Konnyanyaichiwa minna-san! Once again, I apologize for the long wait and present to you CHAPTER THIRTEEN! Hehe, the little contest is still on, for all of you that actually wish to participate. Also, if you haven't yet voted for your favourite original chara (meaning out of Shikoku, Asina, Kensu, Ryushi, Húmi, Jade, Atami, Yin, Jun Fan, Xiu, Miroku, etc.) onegai, do! As I said before, these will have effects on later events in the story! For those who asked, Sakura will have way more action later on, when they actually get to the Tournament Location…(you'll have to wait and see! Hehe) and I will feature her and some of the other chara who haven't really starred much, so that you can get an idea of each's personality, etc.
Arigatos: to pinkuser, Suga-chan and Tiana-chan, lil_charmed_one, SakuraJade, syrupjunkie, A Reader And A Fan, Rinny, Sakura Scout, Dusk-Magic13, Otaku-hime, Sukera, Shirahana (Whoa! 7 times! Hehe), Lenna, Nelly & Kyra, The Flower Child, Kat_chan01, Joseph and Clarissa Russel, Deedlit'sFlame, and Azeala! Sniffs WAIIIII! ARIGATO!
Dedication: To A Reader And A Fan and Kat_Chan01, whose reviews were some of the most encouraging and wonderful I've ever received! Arigato! I really feel like writing now! ~smiles~ To everyone who reviewed! I really appreciate it! To sensei, I hope that you can get through this difficult time for you soon! And to Marisol, who has been such a wonderful karate friend to me! (*Jurei-chan: Hehe, are you SURE about Colin? *Marisol: SHUT UP! *Jurei-chan: ~grins in very Eriol-like manner~ Hehehehehehehehe…) And to SakuraJade (It's really great to be able to discuss both MK and CCS! Onegai, keep going on your ficcies! They're soooo good!)
Disclaimer: ~sigh~once again, here's the admittance by me that I don't own CCS, DBZ DB, MK, Broken Sky, or anything else I might use in this ficcy. Mou, did I ever say I DID own them? Huh? It's not like I'm not making any money off this, anyway!
A man in a black suit with dark sunglasses appears out of the shadows. "That wasn't part of the original disclaimer," he says, his voice strangely deep and echoing.
Jurei looks at him with contempt, arms crossed over her chest. "Well, I decided to add that, k? I'm kinda sick of you people telling me how to do my disclaimers."
The man looks at her. She can see the blazing fire hidden by the sunglasses, however his expression remains neutral. "I suppose I will just have to follow my master's orders," he answers. He puts the glasses away in a pocket of his suit, rolling his sleeves up in a businesslike manner. Jurei-chan goes into fighting stance, hands in jukumai. Already, she can see the horns growing from his head and the dark red color of his eyes.
Suddenly, he attacks, fist flying towards the author. She dodges the attack and counters with one of her own, which is blocked. Leaping away from each other, the two face each other from across the room (which has oddly transformed into a traditional dojo).
The man smirks evilly, eyes flaming brightly. Jurei mirrors the look almost perfectly (minus the dark red eyes). She then stands up, almost as if bored. The suited man looks in surprise for a few moments, then glares determinedly. Moving with incredible speed, he charges at the girl, fists flaming with a strange rusty red-coloured energy. Jurei merely seems to disappear from the spot. Looking around puzzledly, the black-garbed minion doesn't see the attack coming from above until it's too late. Just at the last second, he jumps aside. Jurei-chan's attack missed finishing him off, but his arm is now badly injured.
The teenage girl smirks across at the minion, only to have her opponent laugh. Puzzled slightly, she is rewarded quickly when he seems to disappear from the spot. A fraction of a moment later, he attacks her from behind. The authoress flies across the room, landing on the floor. She lies there, not moving. The black-suited minion
"Now, I hope all wishes for descent are gone…" he says, eyes gleaming confidently. He reaches into his pocket and removes the sunglasses, putting them on again. Surprisingly, they're perfectly intact.
"KAMEHAME NO KIAI!"
The look of surprise remains fixed on the minion's face as a brilliant golden light tears into him. Mouth opened in a silent scream, he is completely engulfed by the energy. Moments later, there's nothing left of him but a smoking pair of sunglasses which clatter to the floor.
Jurei sighs, frustrated. "Arrrgh! Darn minions! EVERY time it's the same thing! Can't they ever come up with some original lines? Mou, cloning has DEFINITELY gone too far, as well with that genetic modifying stuff. Well, they keep forgetting that THIS IS MY FIC! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA-erm, excuse me. ~turns to readers~ you must think me crazy by now ~notes the stunned and scared look on their faces~ hehe, I guess I'll take that as a yes. Now, to the fic!
The Tournament (When Worlds Collide)
A Cardcaptor Sakura fanfiction by Jurei-chan
"I AM THE CHOSEN ONE!"
Immediately, the voices outside stopped completely. Syaoran stood, stunned, in the silence that followed. Now that the sounds from without were gone, the deathlike stillness was even more deathly silence was even more oppressive than it had been before. The young warrior stepped forward experimentally. Nothing happened.
'I guess that must have been some kind of obstacle to keep me from continuing,' he realized, eyes roaming the chamber in search of some kind of directional clue. Moving on, he began to head for the other side of the room. The floor below was oddly smooth, made of black marble.
As he neared the center of the room, two lights appeared out of nowhere, brightly illuminating two circular stone pillars; each about three feet high. In the moments that followed, the young fighter stood in stunned silence. The sudden change from dark to light took some getting used to. That was, of course, before he realized what was lying atop each.
'What?…Are they…?' he thought in shock.
Running forward towards the pillars, he was stopped when the ground began to rumble ominously. The two pillars shot up, rising out of the floor. Now, they were about fifteen feet high, clearly lifting both Kwaihu's sword and the Dark Dragon out of reach. Just when he began to try and think of a way to get to them, long black spikes shot out of the columns. Had he been any closer, he would have been skewered completely through. Syaoran's shock only lasted a few moments this time, interrupted by an ominously echoing and booming voice that rang through the chamber.
"You may only choose one."
The Chinese youth sighed in frustration. 'How am I supposed to choose?' he thought, completely divided, 'My father's sword, or the talisman?'
Once again, the voice that had saved him from the doubts came to him. Do as your father would have done in your position…
The amber eyes only closed for a moment, snapping open almost immediately. Wasting no time, he headed towards the pillar on the left.
As soon as his hand gripped the first spike, another spasm shook the chamber. The spikes began to shift and move, pulling in and out of the pillar. Not allowing this to discourage him, Syaoran began to make his way up the height towards his destination; The Dark Dragon. Holding onto the spikes tightly, he began to get a feel for when a spike was about to withdraw, and avoided those for the most part. It was the outcoming spikes that he had to watch out for.
Suddenly, the spike that he gripped in his right hand shot quickly out from his grip. Swinging dangerously out, the young warrior held on with his other hand, trying to find somewhere to grab on to. The spike that held him began to swing around, heading straight into one at an odd angle from the rest. With great certainty, the chestnut-haired teen realized what would happen if he couldn't find a way to avert his path.
Thinking quickly, he used the momentum of the aperture to jump. He seemed to slow in mid-air, flying for what felt like an endless moment before finally grabbing tightly onto a spike just above the one he had been heading towards. Wasting no time, he reached out and gripped another black barb that had just shot out, only to have it break off in his hand.
'Oh, great!' he thought, 'Now, I'm going to have to check anything I grip onto beforehand, waisting more time! They really didn't wait to make this easy for me, whoever arranged this.'
Seeing another opportunity, he tested the next spike to shoot out. Finding it strong enough, he transferred his body to it quickly, seconds before the one he had been holding onto withdrew quickly and without warning. Now a good fifteen feet above the ground, he didn't care to think of falling. In fact, he didn't even take the time to look down. It might have cost him his life.
Now only a few well-chosen holds from his destination, Syaoran began to feel exhilaration at the closeness to his goal. That is, before the black spike he held swung quickly to the other side of the column. The young warrior could do nothing but cling desperately while the jarring force from the stop almost shook him loose. Looking up, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a particularly sharp barb begin a heavy descent straight towards him.
********
For how heavily guarded the fortress of Arai was, it was surprisingly easy for the two escaped prisoners to get free without discovery. Before he even knew it, Jun Fan found himself outside the black tower and standing at the beginning of the stone roadway back towards the entry to the Core from the Lookout.
Despite freedom being so close, he and Yin continued to walk in the slow pace of the Guards until they rounded a corner and crouched below the rock pinnacle. Walking hunched over, the two hurried until they were far away enough for Yin to believe them safe from vision. The red-clad warrior would have argued the fact, but she seemed to know very well the inside of the fortress. What said she didn't know about their visual range too?
"Whew!" He said, removing the cowled robes, "How can they stand those things? They're so HOT!"
Yin pulled off her own robes. "I'd rather go through a few moments of hot and uncomfortable disguise than stay in those dungeons!" she stated, wiping her brow. Standing, she stretched her back muscles, seeming to relish the amount of space now available.
Jun Fan found himself staring at her. The brighter light of the outside Core world (well, brighter than the fortress, anyway) allowed him to see her in much better detail. The light of the fires heightened the way her costume hugged her curves, showing her well-toned and strong fighter's figure. The long cascade of purple hair fell behind her in a wave, the front fringes framing her still masked face. Her bright indigo eyes seemed to glow mysteriously above the violet cloth that hid her face. Suddenly, the young fighter found himself wanting to see her face…
'Huh? Where did that thought come from?' he thought to himself, 'I can't be…No, I've got other things to pay attention to, like where Syaoran is.'
"Umm…look-" he began, but the female warrior cut him off.
"So, where're you heading, now that you're out?" she asked. The question seemed a little too casual, as if she didn't wish to give the impression that she really wanted to know out of anything other than mild curiosity.
Jun Fan looked at her in slight surprise, then mulled the question over in his mind before answering her directly.
"Well, I should be heading to the Lookout, I guess, but I still need to find Syaoran-or what happened to him…" he said, looking at the distant pathway that wound a far ways before disappearing completely from view.
Yin looked at him, her face showing confusion.
"…Lookout? Syaoran?" she asked finally.
Jun Fan fell over, anime-style. In all the planning to escape and frantic events, he had never really introduced himself properly. The female warrior didn't have a clue of what was going on.
"Eheh…well…this might take a little explaining…" he said sheepishly, scratching the back of his head in embarrassment.
********
"CONCENTRATE!"
Sakura tried once again to focus her thoughts on the task at hand, but for some reason, her mind just wouldn't obey her. It kept drifting away, instead running to thoughts of the strange dream she couldn't remember, and a certain amber-eyed Chinese warrior presently away on a quest to retrieve the Dark Dragon-half of the Double Dragons talisman for the Side of Good.
'Nani?' she wondered, realizing the path her thoughts had chosen, 'Why am I thinking of him? Isn't Jun Fan…'
Suddenly, she found herself unable to move any part of herself, other than her head. Looking up, she saw Shikoku staring down at her, an irate expression on his face.
"Sakura, you're supposed to be learning how to release the element cards without a wand, not daydreaming about Kwaihu's son," he sighed, his voice showing impatience and annoyance. The female warrior realized that he must have used a binding attack on her while her thoughts drifted.
Sakura immediately blushed faintly, automatically beginning to stutter in her defense. The blue-eyed warrior merely raised a hand in order to stop her attempts.
"Save it, I know that look on your face all too well," he said, sighing in frustration, "If I let you dream for a while, then will you promise to get to work?"
"S-Shikoku! I-" Sakura began, but the senior interrupted her again.
"Look," he said, giving the younger fighter a gentler look as he ran a hand through his brown bangs, "this is really important. You need to learn this before we leave for the island, okay? Syaoran is also doing something that's very important to us and out Side, but you can't worry about him so much if it means depriving yourself of concentration and training, which is your responsibility. Wakari-masu?"
Sakura nodded, her determination renewed. "Hai, wakari-masu!" she replied, her expression turning serious once again. She had been so busy with the newness of the Lookout and all that it meant that she had forgotten her promise to avenge her mother's death. The thought of Scorpion stirred back into life the internal fire that had gone dormant ever since her arrival. Shikoku smiled slightly and removed the binding energy, drawing it back within himself. (if you read Shikoku's profile on the website, you'll see that he has the ability to draw his energy back and use it again)
"Now, once more. Ichi…ni…san!"
Sakura narrowed her eyes at the target, jade fire within them burning with an almost unbelievable intensity. Her body tensed like a coiled spring, muscles tightly clenched. Slowly, she placed the heel of her hands against each other, gathering the energy between them. She could feel the power building within, a strange feeling spreading through her body that seemed to consume everything in its path. Gathering as much as she could stand, the young Japanese fighter gripped the energy for a while longer before projecting it out in the way she had been taught.
"Grant me your powers…NOW! FIERY! RELEASE!"
Shikoku's eyes widened slightly when the flash of light was gone. There was absolutely no evidence of there ever having BEEN a target in the first place, only a scorched black crater where it had stood moments before.
"Sugoi! You're getting it, Sakura-chan!" he cried, jumping up happily, "Way to go!…Now, you only really need to find a way to stop destroying Raiden-sama's Training Room floor, and he'll be happy as Kensu on sugar."
Sakura stood in her fighting stance, breathing hard. The amount of focus and magical channeling that was needed drained her completely, but it was getting easier every day. Turning to her senior, she smiled tiredly.
"Hai, I finally got it. Won't the others be happy when I…tell…zzzzzzzzzzz."
Shikoku sweatdropped before catching the young girl. 'Well, I guess we have been training for a long time, ne?' he thought to himself, looking down at the figure he held. Hoisting her up higher, he began to make his way towards the girl's sleeping quarters.
He was just walking through the main doorway that led from the training room to one of the many hallways when he heared sounds coming from a smaller room off to the side. Curious, he made his way towards it and opened the door a small crack, peeking inside.
"Atami, GET SERIOUS!" yelled Jade, looking at the youth with a focused frown, "We're supposed to be fighting, remember?"
The male fighter opposite her gave an infuriating grin and shook his dark gold bangs out of his face. (Hai, I decided to change his hair color, as there's already quite a few people with brown hair) "But, violence is no way to settle an argument!" he mocked, looking for all the world like one of those sage old monks who sits in his monastery which is strangely, yet conveniently set at the top of a mountain which is just as infuriating to climb as trying to make sense out of the cleverly thought out-yet muddled beyond belief riddles he gives you.
Jade grimaced. "Mou, do you always have to be so annoying?" she asked, giving him a vexing glare. 'I wonder how in the seven worlds He ever got chosen to fight for the Side of Good if he never even trains…Doesn't he know how dangerous this is going to be? Well…this is Atami we're talking about…'
Atami's grin spread wider. "Of course!" he answered, "I thought that was what made me 'irresistible beyond belief' to you back home! It's what makes me, oh…what's that term you so liberally use…'kawaii', ne?" Following this statement, he put on what he considered to be his most adorable face, looking exactly like a cute kitten that- (*Atami: I like puppies better! *Jurei-chan: FINE! Alright already! And aren't I the one writing the fic?) -looking exactly like a cute little puppy-dog with adorably big eyes.
The Chinese girl shook her head slowly, sighing. "Okay, okay, you win. Now, can we please get back to training?"
The youth's expression turned gentle and loving. "Anything for you, kirei no hana."
"And quit it with the pet names, already! Mou, you know you don't need to suck up!"
"Hai, Jade no tenshi!"
~groan~
Shikoku watched in amusement as the two continued back and forth, mostly with Jade commanding, begging, pleading, and beseeching with the Japanese boy to get serious, and with him turning her every attempt away cleverly. Shikoku knew that Atami did all this for two reasons: to tease his girlfriend, and to avoid training. Despite being a pretty strong warrior, he really didn't seem to enjoy fighting.
"-Speaking of pet names, did you know they started back in the second century when-"
"Stop it! What did I tell you about lies, Atami?"
Shikoku continued his path towards the sleeping quarters, the arguments between the two getting fainter as he got further and further away. Turning a corner, he was almost back at the sleeping quarters when he was again interrupted by something, but this time not so easy on his patience. An annoyingly familiar voice suddenly broke through the semi-quiet that had devealoped, shattering it so sharply that Shikoku flinched noticeably.
"HEY, BOSS-MAN!"
Shikoku groaned. 'Not now, onegai, kami-sama, anyone but him! Even Scorpion…' he prayed, squeezing his eyes shut tightly.
Kensu bounced up happily, his green spiky hair becoming even more messy-looking. Openly displayed on his face was a careless grin that certainly made him look at least slightly deranged.
Shikoku continued walking, still praying with his eyes screwed shut. The green-haired G.R.E.E.N.D.O.T.S (remember? Hehe, I don't really remember what it stands for) for the Side of Good watched in slight confusion as the older youth completely ignored him.
"Yo, Boss-man, is something- WATCH OUT!"
'Oh yeah,' thought Shikoku, 'As if I'm gonna fall for that-'
~BONK~
Kensu shook his head sadly. "I told ya…" he sighed, looking down at the stunned warrior, then the wall that he had walked in to, "Now I just hope the wall will survive! Imagine where we'd be if you kept walking into walls all the time?" Somehow, his voice seemed decidedly casual, as if he was trying to hide something.
Shikoku shook off the effects of the collision with surprising speed. "What did you do this time?" he asked tiredly, an annoyed expression on his face, "Let's just hope for your sake it has nothing to do with either the kitchen or Húmi's underwear drawer this time…"
Kensu laughed nervously. "Eheh…no! Of course not! Whatever gave you that idea? Maybe you should take a little vacation for-"
"…or my private lab…" continued the elder fighter, voice dropping to a dangerous tone.
"-A… couple… months... AnywayIbettergetgoingseeyaandtellRyushiitwasnothingpersonalandthatheshouldbeabletofinditallinanhourorsobyeeeee!"
And there was a dust cloud where Kensu had been and a small figure in the distance running as far away as he could manage to get.
Shikoku stood there, stunned, for a few moments before the last part finally dawned on him.
"My…PRIVATE…LAB! COME BACK HERE YOU LITTLE FERRET! I'M PERSONALLY GOING TO BREAK YOU INTO A THOUSAND-"
Looking down, he realized that he was yelling and that Sakura was still lying on the ground where he had dropped her when running into the wall. Checking to make sure that she was still asleep and not in a coma as a result of his little…run-in, he walked the last little distance and finally made it to the Girls Sleeping Quarters.
"Now where is her-ah! There it is! Heh-couldn't really have missed it." He said quietly to himself, crossing the room and depositing the young female warrior on her bed. It was obviously Sakura's. Húmi's was covered in an orange-red blanket with pictures of little dragons all over it, Asina's was lilac with a well-painted picture on the wall of her family (who could ever miss Kensu's hair?) and Jade's had a small stand next to it with a picture of her and Atami, as well as some Martial Arts books. The only other bed in the room was empty, without any blankets or anything, and situated next to the Medicinal Chest.
'Even after all that, she's still asleep? She must be really worn out…' he thought, casting a quick glance at the slumbering girl.
The fighter wondered for a few moments at the empty bed before heading out of the room and towards his Private Lab to discover the damage that Kensu had instilled.
********
"So that's why you're in the Core world? Well, I guess it makes everything seem more logical and makes you look less like a maniac," stated Yin, nodding her head slightly.
"Hey!"
The female warrior dismissed the outraged expression with a careless wave of her hand. "What I meant is that the Core world isn't somewhere you would go for no reason, unless you were crazy. It's just not a smart thing to do, unless you've lived here most of your life, like me."
Jun Fan looked at her with interest. "You've lived here your whole life?" he asked, expression slightly curious, "How did you end up in Arai, then?"
Yin's expression became distant. "Well, I guess it's only fair I tell you about me now," she said, sighing softly.
~*Flashback*~
A younger Yin bowed respectfully before a figure on a black throne. The black-robed shape spoke, voice echoing loudly throughout the room, sending shivers up the spines of those present.
"Your assignment is to escort the newfound trespasser of the fifth world to the Kublaichira's Pit," the voice hissed, spreading through the shadows with strange assimilation.
Yin bowed again, then slipped back into the shadows like a spot of black night rejoining the main mass. Her black robes made it easy, seeming to adjust to the inky blackness like some living thing that thrived on the absence of light.
********
The door opened slowly as two cowled people prepared to fulfill their assignment. Yin fidgeted slightly within her robes. Something gave her a strange feeling of discomfort. Something was wrong…
A small figure walked slowly out into the dim light of the corridor. The female fighter could barely hide her surprise. The "trespasser" was a five-year-old girl with greenish-blue hair like most Fifth-Worlders, tied in pigtails. Her eyes were full of fear, but a strange determination burned there too. As the three began the walk to the Pit, Yin couldn't help but feel sorry for the child. She surely couldn't have known what she was doing when she crossed over; it was suicide walking directly through a Core portal with no protection…
The Pit seemed to sense her apprehension, because they got there almost too quickly for any normal escort. The feeling got more intense as they came closer; Yin could feel its impatience to claim the innocent life she held in her custody.
Suddenly, without really knowing what she was doing, the warrior attacked the other figure. Firing a quick blast of purple energy, Yin finished the minion off quickly before turning to the girl. "Go!" she hissed urgently, still only half aware of her actions, "If you follow this passage straight to the end, you'll find a door. Through that, and straight on outside, you'll get to the Fifth World portal. Hurry! They'll be here in a little while!"
The girl smiled at Yin happily before turning and running down the passage. "Truwh Ayshni! Aurishwthruktweuq!" she called back through the gloom, her small voice fierce with determination. (*Jurei-chan: For those who don't speak Fifth World Grujuqin dialect, that's "Thank you! You have my life debt! –or "I am indebted to you")
Yin smiled slightly as she watched the small form fade away into the dimly lit corridor. With a strange feeling that she had never experienced before spreading through her body, she suddenly came to her senses. Despite experiencing the unusual warmth and gladness, she knew she had to do something to save herself. Laying down on the ground quickly, she pretended to have been knocked out.
Moments later, she was dragged before the Shadow Kami and sentenced to the dungeons for incompetence. It was pure luck that saved her from the Kublaichira Pit.
~*End Flashback*~
Jun Fan looked at Yin with slight shock. Now he understood why she knew the fortress so well, but with the discovery came the new confusion and slightly frightening thought. Yin had been an Arai Fortress guard… "…that was a long time ago," the female warrior was saying in the meantime, but the red-clad youth was only listening partly. Until, that is, he heared her whisper something softly to herself. "Huh? Nani?" he asked quietly, eyes downcast. Yin turned to look at him, her deep indigo eyes bearing into his strongly. "I was the only human guard to ever survive in that fortress," she said quietly, "before that, I was a little kid wandering around the Core, trying to escape them at every turn. That's the only reason they considered me for a guard when they did manage to catch me, because I was strong enough to elude them for so long. I guess I acted like that because I was virtually raised that way in there. I'm not a guard anymore, so you don't have to think of me as one." The male fighter was slightly surprised for a moment before he relaxed a bit. It astonished him that she was able to pick up on his emotions so easily. 'It's almost like she can read my mind,' he thought to himself. Yin grinned roguishly. "No, I can't read your mind. You're like an open book compared to the minions in there," she explained, grin widening. Jun Fan shook his head slowly in shock. 'I'll have to be careful from now on,' he thought to himself, looking at his new companion with growing admiration. Then, something hit him. "Why do you wear the mask?" he asked curiously, reaching up a couple fingers as if to touch the cloth. Yin flinched noticeably. "I-It's…nothing really…" she avoided, not meeting his eyes. Frowning critically, he studied her. Long, silky, purple hair…tight-fitting fighter's uniform…thigh-height leather boots…face… No, she wasn't telling the truth, he decided. "Well, how about we formulate some plan to find out where your friend is," she said before he could say anything further on the matter, "Syaoran is going to need help…if he hasn't been fed to the Kublaichira yet, that is. Or if the Shadow Kami hasn't ordered for him to be brought into the throne room for the Judgement , cause then he'll be dead before we can do anything. Or-" "Mou, proper little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" teased Jun Fan, getting a grin from her in return, "Well, anyway, there's nothing wrong with trying. Do you have any ideas?" Expression becoming more serious, Yin turned away from the warrior. She had just noticed how close she and Jun Fan were standing, and she thanked her mask for hiding her light blush. (*Jurei-chan: If you don't really understand, Yin's mask covers her mouth area and cheeks to about the middle of her nose. How can she grin and stuff with the mask, you ask? As I've kinda specified, she's got very expressive eyes.) "Well…one," she said slowly, looking up, "But it'll be risky. I wish I could come up with something else in the little time we have…" It was Jun Fan's turn to grin roguishly. "As long as it'll work, I'm happy," he said, "Anyway, I'm used to doing risky things. That's all I've done for the last few weeks!" Yin laughed lightly, and Jun Fan found himself drawn to the sound. It seemed to make everything less serious and threatening, and he wished he'd get to hear it more…"Ack!" he caught himself thinking again, and promptly began to hit himself a couple times in order to "straighten" the path of his thoughts. "Jun Fan? Daijobu?" asked Yin worriedly, her face coming close to his as she felt his head. Jun Fan blushed quickly before turning away. "Hai, I'm fine," he said, eyes concentrating on the ground, "Let's get on with it. What's your plan?" Yin looked at him, still worried. "Okay…if you're sure," she said. 'Why am I so worried?' she asked herself mentally, 'This isn't like me at all…' "This is what we should do." ******** Syaoran's eyes widened as the spike began it's heavy descent towards him. Time seemed to slow, and everything else seemed to fade into oblivion. He tried to avoid it, but his body just wouldn't obey his commands. He was completely frozen and helpless. Suddenly, however, something seemed to take control of his body. The Chinese youth felt as if someone was guiding his actions, and he was merely watching. His body swung out, letting go of the spike as he flipped up past the would-be danger and onto the top of the platform. 'Wow. How the heck did I do that?' he asked himself, but could come up with no explanation. Finally turning away from the edge he had been looking off, he reached out a few tentative fingers and carefully gripped the Dark Dragon in his hand. The metal was cool and soothing against his slightly agitated palm and he tightened his fingers around the talisman with renewed confidence. Finally, he had in his possession what he had been searching for. The column gave a sudden shake and he tried to balance himself as the spikes withdrew and the two pillars rushed quickly down to their previous position. Looking down at the floor in surprise, he found he couldn't even tell that there had been anything different. Realizing something quickly, he sprang across to the floor opposite and picked up his father's sword from where it lay. Strapping it to his back quickly, he looked around the room with slight apprehension. There was the feeling that he wasn't alone again… "Why do you seek the Dark Dragon?" The voice echoed through the room in an oddly familiar way. It was a low hiss, one that seemed to assimilate with the shadows easily. Syaoran's heart pounded in apprehension as he looked around anxiously. The torches that illuminated the walls flared brighter, and he could see the room more clearly. Ahead of him was a stone pool like the one Raiden used to look into the worlds, and a hulking figure shrouded in shadow. The Chinese warrior realized it to be a massive stone throne, empty at the moment. No, there was something sitting there. Being completely shrouded in black robes and cowl covering the face completely from view, it wasn't surprising that the youth hadn't seen it right away. The form stood up, and Syaoran followed it with his eyes. Besides that, he was completely immobile. Moving slowly, the massive form was over eight feet tall and the young Chinese boy didn't think it was all an illusion either. "What do you intend to do with the powers of the Dark Dragon?" the voice came again, and he realized that it was coming from the black-clad form. "……Who are you?" asked Syaoran after a moment's pause. He couldn't help but feel as if the creature opposite him was extremely dangerous, despite not having attacked him yet. There was the sharp sound of what must have been laughter echoing through the chamber. "Me? Why do you ask? You did come searching through my World, did you not? Surely you were warned beforehand?" The fighter gulped slightly before answering. "You-You're one of the Shadow Kami," he stated with more confidence than he felt. He wished like crazy that he was wrong. "Smart. But not quite as bright as I expected. I am not one of the Shadow Kami," Syaoran felt himself relax slightly at this, but tensed immediately at what was said next. "I am THE ONLY Shadow Kami," said the figure, the sound echoing more harshly than before. The young Chinese warrior watched with tense apprehension as the Shadow Kami came closer, finally circling him in the same, measured pace. "But you still have not answered my question, Why do you seek my Dark Treasure?" Gripping on his emotions and the hilt of Kwaihu's Sword, Syaoran readied himself for defense as he answered quietly. "I am here to retrieve the Dark Dragon for Raiden and the Side of Good and to use it's powers, combined with that of the other half in the upcoming Shaolin Worlds Combat Tournament," he stated, still not betraying the fear he felt, "One of the fighters of the Side of Good possesses the Light half, and uniting the talisman once again is the only hope we have of defeating the side of Evil and saving the Earth World." To his surprise, the Shadow Kami seemed to show slight interest. The cowled head came closer as if examining the warrior. "Tell me of this Tournament," it said, voice more interested and less harsh than before. Syaoran's gaze followed the figure as it continued to circle him. "Well, it's the fight between the sides of Good and Evil for permanent control of Earth," he explained, "It was conceived by the Elder Kami over the Worlds and this one is a tie breaker for the Tournament ten years ago where my father and Shang Tsun both killed each other at the same time…" "Hmmmm," said the Shadow Kami, and by it's tone, the young warrior could tell it was just toying, "What causes you to think I would give up my treasure to your side? Wouldn't it be more logical for me to give it to this Side of Evil, seeing as we both thrive in the darkness and glory in it's tributes, like death and conformity?" Syaoran was ready. "Thriving in the darkness doesn't necessarily mean you are Evil," he pointed out, "You and they aren't one and the same." "Very good," hissed the Shadow Kami, "Not many can make that assimilation. I am quite surprised that one as young as you has realized that fact. Tell me of your father." "Well…" began the Chinese boy slowly, "He was one of the greatest fighters in the Seven Worlds and fought bravely to protect his family. I was merely six years old at the time, but remember him as an honourable and proud man…" "Kwaihu Li…I remember his name being uttered a couple times by the few travelers to every have passed through this world as an exchange for outside information. And he died ten years ago…" Syaoran wondered for a moment at how the Shadow Kami knew his father's name, but didn't mention it. Talking about his father had awakened the possibility of all the people he could lose, and the feeling was like a sour flavour in his mouth. "If you relish in death then," he said, voice bitter, "You would feel kinship to the Tournament. After all, that's what it's about…death, and losing those we care for…" "Mortal men and women defending your own World?" interrupted the Shadow Kami, voice critical, "Hmm…It doesn't seem as if this Tournament is really what you think it to be. From what I gather, it is not about death, but life…" Syaoran looked up in surprise. For the first time, it had actually sounded like the Shadow Kami was serious, and not merely toying. "Well," he said finally, sighing slightly, "I'm ready for your decision. Are you going to kill me, keep me prisoner, or set me free?" Once again, the Shadow Kami laughed. "I see many properties in you which would be a shame to destroy," it said evenly, yet not with much emotion, "Few have asked me for my judgement with such courage and fearlessness. You, Syaoran Li, make me curious. I will let you go and take the Dark Dragon to your leader." A stunned expression was blatantly obvious on the youth's face. He had never expected that the Shadow Kami would willingly give him the talisman half! He had naturally thought that it would wish to keep the power held in the Dark Dragon and not want to part with it so easily. "Do not look so surprised," it said, hissing quietly, "The Dark Dragon is not as much use to me as you might think it. Just as the Light Dragon doesn't endow enormous powers to it's current holder, the Dark Dragon gives me no such power either. The talisman is only really powerful when completed. I am curious to see this power, so I will allow you to take this half and join it with that which the young girl Sakura holds. " Syaoran nodded in understanding. It made sense; the reason why the Side of Evil had never tried to get the talisman from Sakura was because they never thought the Shadow Kami would give up the other half, rendering it useless. "Before I ask you to leave," said the Shadow Kami, "I tell you this. I have let you live, but never believe I will hesitate to kill you if you ever wander back into my World. This time, you were lucky. I don't approve of descention and betrayal, so I tell you that one of your own has betrayed you, sold you out to the Side of Evil. Beware what you say loosely and use this information well." The Chinese warrior bowed quickly and turned to leave, but stopped. "Your companion has left Arai already," said the Shadow Kami, before he could even ask anything, "The two wait outside. Follow the corridor without to the end and you will find a door through which you leave. I allow you safe passage, but only back to your Entrance door.Now go!" Syaoran bowed once again and went quickly through the door. He virtually ran through the corridor and was walking through the door at the end in what seemed like the blink of an eye. One thought ran through his head, however, as he went. 'What did he mean by the two?' The Shadow Kami watched him leave with almost unhidden amusement. Moments later, another hissing voice filled the chamber. "Are you certain it was wise it leave the Dark Treasure in the hands of a child?" Cloaked forms appeared from every dark area of the walls. All were identical to the Shadow Kami. In the dark areas, it could now be seen that each held an enormous black throne. "I have confidence in my decision," it replied, "I am quite interested to see how this will continue…" ******** "Syaoran! Am I glad to see you!" came a very familiar voice. "Jun Fan! Hey! What are you doing here?" the Chinese warrior asked, smiling. Somehow, he didn't seem to feel so strongly against the other Chinese youth after the ordeal. Jun Fan smiled. "Rescuing you," he said in mock seriousness, "What else? Anyway, how'd you get out?" "You wouldn't believe me if I told you…" said Syaoran, sighing, "I'm actually not too sure myself how it all happened. I'll tell you one thing, thought, there were quite a few times where I thought I was a goner. That place is a freaking death trap! How about you? How did you escape?" The red-clad fighter paused and turned around, whistling long and low. Moments later, a slight girl with purple hair and deep indigo eyes was standing next to him apprehensively. "Syaoran, meet Yin. She's the one that got me out of there." He said simply. Syaoran extending his hand in a sign of friendship. "Dozo yoroshiku. I'm Syaoran Li." Yin stared for a minute before answering. "Syaoran LI? As in, son of Kwaihu, ne? Wow! Jun Fan never told me you were Kwaihu's son!" Jun Fan felt a small flare of anger at the amount of attention Yin was giving Syaoran, but then dismissed it quickly as his imagination. "Well, we should get going," he said, "The faster we go, the safer we'll be." "Definitely! Let's go!" said Yin enthusiastically. The two Chinese fighters looked at her with slight surprise. "Uhh…you're sure you want to come with us?" asked Syaoran carefully, "we're going back to the Lookout, and the Tournament after that. It could be dangerous." Yin laughed carelessly. "You don't have to worry about me! I know what I'm getting into." The two guys merely shook their heads slowly and followed Yin as she began to skip ahead of them. They did notice, however, that she wasn't heading in the same direction they had come. "Hey! Are you sure you know where you're going? Isn't the doorway that way?" asked Jun Fan, looking at her with surprise. The Core fighter winked flirtatiously. "Nope! That's the long way of getting there! Part of the magic portecting the Core switches things around, so if you want to go back, you have to head in the opposite direction." Syaoran nodded in understanding. It really was a lucky thing that Jun Fan had gotten thrown in the same cell as Yin, or they might never have gotten out of there. After travelling for a good while, the Earth warriors came to two conclusions. One, the Core World was definitely much bigger than they had throught, and two…Yin must have been high or something. She skipped, whistled, hummed, and even turned a couple cartwheels as they proceeded to wander toward the doorway. She seemed to be a completely different person from the serious warrior Jun Fan had met at Arai. "Hey! Yin! What's that?" asked Syaoran curiously, pointing to something in the distance. The happy fighter turned to look in the direction he pointed, eyes narrowing slightly. "That dark spot? That's the start of the Narrows and the Sea of Absence. Take my advice, you never want to go there. It's the virtual lawless pit of the Worlds, where everything that's banished from the Core and other Worlds goes." The three continued on, but the young fighter found his eyes continue to stray towards the darkness. Something told him that it wasn't going to be the last time he laid eyes on it. ******** "Raiden-sama! They're back!" Raiden looked up from the scene of the Worlds as Xiu came running out onto the balcony. It was obvious that the warrior was extremely relieved and happy, though it might not have been entirely for obvious reasons. "Have them come to see me as soon as possible," he replied, "I have a feeling that they have something to tell me that is of great importance." Xiu bowed quickly, and rushed off. He was actually smiling, and his ice blue eyes were their warm color. Raiden turned back to surveying the Worlds, his smile becoming slightly sad. "Yes, I know that they have learned something important, and I feel that it will not be something I wish to hear." ******** ^^Yeah! Wai! That's the longest chapter I've written so far! Ohohohohohohohohohoho! Next time comes the Island and the beginning of the Tournament…well, maybe. Onegai, ONEGAI ONEGAI REVIEW! It really makes my day, and I like to know what you think! Well, that's all for now! Ja ne till next time, minna-san! Wai! ~Jurei-chan ULT Kensu's Corner (Joke of the Chapter) Not many this time, minna! I'm kinda running out, so if you know any, ONEGAI SEND THEM TO ME! Wai! ^^ Remember, I'm a Catholic and Latin American, so onegai, don't take offense, k? I believe in God as much as the rest of us, and I believe that he must have a sense of humor. ~* From one of the Top Ten things that piss me off list…(a friend of my brother's made this) ~Some people say, "Well, you just want to have your piece of cake and eat it too, ne?" Well, duh! What am I supposed to do? Let it rot? Eat someone else's piece of cake? Sheesh… ~People that turn to you in a theatre and ask, "Did you see that?" No, I paid eight fifty to come and stare at the ceiling! Mou, people, honestly! ~* Before God sent Jesus down to Earth, he gave him a choice. He told him, "You can either die by the cross, or die by bees." Jesus chose the cross, and that's why Catholics make the sign of the cross when praying and not the sign of swatting away bees. ~* The Americans devealoped a special cannon for firing chickens at airplane windshields, in order to test their resistance against impact by birds. The Galithians heared about it, and expressed interest in it. They had a superfast train that they wished to test, and so asked the Americans to send them the cannon. Weeks later, the cannon arrived. Full of excitement, the Galithians loaded the cannon and had a huge exhibition before taking aim and firing the machine. To their surprise, the chicken went straight through the windshield, destroyed most of the interior, whizzed through the many compartments, and flew through the back of the train. Shocked beyond belief, the Galithians sent a letter to the American devealopers and told them what had happened, along with many reports and notes tjhat had been taken after the incident. About a week later, they received a very short, dry e-mail in return with these words. "DEFROST THE CHICKEN FIRST!" ~* That's it for this edition! Onegai, SEND ME JOKES YOU HAVE FOUND FUNNY! Wai! I'll definitely post them, unless if they're EXTREMELY offensive or inappropriate. The Asina Counterpart –recommended Fanfictions of Fanfiction.Net Waii! I'm so glad you all liked this! I'll definitely continue! Arigato! The Power of Two Hearts Author: KayJuli Genre: Romance/Action/Adventure Well, you ask for an original story with S+S and action? This is definitely one of the better stories on the Net at the moment! I started reading it, and just couldn't stop! Also, until recently, KayJuli updated very often with nice, long chapters. Unlike the majority of the prophecy stories written, this one isn't monotonous and is just chock full of original ideas and both obvious and subtle differences. I really recommend it, and I hope that it's updated soon, cause I'm really on the edge of my seat on this one! I like how Touya is one of the bad guys, but not bad, and how Syaoran is the leader of the Resistance…well, I'll let you find out for yourselves! Wai! A MUST READ! J-chan gives it: **********/10 Bachelor Number…Who? Author: LiLDraGoNGuRL28 Genre: Romance Hehe, this is really a cute one! The story is that Syaoran works for a dating service. And, wouldn't you know it, Sakura comes to meet someone there after her boyfriend cheated on her and broke her heart. Now, of course, the Little Wolf is pretty torn, having to arrange dates for her when he really likes her…I'm definitely enjoying reading this one! Chapters are medium length, but satisfying. Surprisingly, Touya doen't hate Syaoran because after Sakura's old boyfriend, anyone's better! A little E+T too! Wai! KAWAII! J-chan gives it: *********/10 Yoake no Dakiau, Mayonaka no Kiken Author: Enchantress101 Genre: Romance/???? Well, this one definitely starts differently! What? Syaoran, accused of Sakura's attempted murder? Hmmm…no, he wouldn't hurt her, ne? Well, everyone (including Tomoyo) doesn't seem agree. Despite a dark start, however, this fic isn't all like that. Afterwards, it's more to the Romance side with slight bits of Waff. For those who enjoy reading fics where Eriol is as devilish as ever. Pretty good, if you ask me! J-chan gives it: ********.5/10 Exchange Student Author: Fuyu no Iki Genre: Romance/Fantasy (slight humor) A CCS/HP crossover. No! Don't look like that! This one isn't like the rest! Sakura becomes an exchange student to Hogwarts and becomes friends with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The reason for going, however, is that she was supposed to meet someone when collecting the Clow Cards back in Japan, but he never showed up. Eriol believes that she might meet them at Hogwarts. Unlike the rest of the CCS/HP crossovers, however, Sakura meets a Slytherin unlike any other…a certain Chinese exchange student by the name of Syaoran Li… Unfortunately, this ficcy's only at chapter two. I can tell, however, that this won't be a waste of time! Hehe J-chan gives it: *********/10 Anyway, I hope you take a look at these ficcies and review for the authors! I'm sure they'll really appreciate it! Ja ne till next time minna! Wai! Ja ne! ~Jurei-chan P.S: remember to visit my website at http://www.angelfire.com/anime3/shotojurei/ and to sign the guestbook! If you have experience with HTML, I wouldn't mind some help with managing the site either. Some parts are still under heavy construction. Right now, the part which I'm working the most on is the Soundtrack for "The Tournament" Wai! ^^ Ja!