Heyla minna-san! Here's the eighth segment of "The Tournament"! Gomen that it's taken longer than usual, but I've had school to attend to and a multitude of quizzes to study for in my spare time, so have had very little time to write. As promised, here's the moment you've all benn waiting for! I'll make it extra long so that it's at least a little worth the wait!
Arigatos:
Dedication:
Disclaimer:
Ladies & Gentlemen, children of all ages (actually, it should be 'children 13 and older', haha), I present for your reading pleasure, CHAPTER 8!
The Tournament(When Worlds Collide)
"RISE AND SHINE, SLEEPYHEADS! SMELL THE GREEN TEA!"
Syaoran sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. His mind was still foggy, but he could swear that it was sunrise…
Coming awake, he looked at the door to see who was yelling at that tone of voice at that time of day. To absolutely no one's surprise, there stood Kensu, grinning like his face was going to split in half. All the male fighters groaned, lying back down and pulling the covers over their heads.
"Hey, hey!" he chiruped happily, "Come on! Xiu gets up at least an hour earli-OOF!"
Kensu's voice was smothered suddenly when a large pillow came sailing out of nowhere, hitting him square in the face. The force of the blow knocked him down flat onto his butt.
Getting up arily, he performed a series of fancy bows to the laughter that was coming from almost every bunk surface. "Arigato, arigato! Now, for my next trick-"
"You just can't win against him!" groaned Ryushi trying to settle himself on his now pillowless bed.
"Anyways, I came to tell you all that the girls are already up and-"
"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO!?" roared a chorus of male voices. There was a sudden rush, and Syaoran found himself following the pack that was his roommates as they dashed out the door. Caught in the throng, he looked to see Shikoku running next to him. The look of determination and focus displayed on his face was almost frightening.
"Uhh, why are we running?" he asked the male warrior.
Shikoku's look didn't change as he put on an extra burst of speed. The younger warrior resigned himself to following cluelessly around every bend and hall that the pack raced through.
Syaoran was almost thrown off-balance when the group came to an abrupt stop, accompanied by a loud cry of "NOOOOOOOOOO!"
"Uhh..nani?" he rubbed his head, massaging the point where it ahd come in contact with colsed wooden double doors. All the guys dropped to their knees, some with those funny anime tearpaths flowing down their cheeks.
"May I ask what in Kami-sama's name is going on?" asked Syaoran, slightly angry by this time by everyone's inability to answer. Kensu smiled at him widely.
"You see," he began, "Every morning, there's a race between the girls and guys to get to the showers first-"
"You mean to tell me that we just ran the Indy 500 to get to the showers before the other group!?" Syaoran didn't look too happy.
"-because the later group always has to suffer freezing cold water, due to the fact that the hot water's all used up by the time it's their turn. And the cold water here is GLACIAL, man!" finished the green-haired youth.
It took a little bit of time for the rapid speech to sink in before Syaoran was pounding on the door along with the other guys too.Finally, after about fifteen minutes of doing this and getting no results (along with very sore hands), the guys resigned themselves to sitting outside, waiting for the girls to finish. Syaoran looked over at Ryushi tiredly, recieving an identical look in return. "So…how often does this happen?" he asked the older warrior.
For the first time, he saw Shikoku look sheepish. "Eh heh, yeah…uh…they sorta…um…always beat us…"
"Then why try to win in the first place?"
Another warrior, Amani, who Syaoran had just met the night before, stood up, striking a heroic pose. "We shall always endeavor to beat yon females, as not only is it our manly duty, but our ongoing hope as well!" he expressed in a truly theatrical voice. "Plus, I'm really sick of freezing to death every time I want to take a shower."he added, receiving a laugh.
Suddenly, the door opened to reveal a group of people. The girls, all wrapped in their nice fluffy towels, headed off towards their room, laughing and joking with each other as they hurried by. Quite a few of the guys blushed. Syaoran decided to look away before he fainted. The sight of Sakura like that…
Shaking the thought from his head, he followed the other guys as they all walked in to take their dip in the glacier.
"AND THEY ALWAYS TAKE THE FLUFFY TOWELS, TOO!"
*********
"Konnichiwa, Sakura-chan!" said Húmi happily as the green-eyed girl sat down at the table for breakfast. Asina smiled her greeting.
"Ohayo minna! Ogenki desu ka?"
"Genki desu, anata wa?" replied the other fighter presently sitting at the table. She had black hair of about shoulder length with jade-green streaks.
"Sakura-chan, I would like you to meet Jade." introduced Asina, "She's one of the sempai here."
Both girls bowed to each other poltiely.
"Ohayo Sakura-chan." said another voice. This one came from the table right next to their own.
Sakura turned to meet Jun Fan's steady gaze. His amber eyes glowed warmly, and he flashed her a grin. A pale pink hue quickly flushed her cheeks as she managed to stutter a soft "Ohayo" out in return.
"Umm…excuse me, but aren't all the guys still in the showers?" asked Húmi slightly puzzledly.
"I always get up early." replied Jun Fan easily, flashing another smile, "That way, I can take a little solitude stroll and beat the dash for the showers."
All the girls giggled in response.
"Anyway, I'll see you all in training later this morning. Right now, I need to see Xiu about something." he said, standing up. "Ja ne."
"Ja!" replied all the members of the table, watching as the red-clad fighter strode casually out of the hall.
Looking at Sakura's flushed cheeks, Húmi smiled. "Hmm…" she mentioned slyly, "It looks like Sakura-chan's found an interest!"
"Wha…I do not!" denied Sakura, blushing darker.
"Oh, and Jun Fan too! Good choice!" giggled Jade.
"Come on, leave Sakura-chan alone!" sympathized Asina. Sakura smiled gratefully at the senior warrior, thanking her for her defense. Asina smiled back in reply.
"After all, It's obvious that she and Syaoran-kun are meant for each other!" she finished.
Sakura fell over amidst the giggles of her companions.
"Me and Syaoran-kun? Oh, as if!" she retorted, cheeks flaming bright red by now from both anger and embarrassment.
"Ohayo minna-san. What's going on?"
Sakura spun around to see the sight that was the guy fighters. They all looked pretty rosy from their icy shower. Directly by her stood Syaoran, dressed in a dark forest-green chinese-style fighter's uniform. His amber eyes were politely puzzled.
"Umm…ohayo, Syaoran-kun…" she answered nervously. All the girls continued to giggle helplessly at the expression she now displayed on her face. All the guys looked on in confusion.
"Uhh…should I even ask?" put in Amani.
Jade went up and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "Ohayo!" she greeted happily. He smiled in return.
"Nevermind." he said , thinking better of his question.
"Jade and Amani are the only official couple here." whispered Húmi to Sakura, "…but not for long!"
"…Not if we have anything to do with it!" finished Asina. Sakura sweat-dropped, guessing quite accurately what they had in mind.
All of a sudden, a whisper echoed through the hall. "Xiu's here…"
Sakura watched with interest as the training master, Xiu, entered the hall and approached their table. Striding up with his direct, strong pace, he stopped square infront of her, meeting her emerald green eyes with his own ice blue gaze. Despite their colour, his eyes could become warm and caring, or hard and cold. They were presently the former.
"Please come with me." he said, his voice direct and firm, "Raiden-sama wishes to speak with you."
The interest that had previously been noticeable was replaced by confusion. 'Why does he wish to see me?' she thought, getting up out of her seat.
Following the black-clad figure, she walked up the stairs and into the doors marked by a symbol with two dragons intertwining. She loved these door, as when they opened, the dragons weren't split in half, but rather came apart into two separate dragons. Entering the room beyond, she stood while Xiu walked ahead, stopping infront of a large stone pool with strange markings around its edge. Watching him intently, she saw rather than heard him whisper some words, being quickly rewarded by three Enkyuuku lighting up the room.
"So you are Nadeshiko's daughter?" said Raiden, making his way towards her. Sakura had to recover from the initial shock that presented itself by his appearance. She hadn't even seen him move from his spot, staring into the pool.
Xiu bowed and left the room.
Suddenly remembering herself, Sakura bowed to Raiden, stuttering an apology. The old warrior chuckled lightly, smiling at her in return. "Don't worry." he said gently, "I merely wish to discuss the Clow Cards with you.-or, technically, the Sakura cards now, ne?"
Sakura recovered from the last part as her shock turned to anger.'I told them not to tell anyone!' she thought friercely. Her face remained the same outside, however.
"I know you didn't wish anyone to know about them," said Raiden, correctly interpreting the change in her aura, "But this is something that is better off known. You must use a staff to release the cards, ne?"
Sakura nodded in the afirmative.
"As you have probably heard already, aids aren't allowed in the Tournament. Your staff would qualify as an aid. However, it is possible for you to learn how to release them without the staff, using only magic. That is what we need to do for you, as they will be an incredible tool." said the leader for the side of Good, turning to look into the pool.
"You could do that?" asked Sakura eagerly.
"Hai, it is possible. It will take very focused and gruelling training on your part, but it can be done." was the answer she received.
"I'm willing to do whatever it takes!" Sakura said determinedly. The fire was back in her eyes.
"I know. Just as your mother, you have a strong and determined streak within you that not many can match." said Raiden, chuckling.
"Umm…arigato…I think?"
The Double doors opened once again just then. Syaoran walked in, not forgetting to bow to the leader as was respectful. He flushed lightly when he saw sakura, but managed to shake it away quickly. "Xiu told me that you wished to speak with me, Raiden-sama. Nani desu ka?" he asked, eyes still focused on the floor.
Raiden walked over and lifted Syaoran's head so that his eyes were now gazing level with those white glowing ones posessed by the elder. "I always thought that you would join us, son of Kwaihu," he said, his gaze remaining steady and unfailing, "I also understand that your weapon was destroyed in a battle for our scouts. Here."
A glow illuminated the room as Raiden summoned his magic. Lightning flashed, and a long object wrapped in crimson cloth appeared. Handing it to Syaoran, he watched as the young warrior unwrapped it carefully with tentative fingers. The cloth fell away to reveal a longsword, beautifully made with a hilt of gold and green. (Think along the lines of Syaoran's sword from the show, except this is longer)
"Kwaihu would want you to have his sword." said Raiden quietly.
Syaoran could only stare at the object held in his hands with reverence. After a couple moments, he gripped it by the handle and took an experimental swing, feeling the perfect balance of the weapon as it sliced the air. "It's…"he breathed
"Perfect." finished Raiden, smiling at him.
A sudden thought came to Sakura.
"Raiden-sama?" she asked, looking at him quizzically, "Isn't a sword considered an aid?"
The old warrior looked at her, carefully choosing his words as to find the easiest explanation.
"You see," he began, "A sword isn't considered an aid because it's a weapon. Every warrior chooses a weapon which they make their own, something which feels natural. In many ways, the weapon chooses the warrior, not the other way around. To deprive a warrior of their weapon is against the martial laws. An aid, however, is something which is used by the warrior to unlock his or her power. Whether it is a magical item, a factor, or a word, it isn't believed to be part of a warrior's strength; therefore against the rules. This Tournament is meant to match the greatest warriors in the worlds against each other, so "artificial strength" is going against everything that it stands for."
Sakura nodded in understanding
"Now, I need you to summon your staff." Raiden said.
Doing as she was bid, Sakura reached for the key which she always wore around her neck. Performing her chant, the pink staff appeared in her outstretched hands, wherupon she twirled it a couple times. Looking at Raiden, she was surprised to see an unreadable look on his old face.
"Nani desu ka?" she asked, puzzled.
"May I see that talisman that you wear around your neck?" he asked, recovering.
Sakura blinked once or twice, then reached to lift the cord from which hung the half circle with the dragon. Handing it to him, she saw his brow crease into a frown as he studied it carefully. Turning suddenly, he walked to a small shrine placed at one end of the room. It was so small and blended in so well that neither Sakura nor Syaoran had noticed it. Placing the talisman near the doors, he held it there and waited. 'I wonder what he's waiting for?' thought Syaoran, staring intently, 'and what will happen.'
For the longest time, nothing happened. All three had just about given up hope when the dragon suddenly burst into white flames. The younger warriors watched in fascination as Raiden held it in his hand, looking it over.
Pulling it away from the shrine, he handed the back-to-normal dragon to Sakura, sighing slightly.
"What's going on?"she asked puzzledly, slipping the talisman back over her head. Syaoran's look mirrored hers exactly.
"Well-"
"RAIDEN-SAMA!"
All three turned to face the door as Xiu came bursting in. His face was a mix of shock, anger, and desperation.
"Xiu! What has happened?" asked Raiden sharply. His tone of voice was business-like and serious.
"It's the Graveyard…"
A flash of light, and the elder warrior was gone. Xiu turned to the shocked recruits, nodding at them. "Follow me," he said quickly, "He's already gone down. We'll meet him there."
Springing into action, the two rushed after the training master, using their power to increase their speed. When they stopped, they found themselves in an unfamiliar part of the Lookout. The area was filled with stone altars, each at the head of a stone case. All the other recruits had also been gathered, each with a bewildered look on their face.
Infront of them all stood Raiden, looking intently at one tombstone. Unlike the others, the stone case was split in half, a large dark hole visible. Peering carefully into it, Syaoran let out a small gasp.
"Empty." said Jun Fan simply.
"Syaoran, umm…I think you should see this." Ryushi said softly.
Leading the younger warrior forward slightly, he pointed at the stone marker at the head of the case. Syaoran stepped forward, dusting off the name, then stumbling back in shock.
"What is it?" asked Asina worriedly. She gripped his shoulder lightly.
"My…my…" he stumbled in disbelief.
Jun Fan looked at the stone, reading out clearly the kanji that had been uncovered by Syaoran.
"Kwaihu Li."
*********
Touya walked back through the woods, returning to the Village. The Sun had already sunk below the horizon, leaving that purple time before the dark envealopes everything. Looking around, he saw a large tree with crooked limbs, branches swaying gently in the breeze. Stopping infront of it, he stared at the giant for a while. Suddenly, a scene came before his eyes.
*~*
A young dark-haired boy sits in the branches of a tree, looking down at the small girl on the ground. He grins crookedly, gripping the branch with his legs as he swings off it. Now he's upside down. The girl's eyes widen slightly, becoming enormously large.
"Oni-chaaan! Don't do that! It's scary!"
"Hah!" he begins to swing wider, "It's nothing, kaiju!"
Her gigantic green eyes start to glisten, gathering moisture. Suddenly, she breathes in, getting ready to let out a large wail.
Little Touya jumps down and grips his little sister tightly before she has a chance to cry. "There, there, kaiju, don't cry. it's okay!"
Chibi Sakura sniffs slightly, eyes still sad. Gazing up into her older brother's dark brown eyes, she looks so lost and lonely that Touya almost feels like crying himself. Suddenly…
"Sakura no kaiju IIE I-MASU!" she stomps on Touya's foot.
Touya grunts in pain.
*~*
Touya smiled slightly at the memory. To think, Sakura was now doing something that was at least a thousand times more dangerous and frightening than swinging off a tree branch…
All of a sudden, he straightened up, senses alert. He felt something…jerking his head, he focused his eyes on every shadow visible, incase there was any threat concealed within them. Unfortunately, being twilight, there was more shadows than lit ground.
Dismissing things as his imagination, yet still partly alert, he began to walk onward, back to the Village, only to be grabbed by two pairs of black-gloved hands. The struggle only lasted a few moments, before one of the attackers struck him a blow to the back of the head and knocking him unconscious.
*********
"Not again…"
Raiden sat in his stone chair, gazing sadly down at the floor. He was clearly troubled. Xiu wasn't too far away, leaning casually on a pillar. His outer expression was calm and collect, though inside, he felt far from it.
"This has happened before?" asked Sakura worriedly. Her green eyes reflected her every emotion as clearly as a still pond. Syaoran blushed lightly as he snuck a sideways peek at her, marvelling at her incredible innocence despite everything that had happened in her life.
"Once. The results were disasterous…"
"What I don't get is why Yao'Xi'Liu would want Kwaihu's body. Even if he had the soul, he still wouldn't be able to resurrect him. Not like he would ever want one of his greatest enemies back from the dead…" pointed Xiu. No matter how he looked at things, he couldn't make any sense out of it.
"Because it can be of use to him." said Raiden quietly. "He's only ever done it once, when we were growing up…he used Xanshin's body after that battle with Kano…"
"What do you mean, 'when we were growing up' ?" questioned Syaoran.
"Because I mean 'when we were growing up'. You see…Yao'Xi'Liu is my brother."
*********
^_^Well, that's it minna! Matte! Don't throw the tomatoes yet! I know, it's cruel of me to put in a cliffhanger (well, sort of) after making you all wait that long, but I couldn't resist! Anyway, I'll try my hardest to have chapter nine out sooner! (Wow! Chapter nine! We're getting far along aren't we?) Until next time, Ja ne!
ULT
Kensu's corner (Joke of the day!)
The FBI, CIA, and LAPD were all arguing over who was the best at apprehending criminals, so the president decided to hold a contest to determine who was best. Taking a rabbit, he released it into a nearby forest and said, "Whichever team manages to retreave the rabbit in the shortest amout of time wins."
The CIA were the first ones to try. Going in, they analyzed all the info, made detailed investigations, and tracked down every source they could. After about two months with nothing coming up, they came to the conclusion that there is no such thing as rabbits.
Next went the FBI. Three months went by with no leads, after which they just burned the forest down, determined to destroy all evidence that remained of the case.
Entering the remains, the LAPD went in. Ten minutes later, they came out dragging a bear that was all beaten up and bruised. Forcefully dragging their suspect out, they brought the bear before everyone, wherupon he said, "Okay, Okay! I'm a rabbit! I'm a rabbit!"
Hope you liked it, minna! (Now, I just hope that no one who reads my stories works for any of those firms…)