The New Cards
Water Breaks: Chapter Twelve
By:
The girl continued sobbing while the Card Captors exchanged uneasy glances with each other, unsure of what to say or do. Di Shang helped the girl stand up. "It's okay, don't worry about it," he said, reassuring her while setting her down on the side of the bed. "Just sit down here and dry your tears." The girl nodded miserably and ceased crying. "Talk to her, Sakura," whispered Di Shang as he pushed Syaoran out of the room to change into another temporary set of clothes.
The girl had fallen silent by that time and Sakura sat down next to her. "You must hate me," said the girl quietly. "Or at least think I'm a clumsy fool or even…"
Before she could put herself down any further, Sakura interrupted her, saying in an amiable tone, "My name is Kinomoto Sakura. "What's yours?"
A look of surprise crossed the girl's face. "I'm Hwa Ming," she said slowly.
"Your Japanese is pretty good," commented Sakura, continuing still with a friendly tone of voice.
"Thank you," replied Hwa Ming, colouring lightly. She suddenly looked suspiciously at Sakura's direction. "Why are you being so nice to me, especially after what I did? What do you want? You're not going to report me to the manager are you?"
"I don't want anything," said Sakura. "Anyway, I said it before, accidents happen. I'm sure you didn't mean to spill the food on Syaoran. I won't report any of this matter to the manager. It's just…you seem so lonely and upset. I just want to be friends with you. Is it hard; not being able to see?"
Hwa Ming nodded in response. "But I wasn't always blind," she said. "In fact, I still had my sight just last week. I had been in Chongquig for the last few weeks and decided it was time to return home to my father. When I reached this city and approaching home, I was attacked from behind and knocked unconscious. When I woke up, I was here in this place and I learned I had lost my eyesight. Someone had sold me to be a servant here. The manager's really nasty, even when he's in a good mood. He just can't tolerate anything; especially me. I want to go home and see my father so much, but there's no way I can leave now, not in this condition.
Di Shang and Syaoran had returned before Hwa Ming concluded her story and listened to the rest. Di Shang felt something in her story didn't make sense. "Hwa Ming," said Di Shang. "What did your attacker look like? Did you get a good glance at the person before you went unconscious?" Hwa Ming nodded.
"He looked to be about fifteen or sixteen to me," she began. "With shoulder length black hair pulled in a ponytail and sharp midnight blue eyes. His robes were all pitch black, as dark as night, with intricate lines of dark blue around the hem and the sleeves and his expression held a smirk." Hwa Ming shuddered for a moment. "His laughter still rings in my ears."
As Hwa Ming described her assailant, Sakura's eyes widened as she realized exactly whom Hwa Ming was talking about. It was Kam Un…it had to be! That meant he was also in the past, in this time period, just like them now! He must have used the Hour Card to go back, but why? And why Hwa Ming of all people?
"Hwa Ming," said Sakura, rather impulsively. "Would you let us help you? We can help you find your way back home and maybe even cure your blindness." Syaoran glanced sharply at Sakura and before Hwa Ming could answer, he dragged Sakura out of the room.
"Are you crazy?" he whispered angrily. "Making all these foolish promises? The chances of you successfully helping her are none! There's no way! Besides, we have to get to Xian and defeat Kam Un."
"She needs someone's help," argued Sakura, also in a whisper. "She's working as a servant here; all because of Kam Un. I'm sure it's him who attacked her. And if it is, maybe she's blinded by a certain Jiao Card and we can save her sight by sealing it. And besides, she knows how to get to Chongquig. Isn't that one of the cities on the map Kam Un gave you?"
"Chongquig?" repeated Syaoran, surprised. Sakura nodded. Syaoran hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do.
"Please, Syaoran," pleaded Sakura, tears in her emerald eyes. "She doesn't seem to have a friend in the world. Will you help her?"
Syaoran looked away, avoiding Sakura's eyes. He hated it when Sakura gave him that look because he knew he could never resist whatever she asked for. "All right," he muttered. Sakura cheered up immediately and threw her arms around Syaoran in a hug. Syaoran was too surprised to react and blushed hotly; which Sakura missed because she bounded back into the room excitedly. Syaoran followed her into the room and heard Sakura telling Hwa Ming the news. Hwa Ming listened in wonder to Sakura's words and her eyes filled with hope as a smile broke out on her face. She seemed so happy that someone was willing to help her, even if they were only total strangers.
"It's like a dream come true," she murmured. "You mean it? I can really get my eyesight back?" Her eyes shimmered with tears at the thought and the smile on her face brightened up her previously sullen expression.
"We'll start first thing tomorrow morning," confirmed Di Shang.
Hwa Ming stood up and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you. You don't know how grateful I am. And I'm so sorry about the mess, Syaoran."
"Don't worry about it," he told her. Syaoran assisted her to the door and after she thanked him again, he watched as she slowly made her way down the dim hallway. He noted to himself that she was really pretty when she smiled. Sakura saw the look on Syaoran's face and suddenly an uncomfortable feeling stirred in her heart.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Aren't you sleepy, Sakura?" Sakura turned around and saw Di Shang. "Mind if I join you?" he asked. She shook her head wordlessly and Di Shang sat down by her side. Sakura had been sitting on the window-seat in their room, staring out into the dark city. Wuhan was very different at night; it was without all the bustling civilians found only in the daytime. Ruckus laughter drifted up into the air from the restaurant below but Sakura didn't feel much like laughing. For some reason, she felt sad and Di Shang, noticing it, felt he ought to cheer her up. Syaoran sat alone in a corner of the room opposite the window, sharpening his sword and silently brooding to himself, wondering how to beat Kam Un.
Suddenly, they heard a scream coming from below, followed by a round of laughter. The three Card Captors bolted up and without a wasted second, they left their room and ran downstairs. Syaoran, in the lead, nearly slammed into a person standing by the staircase, but halted in time. At night, the restaurant was still busy, overcrowded with people, mostly men. Several of them seemed to be surrounding someone, laughing and jeering, and Syaoran, a sinking feeling in his chest, pushed his way through the crowd of people with Sakura and Di Shang following closely behind. In the center of all of them sat Hwa Ming, miserable and afraid, huddled close to the ground. Tears streaked her face and were in her sightless eyes. "What's going on?" Di Shang asked the man beside him.
"That little girl tripped and spilt everything on the ground," replied the man through peals of laughter. "What a stupid girl; no sense of balance whatsoever. She can't do anything. All because she can't see anything." Around her, people taunted Hwa Ming with jeers and comments. Syaoran, enraged that Hwa Ming was being mistreated because of her lack of sight, felt anger ebb within him. He immediately made his way to Hwa Ming and stood by her side.
"You all should be ashamed with yourselves," he shouted over the crowd. "Picking on a girl just because she can't see. It's not her fault."
"Who do you think you are, kid?" sneered an older man. "You better leave before we send you back crying to your mommy." Syaoran whipped out his broadsword and slashed it down in front of the man. The man trembled as the blade neatly sliced through his robes, nearly scratching his skin. He backed away, eyes wide, no words leaving his mouth.
"Anything else you'd like to add?" asked Syaoran coolly. The man turned and fled.
"Hey, you little punk," said another man. "Don't try to spoil our fun. We can take you down anytime." Syaoran raised an eyebrow at the comment, as if he didn't believe him. Before the older man could react, Di Shang was by Syaoran's side, his sword also drawn.
"I don't think you're capable of taking us both down," he said calmly. "So why don't you leave the girl alone?" The man lunged at Di Shang but was knocked back with a swift kick and he tumbled into the wall. The other men backed away at the sight of two youngsters with very short hair. They knew their appearances were deceiving. No one else had a weapon of any kind so they turned and left, trashing the place on their way out. The Li cousins sheathed their swords and Syaoran walked over to Hwa Ming.
"Let's go," he told her. "We're leaving right now." Hwa Ming nodded.
"All right," she answered softly, wiping away her tears with the sleeve of her robes. "Thank you," she added.
"Think nothing of it," said Di Shang. "Syaoran and I will go get our stuff. You stay with her, okay, Sakura?"
"That's fine," replied Sakura. Sakura helped Hwa Ming up and the two girls gingerly made their way past the splintered tables and chairs. As they walked outside, Sakura heard heavy footfalls behind them. Hwa Ming was suddenly pushed roughly into the wall, slumping down, unconscious. "Hwa Ming!" cried Sakura. She turned around to see who hit her friend - only to be grabbed by the collar of her battle costume - and held up in the air. She saw it was the manager, the same sour-faced person who had served them at the counter earlier. He was large and physically strong; his hand was clenched tight around Sakura's collar.
"What have you done to my store?" he bellowed. Sakura struggled in his grasp, trying to get him to release her. Finding that motion useless, she used one hand to take out her star key while the other reached into her pocket and produced a card; The Balance.
"Balance Card," she choked out, still being shaken hard by the man. "Cause the ground beneath the manager to become unstable; release!" The Balance Card appeared in its true form, jester hat waving from side to side. It then dissolved into the ground and disappeared from sight. Suddenly, the small piece of land directly below the man began to quiver and shook back and forth, causing the man to lose balance and he lost his grip on Sakura. She landed in a crouch on the ground and put away the Balance Card while he landed flat on his back. Behind the fallen man, in the doorway, stood Di Shang, his lasin board drawn.
"Sakura," he told her. "He possesses a Jiao Card. Seal it!"
The manager groaned and sat up, rubbing his head. Sakura whirled her staff before her, crying, "Jiao Card, return to your power confined!" The card materialized before her and the manager, eyes rolling back, fainted. "The Intolerant?" she murmured. "What kind of a card is that?" Looking up from that card, she saw Di Shang and Syaoran standing there, Syaoran carrying the still unconscious Hwa Ming in his arms. Syaoran started to run down the street when several civilians came into view.
"Let's go, Sakura," said Di Shang as he helped Sakura to her feet and they quickly followed his cousin.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Finding themselves at the harbour in Wuhan, the Card Captors selected a fairly isolated area before they stopped running. Syaoran propped Hwa Ming up against the wall while Di Shang took out his lasin board again. "Forces of the elements," he commanded. "Earth, Fire, Water, and Wind; show me the power that lines within. Reveal the Jiao!" A flash emitted from the board and a small beam of light touched Hwa Ming's forehead. Di Shang put the lasin board away. "It's definitely a Jiao Card there," he said.
Syaoran nodded. Taking his sword, he thrust it in a downward motion, stopping just above Hwa Ming's forehead. "Blind Card; seal!" he cried. A black shadow emerged from Hwa Ming's eyes and transformed to its card form. Syaoran studied the card and had the greatest urge to rip it in half. This stupid little card had caused Hwa Ming so much misery…Instead, he handed the card over to Sakura to be changed to a Sakura Card. "We better find a place to sleep in for now," said Syaoran. His friends nodded. Syaoran looked back at the sleeping Hwa Ming. "You'll be all right," he said softly.
~*~*~*~*~*~
Hwa Ming sat up and stretched. Her eyelids blinked several times as they adjusted to the brightness of the daylight. "What a beautiful blue sky…" she murmured as she stood up, walking to the window. The sun shone brightly in the morning sky. Not a cloud was in sight. "I wonder where I am…I thought I was at a restaurant…Aah!"
At the sound of Hwa Ming's screech, the Card Captors bolted awake. "Wha…?" mumbled Syaoran sleepily. "What was that?" They looked up to see Hwa Ming staring at her hands, her arms, her body, and then at them. Her eyes were wide open, filled with fear.
"Who are you?" she asked them, trembling slightly.
Syaoran stood up and approached her slowly. "It's me, Hwa Ming," he said. "Syaoran. And Sakura and Di Shang." Hwa Ming's face broke out with a smile of relief when she recognized his voice.
"Syaoran!" she cried, jumping into his arms and hugging him. She had moved so fast that Syaoran hadn't time to react. "It is you! I can see again! I can see, I can see, I can see!" She paused a moment and studied his face. "You know," she said. "You're really handsome up close." Syaoran reddened at the comment while Sakura seethed inwardly. She tried to stop the feeling of jealousy, but it wasn't easy. Who wouldn't be happy that their sight had returned? She would have been, too. Hwa Ming was no exception. But to say Syaoran was…She tried to erase Hwa Ming's words and Syaoran's blush from her mind.
"If I can do anything for you, Syaoran," continued Hwa Ming. "To thank you for all your help, let me know; don't hesitate to ask. After all, you defended me against those clients of the manager back at the store and now you've set me free." Her eyes shimmered with tears. "No one has ever done that for me."
"First things first," replied Syaoran with a gentle smile. "We have to help you look for your father."
"That shouldn't be much of a problem," said Hwa Ming. "Where are we now?"
"Wuhan Harbour."
"Perfect!" she responded. "I know exactly how to get home from here." She turned to face the other Card Captors as well. "Let me go home, see my father, and then I'll meet back with you here in an hour. Okay?" Syaoran was about to object, but Di Shang interrupted him.
"That's a good idea, Hwa Ming," he said. "Go see your father."
"I'll be back soon," she promised and left quickly. Syaoran turned to face his cousin.
" What are you thinking?" he asked. "What if Kam Un strikes again? She'll be alone, and vulnerable."
"She'll be all right," answered Di Shang. "If Kam Un did actually show up again, his aura will easily be traced and besides, he rarely attacks in broad daylight." Syaoran assented, though rather crossly. "What we need to do right now is to find an experienced boatman to take us down the Yangtze River," said Di Shang. "I had asked around last night in the restaurant and was told the best person to go to is Wong Kin Lam." He held up a little map. "And I got directions to his business location. Let's seek him out and hope he'll be able to give us passage to Chongquig." The other Card Captors nodded and went to look for Wong Kin Lam.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Master Wong, you have some visitors." An elderly man motioned for the boy who had spoken to bid the visitors entry and the servant bowed and nodded. He walked back outside to where three oddly dressed young children stood and ushered them inside.
"What do you seek?" he asked them.
"We'd like a passage to Chongquig," spoke a tall boy wearing dark green robes and a hat to match. His - and his friends - way of dressing was extremely bizarre to him. "We were told to seek you out for you would be our best guide."
Wong Kin Lam took off his glasses, wiped them and then put them back on. He then stood up, walking around his table and standing before the boy. "And what is your name?" he asked.
"I am Li Xiao Lang," he responded, though his face held a guarded expression.
"Chongquig, hmm?" repeated the man. "I am probably too old now to ferry people across the Yangtze River…"
Syaoran's face almost appeared crestfallen. "So you can't-" Kin Lam held up a hand to interrupt him.
"I never said it wasn't possible," he said. "I cannot ferry you, but I know someone who can." He snapped his fingers and his servant nodded, immediately understanding what he wanted. He turned and left the room. Kin Lam then gestured to the chairs before his table. "Have a seat," he said. "And we can discuss the details." The Card Captors slowly sat down while Kin Lam seated himself back in his chair.
"You wanted to see me father?" came a voice from behind them. Syaoran, Sakura, and Di Shang turned around and their eyes widened. Kin Lam signalled for the girl to enter and she slowly walked in. When she caught sight of her father's current clients, her jaw dropped.
"Syaoran!"
"Hwa Ming!"
Kin Lam looked between his daughter and Syaoran. It was obvious they knew each other. "Well, since you're both already acquainted, introductions won't be necessary. Hwa Ming," he said, looking at his daughter. I need you to take these three people to Chongquig. Can you handle it?" Hwa Ming nodded, giving him a reassuring smile.
"Of course I can, father," she said. "I've done it dozens of times already. It's only…I just got home; and I missed you."
Kin Lam patted Hwa Ming on the head gently. "You can take a break after you return. There's just no one else to do this; with your brothers all out on jobs already. You be careful and you can decide the fare to be charged."
"I'll do my best, father," said Hwa Ming. "I'll see you again in about a fortnight. Come on, Syaoran, let's go." Syaoran nodded and followed her out of the room. Sakura and Di Shang weren't far behind.
~*~*~*~*~*~
"Why didn't you tell us?" asked Syaoran. Hwa Ming shrugged.
"So I ferry people around the Yangtze," she said. "It's no big deal. I didn't think it was an important detail to mention." She untied the rope connected the boat to the pier and rolled it up. "Let's get going," she said.
Sakura sat by the edge of the small boat in the very front, staring into the brownish waters. The Yangtze River had this colour water because of all the sand and mud beneath. But still it was one of the most travelled waterways in China. Di Shang was also at the edge, his face turning really pale. The boat they were using was not very big at all and he could feel his stomach churning. Syaoran was temporarily taking control of the paddles in the back while Hwa Ming was mixing something. She then walked to Di Shang and gave it to him.
"This should make you feel better," she told him. Di Shang accepted it gratefully and downed the mixture quickly. He felt relief in his stomach as he handed the cup back to Hwa Ming.
"Thank you very much," he said. Hwa Ming nodded with a smile and rejoined Syaoran in the back. Sakura's eyes followed Hwa Ming as she sat with Syaoran and took up the second paddle and watched as they rowed together. An iron fist clenched around her heart when she heard them sharing a laugh. Syaoran rarely, if ever, laughed. And yet now he laughed so easily, like it was a regular occurrence…
The watercraft contained four oars for rowing. On most calm days, one or two paddlers were needed at most, just for a little direction. On the days the water grew rough, two people would be needed to row in the front and two in the back. In between the front and the back was a sort of living area. There were mats and soft rugs piled on the ground, shaded by a roof. There was only enough space for two people to sleep at any given time.
Since Wuhan was a well-populated harbour, many other boats could be seen. Some much bigger than theirs, others much smaller. Several people waved to Hwa Ming as they passed by and she waved back to them with a smile. Then she went back to chatting amiably with Syaoran. Sakura looked away, back at the waters, trying to hide the tears in her eyes. Di Shang had watched the whole scene in a glance and knew exactly what troubled the Card Mistress. He did agree with Meiling that if Syaoran didn't do anything soon, he would lose Sakura…but then again, it was all the better for him. It would be Syaoran's fault and his loss.
A hand gently wiped away Sakura's tears and she turned around…only to come face-to-face with Di Shang, their faces stopping only an inch apart. "Those sad tears don't suit you, Sakura," he said softly. "There's nothing I love more than to see your smile." When Hwa Ming had turned her full attention to her oar, Syaoran scowled inwardly at his cousin. How dare he! How could he…Hwa Ming's voice broke through his thoughts and he pretended to act as amiably as he had earlier, but it was getting harder and harder as he watched his cousin get closer to Sakura.
A tear that Di Shang had missed rolled off Sakura's cheek and dropped into the water. Suddenly, two cards flew out of Sakura's pocket and an explosion ensued beside the boat. Di Shang had pulled Sakura away from the edge immediately before and protected her with himself. Water sprayed everywhere, drenching them. But it wasn't a smooth spray of water…this was hard and sharp, cutting into their skin. When the water stopped showering, Di Shang and Sakura looked up. Before them floated two cards; The Showers and The Oceanid. Their seals had been broken!
"What is that?" Hwa Ming asked Syaoran.
"Two Jiao Cards have broken free," replied Syaoran.
"Two what?"
"Look out!" cried Sakura. The Oceanid brought a huge wave of water down upon the tiny craft and snapped the boat in two. Suddenly, the sky darkened with black storm clouds, brought on by The Showers. It began to pour heavily. The Card Captors and Hwa Ming caught hold of whatever planks of wood was left from the boat, to keep themselves afloat. Sakura was a good swimmer - and so were the rest - but being weighted down with your robes, drenched to the bone, and having pouring rain come down upon your head didn't exactly make it easy for anyone to swim. The waves continued to get rougher and the rest of the boat had been completely destroyed by the waters.
"I've never seen rain showers this intense!" cried Hwa Ming over the roaring storm.
"It's not natural," replied Syaoran, not far from her. "This is created out of magic. That's what the Jiao Cards do." Hwa Ming still didn't understand exactly what Syaoran meant but this wasn't the time for explanations. "Stay close, Sakura!" yelled Syaoran. "Don't let yourself get separated from us by the cards."
"I'm trying!" responded Sakura. Di Shang swam over to her, with his plank in tow, and held her hand tight.
"Don't let go," he said. "We don't want to lose you." Sakura nodded. Her hair was plastered to her face and her clothes clung to her body. But her emerald eyes shone out, determination clear to be seen.
"We've beaten these cards before," she said. "And we're not letting this minor setback stop us from doing it again.
Di Shang smiled. "That's the Sakura I know," he said. Sakura was about to take out her star key when another jet of water blasted her. Her hand slipped away from Di Shang's and she landed far away from him; far from the others as well. "Sakura!" shouted Di Shang.
The Showers forced the storm clouds to grow pitch-black as more and more rain fell. The waves now became very choppy and Sakura held on tightly to her small plank of wood to stay afloat. "How did these cards escape?" she wondered. "Why do they keep breaking their seal?" She felt herself growing tired, though she didn't know why. She forced her eyes to stay open. She had to stay awake.
"How can I keep them from returning to Jiao Cards?" she wondered. "And if I can't, which cards would be next?" She shivered partly at the thought of the Ghastly Card breaking loose, and partly because she was getting very cold.
Suddenly, the plank Sakura had hung on to splintered and fell apart. The rain poured harder above her and the waves forced her to go under. "Sakura!" cried her friends as the waters carried them away. They tried swimming to her but were constantly swept back. Sakura slowly sank deeper and deeper below the depths of the river, unable to beat the currents, or the combined attack by The Showers and The Oceanid. As she continued to fall, her mind slowly blacked out into a merciful darkness.
Author's Note: I'm surprised I managed to finish this chapter so soon. I mean, amidst all my projects and essays. I have a history essay that's worth 15% of my mark that I've barely worked on. And the other 15% is for…Oh no! Moopz! Our history presentation!! *sweatdrops* We're doomed…-_-*
*sighs* A lot of people don't seem to like the little S + D moments I put in. But the S + S moments are usually much more significant. Remember, the S + D are only little ones …Anyway, that could change. Here's why: how would you like to help me out with something? Notice how Sakura's alone when she gets separated from the others? That's because you, yes, you - the readers, get to choose whom Sakura's will be with later in the chapter, if any. The possibilities are a) Di Shang, b) Hwa Ming, c) Syaoran, or d) she's alone throughout. If I don't get any feedback on this matter, I'll just choose a person to be with Sakura and believe me, it's not going to be Syaoran if I choose it. *laughs evilly* I'm kidding…I'm not really evil. But I'm definitely not choosing Syaoran myself. So voice your opinion today! ^_^
*Sakura
~The Animé Archives Team
