Heyla minna-san! Chapter nine, as promised! Wai! Things are getting interesting… Once again, chapters will probably take longer to come out, and I'm making them bigger to accommodate this. After all, school is a governtment establishment from where there is no escape (ahem *cough cough*prison *cough cough*) So anyway, I will do my best to get them all out as fast as I can. Also, gomen to *~*Midnight star*~* for not putting you on the arigatos list in chapter eight, but I didn't find the review until AFTER I submitted the chapter.
Note: Onegai, if you like MK stuff, go read Crayzee Chika's stories. THEY'RE TOO COOL!
Arigatos
Dedication
Disclaimer
Cardcaptor Sakura -CLAMP, Kodansha (Nelvana owns CARDCAPTORS, not Cardcaptor Sakura!)
MK (Mortal Kombat, all versions)-Midway Entertainment
Broken Sky-Chris Wooding (read those books! They're really really good!)
Dragonball Z-FUNimation, I forget who else
…and anything else with a logo.
Now, after the long wait, chapter nine!
The Tournament (When Worlds Collide)
A Cardcaptor Sakura fic by Jurei-chan
"…Because Yao'Xi'Liu is my brother."
This statement was rewarded by the stares of everyone in the room. Of all the possible explanations, that wasn't one that they had expected.
Finally, the silence was broken by Jun Fan's voice, which was hardly louder than a whisper. "You mean…Yao'Xi'Liu has brought people to life before, once when you were growing up?"
Raiden shook his head. "he doesn't bring them back to life. Only greater Kami can do that, and we are minor immortals. He has other uses for the bodies, however."
Syaoran was about to ask what those uses were when Raiden cut him off. Turning to Sakura, he looked at her directly. "You asked about the talisman, ne? After these events, it is essential that we find the other half, and quickly."
"Other half?" asked Sakura in confusion.
"Yes." answered Raiden, "There is a legend of paramount importance to the Tournament of a talisman that would grant the owner immense power. This object, once completed, was called the "Double Dragon". As the legend goes, the Greater Kami broke it in half, thus creating two dragons. Their fear was that somehow, someone might get their hands on the talisman. They hid each half somewhere in the worlds so that they would hopefully never be reunited. Unfortunately, we only have one half, and that is the light half…"
"So, we still need to find the Dark half." summed Xiu in understanding. "Unfortunately, the worlds are immense, and we don't know where to start looking…"
"There is a little help we can offer." said Raiden, "That shrine at the end of this room holds an object constructed to help find the talismans in case they were ever needed. The majics held in both the object and the talismans willreact to each other in a flash of light."
"So that's how you were checking if the half Sakura has was the real thing?" asked Syaoran, understanding everything.
"Hai."answered Raiden, nodding. Walking over to the shrine, he opened the doors and removed an ancient-looking scroll. Syaoran could see the two dragons emblem on the back, marking it as property of the Side of Good. 'This talisman must be of great importance.' he thought to himself, 'Enough to become the emblem for the Side of Good.'
Bringing the scroll over to the fighters, Raiden blew on it lightly. As soon as it came within a couple feet from Sakura's talisman, the letters began to glow. "This is called the Incomplete scroll. The symbols tell how to work the Talismans and where to find them. Unfortunately, half of it has been lost-"
"…Thus it's name…" interrupted Xiu carefully. The other three nodded in comprehension.
"So, which parts are missing?" asked Jun Fan.
"Since the scroll displayes the legend, the actual amount of knowledge isn't that much." explained Raiden sadly. "We only have the part that tells you how to use the scroll, and hints to the hiding place of the half of light. It was originally somewhere near the Shaolin temple in China, so it didn't go that far from it's original hiding place."
"What about the scroll?" asked Syaoran, "Couldn't you use it to point the basic direction of the other half?"
"The fact that part of the scroll is missing also affects its powers." answered the immortal, "It can only be of real use to you at a close range from the other half. Other than that, it will only show you that you're near the dark half by glowing symbols. If you are too far, it own't have any effect whatsoever."
The fighters looked pretty down. it seemed hopeless. Sakura lifted the scroll carefully, looking at the letters with interest. Suddenly, a flash erupted from her talisman half, hitting the scroll directly in the centre. The object was ripped from her grasp, hovering in the centre of the circle they had formed. The glow now covered the entire thing, golden and bright. Syaoran suddenly pointed at the opposite wall. "Look!" he cried hoarsely.
The others looked with amazement at the golden symbol projected onto the dark-coloured wall. It was so bright that it looked as if someone had painted it on. Raiden's breath withdrew sharply as he recognised the sign.
"Nani desu ka?" asked Xiu worriedly, turning to his master. His ice-blue eyes were now sharp with concern.
"It appears that we now do have a clue to where the Dark half might be…" gasped Raiden, eyes openly displaying disbelief, "That sign, if I remember correctly, is the signature of the Core world."
Xiu gasped too. The other three looked at him and Raiden puzzledly. "What's going on?" asked Sakura curiously, "What's the Core?"
"All the wrorlds have their own names and locations." began Xiu slowly, "The one that the Side of Good tends to recruit from the most is Earth. The side of Evil, however, tends to recruit from the Otherworld. That's the natural choice for them, considering that most of the Otherworld inhabitants are demons and the like; creatures prone to siding with evil. The core, however, has always been an enigma. It's almost like an alternate reality. The laws devealoped by the greater Kami don't apply there, and they even have their own set of ruling Kami. The Core is a crossroads between all the worlds, but both sides tend to avoid it altogether."
"How come neither side has ever considered asking the Core Kami for help?" asked Jun Fan curiously, "I mean, it would be very handy to have an unexpected ally, and the location of the Core itself sounds like an ultimate advantage."
"Because the Kami have no interest in the rest of the Worlds." said Raiden in explanation, "They don't care what happens. The Tournament is none of their concern. Also, they are neither Good nor Evil, so their affiliation and alignment would always be in question."
"If I recall correctly," said Xiu, a sudden thought coming to him, "Their "Dark Treasure" I believe the name was, is one of their most valued sacred objects. I have a feeling that they must have been referring to their talisman half. They probably won't be too happy to part with it."
"So, we're going to have to send someone into a mostly unknown, hardly welcoming place to find something that has the potential to get them killed?" asked Jun Fan, summing things up, "Doesn't sound like a very welcoming job."
"I'll go." said Syaoran suddenly. The other three turned to stare at him.
"I have the Kamehame no Kiai on my side, which might be a help." he convinced, "You also don't have to tell anyone else that way, and don't have to risk one of your sempai."
"You realize that this will take away from your training time, ne?" asked Raiden seriously.
Syaoran nodded. "If something happens to me," he said, "you still have Sakura, so this is really the best way."
"I'm going too." said Jun Fan decisively, "We'll stand a better chance with two going than one."
Despite Syaoran's obvious displeasure at this suggestion, Xiu and Raiden agreed wordlessly. "Then I'm going too." said Sakura decisively. Her eyes posessing the determined fire once more.
"Iie." disaggreed Raiden, "We need you here in case the other two don't make it back. You are the only other fighter in posession of the Kamehame no Kiai. You stay, Sakura, daughter of Nadeshiko."
Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, clearly unhappy with his verdict but unwilling to argue, knowing that what he said was truth.
"You both leave tomorrow at dawn." said Xiu, turning his attention back to Jun Fan and Syaoran and meeting their gaze with a strong one of his own.
"Hai." they chorused. Syaoran glared at Jun Fan.
*********
"Syaoran, can I speak to you?" asked Ryushi.
The younger warrior stood up from his seat at the table. He and the other recruits had just sat down for dinner after a long hard day of training in which they worked to the breaking point by their masters. Syaoran, Sakura, and a handful of them were especially worn out after a session with Xiu.
Syaoran followed Ryushi until they were at the edge of the hall, far from where the other recruits could hear them. Ryushi turned a serious eye on the kohai infront of him. "So, you're leaving tomorrow?" he asked.
The younger warrior looked at him in surprise. "How did you know?" he asked in a quiet voice that reflected the shock he felt.
Ryushi waved his question off. "If people stopped talking here, the walls would cave in." he explained briefly. "The others-well, the sempai at least- know too. They jusi haven't said anything about it."
"Well, hai. Jun Fan and I are leaving tomorrow at dawn-" replied Syaoran.
"-Not your favourite choice for travelling companion, ne?" cut in Ryushi with a smile. He had correctly interpreted the grimace that the young fighter displayed.
Syaoran shook his head, cinnamon hair brushing into his eyes with the motion. Casually, he comed them back with his fingers, though it did little good. "Baka hair," he grumbled lightly, trying again.
"I wouldn't say that!" laughed Ryushi, "Lost of girls go for that messy look."
Syaoran's face sobered slightly. "Maybe…" he said half-heartedly.
Ryushi studied the youth carefully before answering. "But…you're not interested in "Lots of girls", are you?" he noted.
Syaoran looked at him quizzically. Ryushi went on to explain his statement further.
"You're only really interested in one." he said kindly, gripping the kohai's shoulder. Then, he turned and walked away before Syaoran could fully work out the meaning of his words.
Syaoran stood in a daze for a little while, then walked back to his seat, all the time unaware of the green eyes stared fixedly on him. Sakura turned away, grunting softly. 'I didn't think he had it in him…' she thought, letting a small secretive smile cross her lips for one fleeting instant.
*********
Kwaihu's sword strapped to his back, Syaoran stood with Jun Fan before Raiden and Xiu. Jun Fan carried a small bag with the Side of Good's emblem of the double dragons. This was to keep the talisman half safe when transporting it back.Syaoran carried the incomplete scroll, stored in a safekeeping tube that also bore the dragon insignia. Raiden looked at the two, studying them carefully. For some reason, his gaze now made Syaoran slightly nervous.
"I thank you for what you are about to do." he said at last, eyes not leaving the recruits, "You shall always be remembered for this, whether you are successful or not."
Syaoran couldn't help but shudder slightly. Whether you are successful or not…The thought of what faliure meant…
'And I haven't even told Sakura how I feel.' he thought sadly, 'Wait a minute! How DO I feel?'
For some reason, his mind could come up with no easy answer for this question. His mind snapped back to reality suddenly when Raiden and Xiu stepped towards the large circular emblem in the centre of the room and pressed their hands on the cool stone. An ice blue glow from both their combined energies illuminated the room for a minute, and the circle was moving, raising from the floor, revealing a dark hole with crude stone steps leading down. The two travelling companions (or soon to be) looked down into the blackness, unable to see the bottom.
"This is as far as we can help you." said Xiu. Standing forward, he bowed deeply to each youth. "Kami guide you on your quest."
The two returned the bow, then turned and bowed to Raiden. Looking into the hole, they took a deep breath and dropped down into the darkness.
********
~*
A snaking stone passage slopes down, winding, twisting, and turning. Breaking through the darkness, torchlight illuminates the chamber. Vast, it is home to a monstrous mechanical thing. From every surface, people are sitting on stone seats. Some are crying. There is a sudden surge of sapphire blue energy and everything is lit in a ghostly blue glow. Suddenly, disjointed images flash; first, a chestnut-haired youth is overtaken by a dark shadow that consumes everything, leaving it in blackness. A black-haired youth is set upon by four shadow card-like enteties.A dark-haired man struck by two pairs of hands, disappearing in a flash of light along with his attackers. The images speed up, becoming flashes of scenes, which all are eventually consumed by darkness. A bright golden flash-blast of black energy-small girl with short black hair in pigtails-tall slender female clad in dark purple-island surrounded by ice blue light…The images get faster and faster, until the rush is overtaken by a flash of white light…
~*
"SAKURA! WAKE UP!"
Sakura came awake suddenly. Sitting up, she looked around, breath coming in short gasps. Húmi stood over her, looking at the younger girl with concern.
"Daijobu desu wa?" she asked worriedly. Sakura reached up and felt her forehead. It was covered in cold sweat. She could also feel the moisture coming from her eyes.
Asina walked over, hugging Sakura's frame to her as sobs racked the hysterical kohai's delicate body. "What happened?" she asked soothingly, patting the small of Sakura's back.
"My….my bro…brother…and Syaoran….and Jun Fan…" she sobbed weakly.
"Shh…don't worry. I'm sure they're going to be fine…" whispered Asina reassuringly. However, Sakura only sobbed harder. "Iie!" she cried, "They…they got Touya…and Syaoran and Jun Fan! They got them…" she repeated over and over, rocking back and forth.
Asina looked at Húmi, her eyes deep with worry. "Maybe we should report this to Raiden-sama…"
Húmi nodded almost immediately. "People with power are often granted vision by the elder Kami." she explained, partly to herself.
The two girls helped Sakura up, giving her their support as the three made their way to Raiden's chambers. All were silent on the way, as it was still dark outside and most of the Lookout was asleep.
Though Sakura wasn't really paying attention, she was surprised when they didn't go into the main hallway. Instead, Húmi led them through a side corridor that Sakura had never used before. Smaller than the usual ones that dominated the rest of the temple, this one was rougher and not as finished. Twisting and turning, it finally emerged in a large cavern. Asina whispered to the torches, wherupon they burst into flame, illuminating the surroundings. There were actual torches, not Enkyuuyu like the inner temple lights.
"Enkyuuku are scared by the dragons." explained Húmi as they continued to move along the side of the cavern.
'Dragons?' thought Sakura. Looking ahead, she almost screamed. A huge hulking form could be seen in the darkness ahead. As they neared it, the torchlight revealed it to be a huge winged lizard with green and brown markings. Asina and Húmi strolled casually by, paying no attention to the long tail as it swished softly back and forth. Sakura sneaked past, running as quickly and silently as she could when passing it. Shifting her attention to the front, she breathed a soft sigh of relief, only to notice that Húmi and Asina were looking at her strangely.
"What?" she asked.
"You know that the dragon…" began Húmi
"Was asleep, right?" finished Asina.
"Hoe?" said Sakura, blushed a bright red as the two giggled softly.
"Ohayo." said a voice softly. All three girls jumped from surprise. Raiden walked out of the shadows, gazing at them kindly. Catching sight of the immortal, Sakura was once again reminded of the reason why she was there. The memory of the dream almost made her begin to sob quietly again.
Asina and Húmi exchanged worried glances. "Raiden-sama, Sakura has something to tell you…" said Asina softly.
"Well, Sakura, come with me and you can tell me everything." said Raiden, gesturing with his hand. Somehow, the soft confidence of the elder made Sakura feel incredibly calm and completely at peace. Following him, they left Asina and Húmi in the dragon stables.
"I hope everything's ok…" said Húmi, gazing at the sleeping dragons that surrounded them.
"So do I…" said Asina, "So do I…"
*********
Sakura walked away, feeling releaved. Húmi and Asina were still there when she finished talking with Raiden, and the three made their way towards the showers. Since they were already up, why not beat the rush? The elder watched them as they walked off, quietly talking about something which made Sakura blush at the mention of it.
"Xiu." he whispered to the shadows nearby, watching in satisfaction as the black-clad warrior emerged from them, looking disgruntled.
"I know you know all your old students and their abilities, Raiden-sama, but sometimes I feel as if I could kill you for being so wise." he grumbled, frowning. Raiden shook his head, smiling slightly at his student's slight outburst.
Walking over to watch from his sensei's side, the black-haired fighter flicked his long braid back, eyes focused on the disappearing formes of Sakura, Asina, and Húmi. His eyes were now an unfamiliar shade of blue, one of mixed emotions.
"You know that what she saw was no nightmare, ne?" questioned Raiden, his gaze shifting to his student. Xiu nodded, eyes still forward.
"What do you make of her vision, then?" asked the immortal.
Xiu looked over at him, taking a deep breath as he thought the question over. "I believe that my information a while ago was correct. Somehow, I have an incling that Yao'Xi'Liu is planning something. Something big. As for Xiao Lang and Jun Fan, I believe that the dark shadow was the darkness of the core, and the cloaked figures the guardians of the Dark half. As for everything else, your guess is as good as mine."
Nodding, the half-kami began heading from the dragon stables to the main temple at a lesurely pace. "Xiao Lang -or Syaoran as he is called now-and Jun Fan are in more danger than we realized." he stated shortly, "Unfortunately, it is now too late to do anything but pray that they are able to overcome."
Xiu nodded. His gaze darkened once again, saddening slightly, before he melted back into the shadows. Nearby, another shadow slipped away, leaving no trace.
*********
"Almost…there…"
The little girl stretched her arm as far as she could reach. In her small, yet tightly closed hand, she gripped the edge of a nest. Inside, three small nestlings peeped piteously. She adjusted her footing, leaning out precariously as she once again reached towards a branch of a nearby tree.
"There!"
Stepping back down, the little girl brushed her short black hair from her eyes. Due to her hair length, small strands would always escape the confines of her pigtails and fall into her eyes. Tied in both were two golden feathers, so bright that they seemed to glow with their own etherial light.
Looking around, she soon noticed the mother fly in, checking the nest to see if it was okay. "Don't worry!" chirruped the girl, "Your babies are fine!"
Surprisingly, the bird seemed to understand her. It even gave a small cheep of thanks before returning to the tiring job of feeding the small baby birds.
Smiling, the little girl turned away, only to be seized by a pair of black gloved hands. One clasped tightly over her mouth, she barely had time to try a scream and slight struggle before the flash of light came…
The birds looked at the spot where their rescuer had been a minute ago. The only evidence of any disturbance was a lone golden feather lying on the ground.
*********
^^That's it, minna! Onegai, review, as always! I'm sorry if this chapter was rather dull, but it was necissary to the plot. Also, tell me what an ideal chapter length would be, so I know how long to write it! Until next time, Ja ne!
ULT
Kensu's corner-
This time, they're all lawyer-related! Wai! Enjoy!
~
Q: How was the copper wire invernted?
A: Two lawyers fighting over a penny.
~
A lawyer and a physician were walking on the beach. They made a bet for 25 cents on who could hold their breath underwater the longest. The lawyer drowned.
~
Posted in the office of a lawyer:
"I'm going to prove you innocent, even if it takes every last penny you stole."
~
In 1996, The Firm overtook Jurassic Park as the most highly grossing movie of that year, thereby proving what everyone already suspected; lawyers are WAY scarier than dinosaurs.
~
A high-priced lawyer, a low-priced lawyer, and the toothfairy all sit around a table with 10 000 dollars in the centre. The lights go off, and when they come back on, the money is gone. Who took it?
Answer: The high-priced lawyer, because the low-priced lawyer and the toothfairy are both figments of your imagination.
~
A Jewish man, an Indian man, and a lawyer are all travelling together on a remote country road when their car breaks down. As nightfall is approaching, the three seek shelter for the night at a nearby farm. "Ok," says the farmer, "But I only have two beds. One of you will have to sleep in the stable."
"I will," says the Jew, "As a boy, I was always made to work in my father's stable. I am used to it." and he heads out to the stable.
However, ten minuted later, just as the household is preparing to settle down, there's a knock at the door. Opening, it reveals the Jew, who remarks, "I'm sorry, but you have a pig in your stable. it is against my religious laws to share the stable with a pig."
"Alright," answered the Indian man, "I will sleep in the stable." And he heads out.
However, another ten minutes pass, and there is a knock at the door. Opened, it reveals the Indian man. "I'm sorry, " he says, "but you have a cow in your stable. In my religion, cows are sacred, and I am forbidden to share your stable with it."
"Feh! You're all a bunch of sissies." says the lawyer bad-temperedly, "If you're going to be so silly about it, I guess I'll sleep in the stable." and he heads out.
However, another ten minutes pass, and there's a knock at the door. The farmer grumbles as he goes to open it, muttering something about not getting any sleep. Opened, it reveals the pig and the cow.
~
That's it for this time, minna! Onegai, if you have any good jokes, send them to me at sweet_sakura7@hotmail.com