"/Rai tei sho rai (God of
Thunder, I summon you to come)
Kyuu kyuu nyo ritsu ryou (High and dangerous I control
by ancient command)
Rai geki!! (Thunder strike!!)/"
With a load roar, the God of Thunder threw bolts of electricity in all its wrath
to its intended target. Its electrifying aura slowly faded as the
smell of burnt vegetation started to overpower my senses.
"Impressive as
always, Xiao-lang-sama*" Wei's soft-spoken voice filtered through the
moment's silence
"Too bad your target is a mile away," Followed Huang-yun's usual
sarcasm, "Power is nothing if you can't hit anything with it."
"Why you..."
"Come now, Xiao-hai," My sister continued as she nonchalantly twirled
a makeshift of a wooden staff on her hand, "Are you ready to let your Ra-jie
kick your ass?"
"You wish," I muttered under my breath as I instinctively tightened my
grip on my sword's hilt
SLASHTSUCK
"What was that Xiao-hai? I saw that coming since last week!"
"Shut up!"
SWOOSHTHAP
"Aw, c'mon! A sword against a twig! I'm giving you this match already"
"GRRRRRR!"
SWISHSWOOSHSLASH
"You sure you're not just swatting flies?"
"I... hate... you..."
SWISHTSACK
"Awww... is the poor baby gonna cry again?"
"AAAAARGH!!!"
Wei sighed as he watched the hopeless sparring match. He finally clapped his
hands to stop it, not even attempting to mask the exasperation seeping
through his aura of patience. "Xiao-lang-sama."
I could only flinch involuntary. My uncle Wei was normally a kind soft-spoken
man... until it comes to training. I already knew what he was going to say.
"I've already told you many times," His stern tone rang clearly across
the garden, "Never let your emotions motivate your battles. Huang-yun-sama
is using intimidation into manipulating you to drop your guard."
"I know," I replied through clenched teeth, trying to catch my breath
"Then why do you fall for it every single time?" Huang-yun retorted in
a short distance as she flashed big sardonic smile. She made a show of running
her fingers through her neatly braided locks, "Look. Didn't even break a
sweat."
I
felt the pressure of Wei's hand gently clamp onto my shoulder, "Once your
opponent intimidates you... you've already lost the battle before it's
begun."
***
scritchscritchscritchscritchscritch
The sound of chalk scraping against the clean blackboad was unusually loud
despite the hushed whispers in the room.
"This is Ri Shaoran-kun, from Hong Kong. Everyone, give him a friendly
welcome."
I
almost flinched at the pronunciation of my name. Almost. Old Grandmother would
have put a curse anyone who would disrespect the family name. However, a warrior loosing one's honourable composure in public was a greater sin in Old
Grandmother's eyes. So I focus my concentration on you.
You...
...my
reason for being here. Now, closer... That familiar aura was indeed around you.
The aura that triggers the inexplicable tightening of my chest, the
heightening of my senses, and leaves that strong metallic taste in my
mouth.
"Now
for your seat... Behind Kinomoto is good. There's an empty seat there."
Kinomoto*. So that is your name. A name conotating strength and foundation.
But in front of me is... a tiny timid mouse of a girl. You are nothing like your
name at all. I'm starting to get annoyed.
"You're seat is over there," The dark haired girl beside you points to the empty desk behind you, "You can put your hat
and your coat in a locker at the back."
I take my seat and watch you. Somehow, sitting behind you annoys me even
more. The stiff and cautious way you move annoys me. The way you sit at
the edge of your seat, pressing closely to your desk annoys me. The way
you try to hide behind your book annoys me.
"Ja, that's all for today!"
The way you try to slink unnoticed from your desk annoys me, "Wait."
"h-hoe..."
THAT NERVOUS NOISE YOU MAKE ANNOYS ME! You are the chosen candidate? I am not impressed. I am not impressed at
all.
***
"Do you know why you always fall flat on your face when you spar with me,
Xiao-hai?" Huang-yun asked as she casually measured me with that infernal
branch slung on her shoulder
"Because you like picking on smaller sparring partners," I retorted
huffily as I matched her pace, "And you fight dirty."
"Wrong," Huang-yun laughed, "Because YOU fight by the book too seriously.
Textbook strategy after textbook strategy."
"Well, you don't take our matches seriously at all!" I shouted back
before charging with all my strength
I didn't even see her move. The next thing I knew, I was flat on my back, the
wind knocked out of me, and the end of her weapon hovering dangerously over my
throat, "If I was a Clow Card, you would have been skewered."
I could only hold back tears of frustration as Wei helped me on my feet,
"That wasn't fair."
"I'm afraid your sister is correct, Xiao-lang-sama," Wei replied
solemnly, "A real battle with Clow Cards is not an honourable duel. It is a
fight for survival. Your opponent will try every means possible against defeat.
Counterattacks may come in unconventional methods, and you must be prepared to
face them."
Unconventional counterattacks, huh? If that's what you want, that's what I'll
do. I won't loose. I tightened my grip on my sword and took another stance. I
defintely will NOT loose!
***
Now
I'm angry.
How
is it possible? And why? How can someone who has no knowledge whatsoever about
the Clow Cards be a chosen candidate? How can someone who can barely defend
herself be expected to defend the world from impending disaster? Apart from the
Clow Card's aura, I sense no significant magical power of your own. Why would
Cerberus chose you? You have no knowlege. You have no training. You have no
Magic. And...
"You're not related! I'll look for the rest. Now, give them to
me!"
"NOOO!"
"Sakura-chan!"
What a joke. If I'm not so furious, I would have laughed out loud at the sight
of you. Close to tears, clutching your pocket protectively. It's too easy.
Da-jie would have been upset with me. Bullying a helpless girl. But the only
thing running through my mind at the moment were memories of my studies... my
training... all that hard work. There is no way I'll stand aside and let an
unqualified person like you take over. The only thing you'll accomplish is get
yourself killed.
I won't loose! I definitely will not loose! Most specially to a person like you!
***
"Since there is obviously no way you can defeat me, I'll make it easier for
you then," Huang-yun sighed, "If you can disarm me, then I'll give you
the match."
Why you... So that's how you want to play it, huh? I'm going to wipe that smug
grin from your face. I can fight your way as well. I'll knock down your twig AND
kick your ass!
"Xiao-lang-sama, what are you doing?"
"/KA
TEI RYU SHO RAI!/ (Dragon Lord of Fire, I summon you to come!)*"
The
air thickened from the heat of the dragon's breath. Suddenly, I felt it. The
tightening of my chest... the heat was suddenly unbearable... the roar of the
dragon's breath deafening... the light of the fire blinding... a strong metallic
taste in my mouth... the look of fear frozen in Wei's eyes... Ra-jie running
toward me through the raging inferno...
"XIAO-LANG!!!!"
***
All of the sudden, I feel a tight tug around my collar and my feet quickly find
themselves dangling up high from the ground. Like a rag doll, I could only face
a pair of very angry looking eyes...
"...Temeee*," The man growled, "What do you think you're doing to
my sister."
"Onichan!"
Hmphf. You really are pathetic. You can't even fight your own battles.
Nevertheless, your knight in shining armour is a formidable opponent. He blocked
my sudden attack effortlessly, and greeted my challenge with perfect form. Black
belt, 1st dan. Or at least at that level.
"...teme."
Unconventional counterattacks, eh? Looks like all that training is finally going
to be put into a test.
"I've got butamaaaaan*!"
Eh?
"Look!
I got butaman. And pizaman* and kariman*. I have enough for everyone! Eh? Isn't
anyone going to eat?"
I can on only stare, frozen at the spot, at this strange new-comer, as he
distributed his gifts. For some strange reason, it suddenly became very
difficult to breathe and the hammering of my heart in my chest didn't make it
any less easier. The light around his face seems oddly brighter as he turns to
me and smiles. Is this some kind of trick?
"Here. Butaman."
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!
***
Hot... so hot... can't breathe... too bright... head hurts...
"AH! He's waking up! Hahaue! Hahaue!"
The blurry room shifted into clarity for me to see Si-jie's tear-streaked face
hovering over me. I could only wince inwardly and brace my ears as I waited for
the inevitable siren that follows the watery eyes and the trembling chin.
"UUUUHAAAAAAAAH! I'M SO RELIEVED!"
"Fei-mei, where are the ice chips I asked you to prepare?" my mother's
voice broke through her wailing
I automatically tried to sit up upon hearing her voice, only to collapse back in
bed.
"Aiyaaa! Aren't you a stubborn one!" Fu-die scolded me as she gently
held me down as I attempted to struggle with my unwilling body, "You were
out cold, burning with fever for almost two days. What you did was really
stupid. You know that it takes twice the energy to summon fire attacks. And to
summon one as big as a..."
"Fu-die, we can take turns lecturing our stupid brother later,"
Xue-hua interrupted firmly, "Why don't you help me and Fei-mei in the
kitchen."
Fei-mei ungracefully wiped the tears with the back of her hand before following
her younger sister out of the room. Xue-hua stopped at the doorway and swept one
lingering look at me and our mother, "Don't scare us like that, Didi."
"I'm sorry."
As I watched my eldest sister leave, it was only then I realized that an
important aspect of the puzzle was missing. I sat up with fear and scanned
desperately around the room, "Ra-jie!"
"I'm over here," My second-elder sister replied from outside the
doorway. She walked into the room and gave me a cocky grin, "I have to say,
that was one of your best matches. I'm going to have to make sure that I don't
get you too angry next time."
"Ra-jie..." My heart almost stopped as her image registered in my
head. Her eyes were red and puffy like my other sisters. By the way she moved, I
was sure she was hiding something underneath her long sleeves. But there was one
injury she couldn't hide, "... Ra-jie... your hair."
"This?" She shrugged as her hand went up to her newly cropped bob,
"I've been wanting to cut it for a long time anyway."
I bowed my head, fighting the flood behind my eyes, "I'm sorry."
Huang-yun let out an exasperated sigh, "Geez! This is exactly what I mean.
You're all talk during a fight, and at the end, you cry like a baby!" She
crossed her arms and gave me a stern look, "Oi, Xiao-hai! If you really
want to make it up to me, work on your target practice. What's the use of frying
your opponent if you end up getting fried yourself?"
"Hai," I wiped the droplets of water that escaped from my eyes with
the back of my hand.
"BAI-CHI!" Huang-yun scoffed affectionately before walking out of the
room, leaving me alone to face my punishment.
The silence in the room was unbearable. No punishment in the world can compare
to the deafening silence of my mother's disappointment. I don't know how
long we sat there. But it felt like an eternity.
"I'm sorry," I finally spoke
"Xiao-lang,"
Her voice has always caught me off-guard. Even when I expect her to speak. There
was something in her soft-spoken tone that paralyzes me, "I want you to
think back when you summoned the fire spell."
"I... I shouldn't have used a fire spell as an attack spell." I
stammered, "I... I should have known better on how dangerous it
was."
"Xiao-lang, take a deep breath and calm your thoughts," my mother said
again as she gently cupped my face to force me to look into her eyes, "I
want you to think back when you summoned the fire spell."
Whatever it was, I could from her eyes that it was very important. I closed my
eyes, took a deep cleansing breath, and tried to place myself back in that
moment in time. Feeling the dragon's breath...
"What distracted you after you summoned your fire spell attack."
"I don't know..."
"Think hard Xiao-lang."
The dragon lord's breath... its heat... its roar... its brightness... and
something... something I couldn't explain. There was something very strong...
and I felt the vibrations from its quake from deep within my soul. And it...
frightened me. All I could do was shudder as an involuntary chill ran through my
body.
"My
poor baby boy," my mother whispered as she drew me close within her arms.
"It will be all right. I promise. It will be all right."
This was the reason why my mother was head of the Li Clan. Her magic has always
been very potent. The protection of her arms more powerful than any magic
circle. Her words, when uttered, become undeniable truth. So I let all my
fears evaporate from my body, relaxed within her comforting warmth, and
let darkness claim my consciousness once more.
"...Wei... I... shrine... sure... not distur..."
End of Part 3
Continued on Part
4: Insanity, a Red Plum, and a Snow Bunny
Return to Part 2: Pink Snow
Ina-chan's Squawk:
Okay... some notes...
*-sama: Japanese suffix indicating very
high status of the one referred to. I decided to keep it because I can't find an
appropriate Chinese suffix that has an equal conotation (without going to the
"your highness" thing which was a bit extreme ^_^.) Any Chinese
speaking readers out there? Your help will be appreciated! ^_^.
*Kinomoto - If you haven't figured it out
yet, the Kanji combination for Kinomoto means something like "Origin of the
tree" or more literally speaking "Root of the tree".
*I made this one up. ^_^. Yeah, yeah.
Syaoran's magic is governed by the "moon", therefore he can't use
elements governed by the sun (i.e. Fire and Earth). At least that's how I see
it, since he has never used any Fire or Earth attack spells in the manga (though
he could use fire spells). As far as elemental spells go, he mostly used
lighting and wind (and water once)... all three governed by the moon. BUT since
he can use fire spells, I just thought this would also be an interesting idea to
why he never used them as attack spells in the manga. ^_^.
*"Teme" is an annoyed expletive
that's somewhat synonymous to "Why you little..."
*butaman - I'm assuming that its a type of
nikuman. Its a steamed bun with a pork filling ("buta" meaning pork).
*pizaman - steamed bun with pizza filling?
^_^.
*kariman - steamed bun with curry filling
As usual, reviews, comments
and criticisms will be very much appreciated. Please don't hesitate to review my
fics on http://www.fanfiction.net. The
genre is under Anime-CCS-Drama. I would love some constructive criticisms for
the improvement of this series. ^_^. I'm also open for private mail CCS
discussion. You can reach me via ina_chan@yahoo.com!
Ja!
Ina-chan
Main | Anime
| Manga | Characters
| Images | Fanfics | Fanarts
Home|
JQ
| More
Anime & Manga | The Ego Page | Contact Me
