HotD10

[Disclaimer]: I do not own the rights to any of the characters, nor do I claim them. The idea, however, is mine.

Heart of the Dragon

Part 10

"You shouldn't have run off like that, Meilin," Aili stated, setting out the outfit the girl would have to wear for her "judgement." Meilin allowed Suhao to lead her to a chair to sit in. She glanced at the outfit Aili had laid out, and sighed.

"This is more serious than I thought," she said inwardly. She shrugged off her jacket and pulled off the shirt she wore, and heard Aili tsk faintly.

"You really went all out, didn't you," Aili stated as she began pulling off the tape wrapped around Meilin's chest. "Your disguise must have been painful."

"What really possessed you to run off like that," Suhao asked, pulling Meilin's hair from the ponytail it was in.

"Is that all either of you care about," Meilin demanded, slightly annoyed. She stood up from the chair, turning towards the two girls angrily. "I know it's your duty to prepare me for my judgement, but if you're going to ask all these questions, I can do it myself."

"Meilin," Suhao began.

"Weren't either of you listening as I was explaining myself earlier," Meilin exclaimed, kicking off her shoes. She stormed over to where the outfit was laid out. She pulled off her pants, and reached for the other garment, slipping it over her head. "I don't need this right now," she continued. As she struggled with the zipper in the back, Suhao grabbed her arm gently, and led her back to the chair.

"Of course we were listening, Meilin," she replied, beginning to brush the girl's hair once again. "It's just that we're both very worried about what's going to happen."

"The three of us have been friends ever since you joined this clan," Aili added. "And you know how Chon is."

"His form of discipline is always harsher than Madame Yuan's," Suhao commented. She pulled Meilin's hair up into a bun in the middle of her head, tying it with a silk ribbon.

Meilin sighed. "I know," she stated. "But to me, everything I did was worth the risk."

"You'd better keep that thought with you then," Aili commented as she knelt in front of Meilin with a cosmetic bag. She frowned at the bruise on Meilin's jaw as she pulled make up from the bag, setting it on the floor. "Chon was furious when he learned the reason you left; that you left to help Dr. O and Chang Wufei. It was borderline rage, Meilin. Whatever your punishment will be, you'd better be careful."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"I always knew those doctors were no good," Duo grumbled. He and the others stood together and he crossed his arms as he leaned against the wall. "Where did Dr. O go, anyway?"

"He's standing over there, talking with Madame Yuan and Siu Chon," Trowa replied.

"Scheming some more, no doubt," Duo said disdainfully.

"Duo, you can't really blame him for any of this," Quatre stated. "We're all somewhat to blame for believing that Meilin was Wufei."

Duo arched an eyebrow. "With the way you're talking, I'd think you knew about her all along," he mused. Quatre inhaled a breath sharply as he adverted his gaze, and Duo cocked his eyebrow even further. "You knew about her," he exclaimed, smirking slightly. "For how long?"

"N-not long at all," Quatre stammered, blushing slightly. "I only found out last night, after that argument." He quickly clamped his mouth closed, and looked towards Wufei. A nervous look passed over Duo's face, and even Trowa tensed slightly as they both followed Quatre's gaze.

"So that's why you were so insistent that we go along with her," Heero said quietly, his mask of indifference in place.

Quatre looked at him incredulously. "Granted, at the time none of us knew about Meilin, but after what happened last night, and knowing what you do now, that's all you can say," he asked.

"I do regret what happened, but I won't apologize for it," Heero stated. Wufei glanced over at them briefly, and then returned his gaze towards where Dr. O was standing.

"Can you believe this, Wufei," Duo asked, trying to change the direction the conversation was headed. "We all find out a girl was impersonating you, the injustice of all injustices, and all these two can talk about is an argument." He chuckled, however looked towards Wufei when he didn't get any kind of response. "Wu-man, are you listening?"

Wufei stood staring intently where Dr. O was talking. When the man turned and walked angrily towards them, he took a step forward. "Sensei, what is it," Wufei asked as the doctor stopped in front of the group.

"You'll find out soon enough, Wufei," Dr. O replied. "And you won't like it any more than I do."

All eyes turned towards the door as it opened. Suhao and Aili walked through first, followed by Meilin. The two girls were still wearing their kung-fu suits, however Meilin wore a sleeveless Chinese-style dress with a black dragon adorning the back, and black slip-on shoes were on her feet. The dress reached down to her ankles, and there were slits on both sides, reaching all the way up to her thighs, allowing free movement of her legs. As the trio walked past where the pilots and Dr. O stood, Duo uttered a low, almost inaudible whistle.

"There's no denying Meilin's a girl now," he stated loud enough for the others to hear, and watching as she passed by.

"Duo," Quatre began, "you shouldn't say ..."

"Be quiet, Maxwell," Wufei interrupted fiercely. "This is no time for your jokes."

"Uh, sorry Wufei," Duo apologized, slightly taken aback by Wufei's biting tone. "What's going on?"

"I ... don't know entirely myself," Wufei admitted, turning towards the scientist. "Sensei?" Master O's brow furrowed, and he took a step towards where Meilin stood near Madame Yuan.

"I ask you to reconsider Meilin's punishment, Madame Yuan," he stated. "Her offense was not as great as her punishment implies."

"You have no say in this, Master O," she replied. "It has already been decided."

"What is her punishment," Wufei demanded, joining in on their conversation.

"She bears the black dragon, Chang Wufei," Madame Yuan replied. "The symbol of great dishonor to this clan. She must be taught respect for herself and her clan."

"She has done nothing wrong," Wufei protested. "This action is dishonorable!"

"Siu Chon," Madame Yuan stated, ignoring Wufei.

"Yes, Yuan-sensei," the Chinese young man replied.

"It is time for you to carry out your judgement on Ling Meilin," she spoke in Chinese. "Are you prepared?"

"Yes," he stated. "I will restore the good name of this clan, which she has soiled."

"There's no honor in this," Wufei yelled.

"Keep him in line, Master O," Madame Yuan warned, turning away from them. She walked towards a matted area of the large room, sitting near the edge of the mat.

"Would someone explain what's going on," Duo asked, his own confusion expressed on the faces of the other pilots as well. "What did that Yuan woman just say?"

"I believe that Meilin is going to fight, to regain her honor," Quatre began, watching as Meilin and Chon stepped onto the mat. "But I'm not sure."

"That's what will happen," Master O stated. "Siu Chon is second under Madame Yuan. It is his job to punish the students of the Yuan Clan when necessary, though all punishments must be approved by Madame Yuan beforehand."

"She's going to fight him," Duo exclaimed, bewildered. A frown appeared on his face as he studied Chon. The Chinese man had a medium, muscular build, however he looked as if he would easily overpower Meilin, who was much smaller in comparison. He was dressed similarly to what Suhao and Aili were wearing, only his outfit was black.

"There's no reason she should have to fight him," Trowa commented. "It's to my knowledge that members of a clan only have to defend their honor when they have brought dishonor upon themselves. All that she has done were acts of selflessness."

"I agree," Wufei stated, slightly balling his fists at his side. "And Siu Chon is weak for choosing this type of punishment for her." Chon looked up just then, sneering in Wufei's direction. A smirk replaced the sneer on his face, as he turned to look towards Meilin.

"You have embarrassed me, Meilin," he stated, as they both stretched, warming up their muscles. "My own authority has been undermined by you, and I won't stand for it. I hope he was worth the risk you took."

"What is it really that angers you and Yuan-sensei," Meilin asked. "The fact that I didn't get permission, or the fact that I left for my former sensei and his pupil?"

"The fact that you have always been more trouble than you're worth," Chon replied heatedly. He finished his stretches, and glared at her. "And now I get to embarrass you in front of the people important to you." Both turned towards Madame Yuan as she yelled out something in Chinese, and then faced each other once again.

"Give me strength, Sensei," Meilin thought inwardly, stealing a glance towards Dr. O. As Madame Yuan yelled out in Chinese once again, Meilin's attention immediately went to Chon. He gave a short yell, and then kicked out with his leg. Meilin blocked the blow, and Chon pressed on, kicking faster and stronger. He faked a high kick, and when she went to block, he changed the direction of him momentum, catching her in the stomach.

"Not good enough, as I suspected," he taunted. He did a roundhouse kick, and she ducked, crouching down and sweeping his feet. He fell to the ground and she twisted around, bringing the heel of her foot dead center into his chest. He gasped for air, and quickly flipped back up onto his feet.

"That's right, Meilin," Wufei thought, as he and the others watched the fight. "Just like we were taught." He watched as the fight resumed, clenching his jaw every time Chon managed to land a punch or kick on Meilin.

"Meilin can't take much more of this," Duo stated after several minutes. "She's moving more sluggishly. She's just not strong enough."

"In this case, strength isn't a factor," Master O commented. "It's skill, and she has more than Siu Chon." Suddenly, they heard Meilin cry out, and they turned back towards the fight, only to see Chon's knee in her stomach. He stepped back away from her, and she fell to the ground on her knees. She slumped forward, resting her forehead on the ground, and breathing hard. As Chon advanced towards her, Madame Yuan called out for him to stop.

"Do you yield, Ling Meilin," she asked. Everyone waited in anticipation as Meilin lay still on the ground. Her breathing evened, and to their amazement, she slowly stood back to her feet.

"I do not," she wheezed out. Chon frowned as she took up an offensive stance, and then smirked as he took up a defensive one. "You will not defeat me, Chon," Meilin stated quietly in Chinese, so that only he could hear her. "Not in front of my true Sensei. Not in front of Wufei."

"We shall see," he replied. Meilin jumped up into the air, bringing her leg down in an axe kick. Chon sidestepped the attack, and as she landed back on the ground, he jumped over the leg she tried to sweep him with. In the same motion, he raised his leg, and dropped the heel of his foot into her ankle of the sweeping leg. She cried out in pain, and rolled away from him.

"Damn you, Chon," she yelled, glaring at him as she stood. She slowly rotated her injured ankle, and gingerly applied pressure to it as she put her weight on it. Satisfied she could handle her injury, she took up a defensive stance, watching Chon carefully. He ran towards her, swinging with a right hook. She ducked underneath the punch, and drove her elbow into his stomach. As he hunched forward, she drove her palm into his nose, bloodying it.

"Way to go, Meilin," she heard Duo cheer from the side. She smiled slightly, and as Chon reeled back from the blow to his face, she delivered a series of quick jabs to his torso. As she drew her hand back to punch him once again, he grabbed her arm, twisting it around and holding it behind her. He tightened his hold, and she screamed.

"Make one move that I don't like, and I break your arm," he stated, rasping into her ear.

"He's tired," Meilin thought with an inward smile, wincing from the dull pain in her arm. Bending her knees slightly, she brought her leg straight up into a vertical line, kicking Chon in his face. As soon as his grip loosened, she stumbled forward, realizing that she, too, was tired. "Come on, Meilin," she coached herself. "You've almost got him." Shifting her weight to one side, she brought her leg up, delivering sharp, quick kicks to the injured side Chon favored. As she brought her leg up for a high kick, Chon grabbed her ankle, twisting it roughly. She fell to the ground, trying to twist out of his grasp.

"Meilin," Quatre exclaimed as she cried out for what seemed, to him, like the hundredth time. He turned to the scientist, a worried look on his face. "You've got to stop this now, Dr. O!"

"No," Heero stated, surprising the blonde. "She can handle this. She almost has Chon beaten. Look." Quatre turned back to the fight just as Meilin delivered a kick to Chon's chest with her free leg, knocking him off balance. As he fell to the ground, Madame Yuan stood up.

"That is enough," she stated. "Siu Chon, you have lost." Chon stood slowly, grasping his injured side.

"I can go on, Yuan-sensei," he argued, although obviously he could not.

"No, you have lost," Madame Yuan stated. "Ling Meilin is the victor." A growl caught in his throat, and with a newfound strength he ran towards Meilin, enraged. He grabbed at her, and as he did so, she moved out of the way. Grabbing his arm and using all the strength she could muster, she flipped him over onto his back, and was on top of him immediately. She straddled his chest, pinning his arms down with her knees.

"Meilin, that's enough," Dr. O stated as Meilin grabbed a fistful of Chon's shirt.

"Wait a minute, Master O," Wufei protested. He and the scientist looked to see what she would do next.

"You have lost Siu Chon, and you have brought dishonor to yourself with your last actions against me," Meilin stated, tearing the kanji patch with the clan name from his suit jacket. "I will not fight against the weak." She stood up then, and bowed to him before throwing the patch back onto his chest. As she limped away, he rested his head against the floor and closed his eyes.

"You did well, Meilin," Madame Yuan spoke in Chinese, causing the girl to stop. "And you have done a great act, showing compassion for your opponent. You have truly earned back your honor and your place with this clan, should you choose to come back to us." She turned to Suhao and Aili, giving them instructions. The two girls went to Chon and helped him up, supporting him. As they walked past Meilin, they smiled in her direction.

"Congratulations, Meilin," Suhao spoke quietly. "I knew you could do it."

"Chon now bears the dishonor of this clan; you did well," Aili added, before the two continued towards Madame Yuan. Meilin turned and watched as they left the room, and as soon as they were gone, her knees buckled, and she fell to the floor. The five pilots and scientist were at her side immediately.

"You made me proud today, Meilin," Dr. O stated with a smile.

"Thank you, Sensei," she grimaced, returning his smile with a weaker one.

"You're one tough chick, you know," Duo commented. "You and Wu-man make a dangerous pair; what, with him and his katana and you with your martial arts. Huh, remind me not to mess with you when you're in a bad mood."

"Thanks, Duo," she replied. She began to stand, and as she got up, she gasped as pain throbbed in her ankle. She lost her balance, however Master O supported her. "Damn that Chon," she thought inwardly. "He sprained my ankle!"

"Are you okay, Meilin," Quatre asked, noticing the pained look on her face.

"I will be as soon as I get some rest," she stated weakly as her vision blurred slightly. Her head drooped against Dr. O's chest, and she turned her head slightly at the sound of Wufei's voice.

"We should get her to a room, Sensei," he stated. She smiled weakly at him, and the proud look on his face was the last thing she saw before she lost consciousness.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Nearly a week had passed since the incident on the L5 cluster. The pilots, Meilin, and even Dr. O returned to earth, and went back to the Dorlian-Peacecraft estate. Relena greeted them when they returned, and needless to say, she was a little confused by the presence of the extra guests. Dr. O sat everyone down, and explained what he had planned when Wufei came to him. After all explanations had been made, Relena accidentally let it slip that Heero had punched Meilin. Wufei and Heero got into an argument, and it had almost turned physical until Meilin stepped in, saying she brought it on herself because of what she had said. Dr. O left for L5 the following day, extending an invitation to both Wufei and Meilin; saying they always had a place there. The seven teenagers, mostly the pilots, spent the remainder of the week sorting out how they really did feel towards each other ...

"Are you sure you have to leave," Relena asked, watching as Wufei checked the restraints on his Gundam one last time. Meilin leaned against the truck, and smiled.

"I don't think you're going to change his mind, Relena," she stated. Wufei jumped down from the back of the truck, closing the doors behind him.

"Are you sure you want to leave as well, Meilin," Relena asked.

"Yeah," she replied. "I'm not returning to my clan any time soon, and I feel as if my place is with Wufei and my sensei. I will miss you all, though." She exchanged hugs with Relena and the other pilots, who stood near the truck. When she got to Duo, he picked her up in a bear hug. "I'll miss you most of all, Duo," she said with a laugh as he put her back down.

"Are you sure you want me to take your Gundams back with me," Wufei asked. "It's not too late; they're still at the shuttle."

"Our Gundams don't belong here, in the Sanq Kingdom," Heero stated. "They would be better off on the L5 cluster."

"We probably should have just left them there in the first place, instead of bringing them back to earth," Quatre added.

"Are the rest of you staying here," Meilin asked suddenly. "We will keep in touch?"

"I think we'll all just stay here for a while," Trowa said thoughtfully. "For the time being, at least."

"We'll probably end up going our separate ways eventually," Duo added as Meilin climbed into the truck, followed by Wufei.

"It's settled then," Wufei said, looking out from the driver's side and starting the truck. "We'll see you around."

"Duo," Meilin exclaimed, leaning over Wufei. "Before you guys do decide to go your own way, make sure to let us know. We'll get together again and go to Paintball Palace." Duo smiled.

"Another game of hunt-and-destroy, eh," he asked. "Count me in!" Meilin flashed him a smile, and waved to everyone before she disappeared back into the truck. Wufei waved as well, and then pulled off.

"Hunt-and-destroy," Wufei asked Meilin, a confused look on his face. "What were you guys talking about?"

"You'll see, Wufei," she replied, buckling her seat belt. "You'll see."

Fin.

Please leave your reviews, readers! Let me know what you thought. I'll be working on my SM/DBZ crossover Whatever It Takes exclusively now, up until it's almost finished. So if you've been reading that, expect another part soon!