure that you want to do this? You know that I can handle myself in a fight right?" Meiling asked.
"I don't doubt that Meiling, and I trust you. But ever since we've started courting I can't help but worry about you." Ryouma answered as he checked that straps in his armor.
"You saw handle thos demons right? I can handle a few guards myself." Meiling argued
"This isn't the pirates we've face weeks prior Meiling and you know that right?" Ryouma countered.
"I know but."
"Meiling I know that you are good in a fight, and I don't doubt that. However I just can't stand by and watch the girl I love go in and get hurt. I don't want to lose you like how I lost my father." Ryouma interrupted. Meiling felt so touched by Ryoumas words she start to fall for him deeper than ever. Heaven she loves him.
"Ryouma that's so sweet of you." Meiling said. As Ryouma was all strapped up he took his butterfly blades and holstered them to the back of his hips. Meiling was in her traditional martial outfits which gives no form of protection at all but lets her us all the moves she knows from her time training.
"Once this is over I will definitely take you to a nice dinner. Also your father has got me hooked to a few deals. Hopefully when you graduate I can give you anything you want and spoil you." Ryouma told Meiling.
"Don't spoil me too much, you know how much of a pushy girl I am right?" Meiling laughed.
"at least it shows how much I care for you." Ryouma counter with a smile. When Meiling saw this she thought it was a good time to tease him a little bit, she got in his personal space and placed her fore finger under his chin and spoke in a seductive voice.
"Maybe once this is over I will show you my most raunchy outfit. I've only worn it durring a bounty hunt as a disguise but when we have alone time I would wear it for you. And maybe I'll let you take me if you really want to." Ryouma blushed at those words. Most men in Ni-hon-kaido are shy when it comes to those kind of things but there are a few that he knew that went to brothels and gamble houses to release some pent up stress. However Ryouma is one of the more conservative types and he wouldn't dare to do something as rash as that.
"M-M-M-Me-Mei-Meiling what are you?" Ryouma stammered trying to say something. But then Meiling start to laugh at his embarrassment.
"Hahahahahahahahaha I'm just teasing you." Meiling confessed.
"Phew" Ryouma sigh in relief.
"But serious I would do it if you want." Meiling said blushing "I wouldn't mind if we did it though. I would love to have a child with you."
Ryouma went red after she said that. He wanted to marry her one day but with his financial situation he needed to make sure she must wait first.
"Please wait after you graduate Meiling. When that happens I promise you that we will be a family someday." Rouma promised.
"And for the record I want three." Meiling added still red in the face. Meiling and Ryouma cuddled together know that the hour is upon them, if all goes well then they would have a lovely life together but their love isn't the only one at stake and they know it. Meanwhile Tomoyo was in her room polishing her naginata, she had never thought that she would use it on human life even though it will be unavoidable one day. She contemplated over the great peacefull days she had with Sakura, she was happy that Sakura got herself a lover and a future husband and wanted the best for her. Now her she is helping her end a war that her predecessor has begun. Tomoyo was not only worried for Sakuras future but her own as well. What will happen after this is over? Will she find a man that's good for her herself? As she was thinking all those things through till Huan Li walked in.
"I hope I'm not interrupting anything." Huan Liu said as he walked in.
"Ie, I'm just thinking things right now." Tomoyo said
"May I come in?" Huan Liu asked.
"Yes please." Tomoyo said. Huan Liu walked in having a blush on his face as he took a seat on the chair next to the bed. For a couple of minutes the two just sat in silence as Tomoyo finishes her polishing of the blade, Huan Liu did take a few glances at Tomoyo but was nervous to talk. The two sat there for what seems to be like an eternity till Tomoyo broke the ice.
"Is there something you want to say to me?" Tomoyo asked.
"I don't know how to explain this Tomoyo but there is something I must get off my chest." Huan liu answered.
'What would that be?' Tomoyo wondered
"Remember the time that we've met?" Huan Liu asked.
"Hai, though I do recall saving you while you were oblivious to the fight at that time." Tomoyo answered.
"No my prettiest moment there. However when I looked into your eyes that time I was mesmerized by your beauty, also when I saw you fight, I realized that you were a strong woman." Huan Liu said. Tomoyo blush after hearing those words.
"H-h-ho-hold up there Liu san, I know that I'm considered a good looking girl but Sakura chan is more beautifull than I am!" Tomoyo shouted.
"Actually from what your friends told me, they said that you were considered at the most beautifull woman in your academy. And from what I've been told, you have many admirers there." Huan Liu countered.
"EH?" Tomoyo said all confused.
"Tomoyo I know that we had a rough meeting at first when my men captured you but I'm glad that you forgave both them and me. Not only that you treated me like an ordinary guy and you didn't even tease me for my look. And after learning of how we are similar in many things I realize that you are an amazing woman. And now I can't control my own emotions when I am near you." Huan Liu said letting his emotions known. Tomoyo was surprised but this revelation and not only that she got the feeling that this could be a confession or something.
"Liu san you don't mean to say?" Tomoyo asked hesitantly
"Yes I have feelings for you. And I do think that you are the perfect woman for me to marry." Huan Liu said boldly, this causes tomoyo to bgo red like crazy.
"Matte matte matte this is too sudden! Sure I'm almost of age but aren't you being a bit too pushy for this? Besides we've only known each other for a few weeks." Tomoyo countered
"It was love at first sight for me. Also I want to be your husband, throughout the weeks we've known each other I've come to realize how much I like you. I wish to be with you, cherish you, and grow old with you. I want to be in your life." Huan Liu declared. Tomoyo was speechless. She has seen many guys and girls fall in love especially among her friends but never to herself. Sure she had many suitors line up for her but most of them are either fakes who tried to get into royalty through false means while others are just too arrogant and corrupt. But this is the first time she has seen someone who is so sincere with his feelings though she has only known him for a few weeks but her heart is pounding so fast and hard she though it would burst. Tomoyo didn't know what to do, she knew that he was telling the truth and she saw how sincere he is. She can only say a few words.
"Let us get to know each other better first. Also I have a battle to prepare for so please wait for my answer." Tomoyo said in a shy tone as she looked away from Huan Liu.
"Then I will do that." Huan liu answered. He is happy to see that someone is actually treating him like an equal rather than teasing him over his looks and finally found someone who he would want to spend the rest of his life, even if he has to wait for her to answer his feeling. Tomoyo is not the only one who is having troubles with thinking of the future. In Syaorans room Sakura was looking at the mirror as she looks over her costume. Tomoyo has outdone herself. The design was Han-cho in origin, it's designed like a cheongsam dress but it doesn't have any embroidery or patterns on it. It's pink in color and it has a cutout on the back of her shoulder to allow her wings to go through. The skirt is short going down to the knees as well a knee high boots and elbow length gloves, Tomoyo went the extra length of adding a sakura flower ornament for the hair making it more elegant. Sakura was nervous since it's almost time to go in for the last battle against the demons. Her job was to cut the head of the snake but she doesn't know if she has the will to kill someone. Not only that, she was thinking of what may happen after all of this is over. Syaoran walked into the room having changed in his current battle dress as he eyed his lover.
"It's almost time, are you ready?" he asked.
"Don't know." Sakura said with a deadpan voice while stile looking at her reflection. This caused Syaoran to worry for her. He has never heard her voice like this and it's bugging him.
"Sakura what's wrong?" Syaoran asked in concern. Sakura turned to see Syaoran, and boy did he looked good. Tomoyo made a matching outfit with green color instead of pink and in a tangzhuang style. It looked really good on him. And she cloudn't feel any better
(Authors note: think of like the 2 outfits they wore during the nothing card film only more mature.)
"Syaoran kun have you ever thought of what's gonna happen after this is all over?" Sakura asked
"Why?" Syaoran asked back wondering what she meant.
"So I mean we've been through so much together right?" Sakura said.
"Yeah?" Syaoran answered yet wondering what she meant.
"We've had a few dates in the past. We've fought alongside one another, kissed each other and we've given each other our first time." Sakura said as she blushed.
"Oh I see." Syaoran realized as he was blushing himself.
"Do you ever wonder what may happen?" Sakura asked. With that Syaoran looked out of the window as he wondered what may happen.
"to be honest I don't really know Sakura. There are so many possibilities and we don't know which one we will have." Syaoran answered
'is it really that complicated.' Sakura thought.
"However here is what I do know. We all have a part to play and we will go in and take out that Long Chang Bo-an guy. Once we do we will have peace once and for all." Syaoran added.
"hontoni?" Sakura asked
"Sure I'm sure Sakura." Syaoran asnwered.
"Then once this is over we can have a more pleasant school life till we graduate! And possibly a wedding right?" Sakura said with exitement.
"Ha ha ha ha ha! Don't get your hopes up Sakura. . . but how do you want the wedding?" Syaoran asked blushing a bit.
"I think we should hold it at the shrine back at tomoeda. And we could hold a reception back at the palace." Sakura answered as she was imagining herself in a shiromuku and Syaoran in the black Hakama.
"Yeah but can we at least have an engagement party in han-Cho style?" Syaoran asked.
"Ano your mother and your sisters are planning it when this is all over." Sakura answered meekly.
"Wait what?" Syaoran shouted in surprise.
"Hai. . . they've been planning since the beginning." Sakura confessed.
"Good grief. I can't leave them alone can I?" Syaoran said sacastically. The couple laughed their worries out as they were thinking of the clans head mistress and the 4 women that made Syaorans life difficult. Meanwhile Yelan was sitting in the main hall with her daughters, the emperor and a few others heads and elders of the Hong Kong clans. Worried about the whole ordeal some of the clan representatives voiced their opinions on the matter.
"Is it logical to let the Li's handling this, your majesty?" One elder asked.
"he's right, the Li's and the Longs started this, why not put a stop to it?" A second one wondered.
"Because this is a matter of the worlds safety. The Long clan has unleashed demons on this world and the Li's are the ones that have the power to fight them. All we can do know is support them and hope for the best." The emperor declared.
"You majesty is wise. Your majesty gacefull. May your majesty reign for ten thousand years!" all the representatives shouted. Yelan and the Emperor sighted at this, they knew that the people looked up to him as a diety but this is getting ridiculous. Sometimes the emperor wishes the people look up to him as a normal ruller rather than a god. Boa and his friends were making their own preparations for the battle to come, however they are on the front lines so they are not part of taking out long Chang Bo-an. Wu chang was with them as he decided to join in on the matter.
"I still can't believe that I won't be on master Li's team for this operation." Shanyuan complained.
"Let it go Shanyuan, besides we will have the most fun whacking a couple of thugs you know." Boa countered
[plus Sakura is the one with the cards so she has nothing to worry about.] Shi wrote on her board.
"My sister and her friends are now praying and setting up a ritual for that flower fairy's victory. I am quite disturbed by the fact that she has created a cult. You should have seen the idol she commissioned. It's quite the work of art but it's really disturbing." Wu Chang said
"I saw it during the assembly progress of the shrine just yesterday. I feel sorry for lady Sakura though. I never thought that your sister is this crazy. She needs some help." Shanyuan agreed.
[I would have joined if it weren't for the creepiness of it.] Shi's board wrote while voicing her own opinion.
"Well I hope that she will be fine after this, after all those two deserve some quite time together after this is over." Boa added.
"Still I can't believe he rejected my sister's proposal, even my parents and the elders agreed to it." Wu Chang voiced his disappointment.
"They wished to only have one another for themselves so let them be. I'm sure she will find someone who would love her back." Boa comforted.
"Yeah I've seen how they are around each other, it's nice to have a relationship where the elders aren't there to restrict you or ruin everything like saying 'she's not worthy!' or something." Shanyuan chuckled.
"Now that you mentioned it I hope I would find myself a woman who would gladly put my good looking butt in its place." Wu Chang added.
"I already have a girl. She's just a little shy on the words." Boa said sneaking a glance at Shi who blushed at his comment.
[boys I don't know about you but it's almost time.] Shi wrote. A few minutes later the bell rung, indicating it is time to move. The gang went out first as to get ready for the final confrontation as they walked out of the city gates, the guards soon followed taking a more direct route to the Long clan compund just outside of the city. It was a bit of a march but they would arrive just after night fall. As the party moves on to the battle field some famers doing some late work noticed the marching soldiers and thought that it would be good to go to bed early with their family as they believe a blood bath is going to happen. However scouts of the Long clan have noticed the marching army coming to the compound so they ran to warn the others. Soon news reach Long Chang as he sat in his meditation chamber, he knew the hour was at hand and the cards are near so he hoped this would go his way.
"So they have finally found me out and made their move huh?" Long Chang said.
"Grand elder I must advice you to leave the compound immediately, if you survive our plans for world domination still lives on." A man pleaded. The pleading man is the head of the clan Long Feng Hu. He was a man in his late thirties and has been a loyal man to Chang Bo-an ever since he freed him from his seal. Feng Hu wanted to take over the empire and had a firm belief that he had the mandate of heaven on his side but in order to do that he needed help. When he came across the seal that hold Long Chang Bo-an he knew that it would give him an edge. After that the waited the long game and started looking for the Clow cards and searched almost everywhere. When the news came in that the cards were found and have a new master it came both as a blessing and a curse. The curse part was that the cards have now a mistress who is a competent sorceress, the blessing was that this particular sorceress is young, naïve, and inexperienced. Chang Bo-an would hope to use that against the mistress of the cards.
"No. Let them come. If the wish for a fight then we will give them a fight. with the city guard and our most hated enemies taken out with the cards in my hands we can take out the emperor in just a fell swoop." Long Chang said.
"And with that we will have the necesarry things to take over the empire?" Feng Hu asked.
"Then you would reign the empire under me while I take over the world. Thanks to you I would have never escaped the seal." Long chang praised.
"Then our plot is going as planned. But what about my children?" Feng Hu wondered.
"They will be your heirs and they can have any women they want, a new era will emerge from our conquest." Long Chang answered.
"And what about any opposition that comes in the future?" Fenh Hu asked further.
"If they will come we will subjugate them and make examples of them. Also we will take preventive measures if there is even talk of one." Chang said with confidence. As the two men talked about their plans for the future, what they didn't know is that they were eaves dropped by Feng Hu son and heir Long Lei fang. Lei fang is a twelve year old boy and he is a sports a topknot and wears a white black hanfu. As he was listening to his father and the grand elder talking about their plans he knew how bad this was going to happen. He hatted his father cause he pressured him to become his heir and follow certain protocols, he lived a sheltered life and never had the chance to go out and make friends or even know the real world, although that didn't stop him from sneaking out every once in a while. As he heard what his father he knew that what they were doing is practically treason against the empire. He has eaves dropped on his father and the grand elder multiple times and learned of their plans. He never wanted to be any part of this in any way or for. Now that he knows that the city guards are coming could only mean one thing, the complete annihilation of the clan. With this knowledge he decided on one thing he must do for now. He ran to his father's office and grabbed a few scrolls, envelopes, and pieces of paper he could find, all of which containing information of his father's plans. It took him a full five minutes to grab it all and ran off to find the children in the clan compound where the youngest range from 4 to 6 years of age and the eldest 8 to 10 years. His nanny who was very worried of him decided to come along with him, as well as the other servants and the mothers who were against this. But before they would leave the compound Lei Fang decided to pay his final respects to his mother at the clan mausoleum. As he kneeled to his mother's tomb in prayer he said his final good bye.
"Mother thank you for giving birth to me, However I must leave this place. The Emperor will annihilate the clan So I decided to take all the children away from this. Once this is over I will beg for his mercy to the children and hopped that he will listen to my plea. The Long clan will end with my father and I will sever all my ties to the clan and begin a new life for all of us. I don't know where to go from here on but I promise you this. I will live a more humble and happy life than you ever had with my father, Rich or poor it doesn't even matter. This is my final good bye." With that he Kotowed three times and left the tomb. As he sneaked to the back door he saw that everyone is ready to leave.
"Young master are you sure that we should do this?" His nanny asked.
"If we don't then we will all die. Once this is over I will plea for mercy to his heavenly majesty." Lei Fang answered. With that the large group fled. As the fled for 5 hours on foot they start to see the compound burning lighting up the night sky. as he looked on he realized that some looked sad cause some of the people they know there may have died, Friends and family all alike. Lei fang looked at the after math of the battle that had occurred.
'I've always hated that place. I hope that the grand elder and my father are caught or killed.' Lei Fang thought. Let us hope that his hopes were true, however what he didn't know was that before the compound became burning wreck of the compound a bright pink flash of light came through the building one to two hours ago.
Authors note: Ok I left it with a cliffhanger but let us hope that sakura and the gang had done the job. This took me two weeks of writing. Work and family got me busy so sorry for it taking so long. But if you want to know how it's going to end please wait for the next chapters. And hopefully the next ones are the final ones.