Card Captors: A New Beginning
By "Grand Master Shoma"
Episode 6: TRIP!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the anime, or anything doing with the anime. But I do own this story, so don't steal it.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sorry, I haven't typed my solo story in a while.
Now, where were we?
Oh yes... Ryuko and Terry just captured the Fly Card.
Wholesome.
Okay, let's just get this started.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
A stressful couple of months.
Near the start of school, I discover the Sakura Cards and I get Earthy. A few weeks pass, and we encounter Fight. Shortly after was the Sweet Card. A little passed November, Bubbles came. And right even before December was Fly.
Christmas was alright, considering that Meilin found an apartment and a job. Without Meilin in the house, things seem empty. But, I guess it's the best for Meilin. I wasn't quite sure if the Sakura Cards cared about Christmas, but, that's another story.
Then came the New Year. It's the start of school on Monday, and the year: 2030.
-------------------
I shudder as I walk home with Terry as we come out of school. I call this, the beginning of another endless grind. Brisk snow fell as Terry and I were walking past some of the Downtown district. I shudder, for it is freakin' cold outside.
"Hey Ryuko, I was wondering something." Terry asked me, whilst looking at the sky.
"What?"
"Well, what would happen if we just let the Sakura Cards roam free?"
I was pondering that point. Then I told him. "Earthy told me one night: if the Sakura Cards were to remain free, their power would increase over time. The more power gained, the more wilder they become. The most dangerous ones are the Element cards: Firey, Watery, Windy, and Earthy. If these cards become wild, they will create extraordinary phenomenon."
"Really now!?"
"Yes. Since Earthy is mine, she can't pose any threats. But since she's the weakest of the Element cards, the other three are more powerful. Floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, wildfires. We cannot let these cards become stronger. And furthermore..." I couldn't find Terry. "Daidouji-san! Where are you, baka!?"
I should've guessed. He was looking at the 'Happy Shop'. I don't even know how that store even got through the underbelly of our fair city, but, it got there. I saw specifically what that baka Terry was looking at. Something called 'Happy Charms'.
"Daidouji-san! Don't you start with me!" I yelled as I caught up to him. "You know those type of things are worthless."
I'll tell you this now: Terry is one of those people who'll buy anything that is remotely considered, well, crap.
"Come on, Ryuko! I wanna go inside."
"I'm not going inNNNN!!!!" I was dragged inside by Terry. I felt like kicking myself.
In the store, the colors on the walls made a bland attempt to make people feel like the name of the #1 useless product here (well, to me anyway): happy. It did a good job actually, but then faded again when I saw Terry getting closer to the Happy Charms.
Baka, I mutter to myself.
"Hey Ryuko, look at the engraving on this one." Terry was calling me from the stall that held the Happy Charms. I heard on the back of a Happy Charm, it has a different saying or fortune or proverb or whatever. I don't believe those stupid fortunes for one second.
Yet I believe in the Sakura Cards? Well, at least they're real.
"It says," Terry was getting a closer look at it. " 'May life bring much happiness to you, an aspiring youth, filled with dreams that will come true.' "
"It sounds like an author who once made a unique fairy tale, then threw up on his creation. I think those things are total @#$%!"
Pinching the bridge of his nose in a disgusted tone, he simply said in a cold tone. "Sometimes, I hate you, Ryuko."
"And I to you, Daidouji-san." I replied back. "Now, are you gonna buy that crap or not?"
He went with his gut instincts and went over to the cashier with his Charm. I was to follow, but when one Charm caught my eye, I couldn't resist. I had to look at what this stupid Charm had to say.
"Hmm... It says, 'You will need to travel in the near future. Your destiny will await you if you get away. Capture the Sakura Cards, Li Kinomoto Ryuko.' "
Now, I was freakin' worried. What did this mean? What was it trying to say? Was this from some kind of entity? I had to buy this.
As I grabbed the Charm off the stall and went up to the cashier, Terry started getting angry at me. "Wow, you're a real 'Captain Hypocrite'."
"Shut up, Daidouji-san."
"Young man," the cashier looked down at me, with a respective tone in her voice, a voluptuous young body to balance, snow-white skin and sexy black stockings on her curvaceous legs. (why I am saying this, I don't know) "did you know that you could try to win?"
I, was confused.
"Win what?"
"Win a trip for 4 to Miami with every Happy Charm you buy."
"Hmm... sure, I'll have a go." I paid the cashier, and she then showed me to a bin that was the size of up to my waist, and on the top, was a small hole. There was a chart on the side, that said what you would win with a certain color of a ball:
White Ball: Package of Towels [Ratio; 1:2]
Blue Ball: 3-Box Package of EternaPure© Soap [Ratio; 1:3]
Red Ball: 30-Inch Big-Screen TV from NeoSony© [Ratio; 1:25] (that's damn good)
Gold Ball: Trip for 4 to Miami [Ratio; 1:50]
"Now," the cashier happily spoke, "Reach your hand inside it, and pull out a winner!"
I stick my hand inside, and a feeling came over me: why do I feel dirty? But I just might feel lucky, and get the TV.
I pulled my hand out, and in my hand was... no way... a gold ball!
"Kid, you just won the grand contest!"
"Alright, I guess."
-------------------
"Ryuko, there's something I don't understand."
"What is it this time, Terry?"
"Well, WHY did you get a Charm yourself if you were ranting on about how crappy they are?"
"Well, that's all well and true, baka. Read my Charm." I handed him my Charm.
He was reading it to himself, which was quite hearable. " 'You will need to travel in the near future. Your destiny will await you if you get away. Capture the Sakura Cards...' Wow, that is new."
"Now that I won that contest, something comes to me." I grasp my chin as I go in thought. "Was I meant to win that contest?"
"Don't think about it, man."
"Yeah, you're right."
-------------------
"Okay, just stick with me. I don't want you getting lost, Ryuko."
I told Otou-san and Okou-san about how I won the trip, just last night. Since my parents couldn't afford to take vacations (as they were busy with their jobs), I could go without them. Just as long as Nakuru was to come with me. I would bring Terry along. It was weird, as this was my first time ever traveling. But I wasn't worried. Hey, I was hanging on for dear life on top of the Fly Card. This has gotta be less freakier.
... At least, I hope it'll be less freakier.
After flashing passports and showing the free tickets, etc., we found our seats on the plane. It was strangely funny on how all four of us managed to get first class, but I guess that's what happens when you win. I have no idea what I just said back there. Oh well.
"This is your captain speaking. Welcome to 'Nihongo Air' Flight 553 from Tokyo, Japan to Miami, Florida, USA. Please be sure to fasten your seat belts. Oxygen masks will appear if any emergencies occur during the flight..."
And he went on for a while... and a while...
"...Please enjoy, and thank you for choosing 'Nihongo Air' for the flight."
"About time, I thought the captain would never stop talking." Terry commented. He then whispered into my ear. "You still thinking about what the Charm predicted, Ryuko?"
"Not really."
"Well, it's either thinking about that, or thinking about what they'll serve us!"
"What do you mean?"
"You've never had the airline food?"
"I've never been on a plane before, Daidouji-san!"
"Then, don't have the airline food."
I was about to ask him why the airline food was bad, but then I figured out something: This is Daidouji-san I'm talking to. He's done this bit before, so I better take his word for it.
Then Terry asked me, "Did you bring the Sakura Cards with you?"
I opened my backpack to reveal my Sakura Cards. I also motioned to him that I was wearing my Star Key as a necklace. "If that damn prediction is right, then I'll have to be prepared."
"Hey, the movie is starting."
I put on the headphones that were right next to my seat, and for about the two crappiest hours of my life, I watched this 30-year old movie called "Dude, Where's My Car?"
This should have been called "Dude, This Movie Sucks!"
After the movie was over some female flight attendants started serving some drinks. I took a lemon-lime, with plenty o' ice.
"We are now arriving at the Miami International Airport! Do not remove your seat belts until the plane has come to a complete stop. And thank you for flying Nihongo Air!"
-------------------
Well, here we are at the baggage claim. This is as much fun as, um, well, I have no way of finishing this. Then I see this boy wearing a blue uniform, whom for some strange reason, was calling out to Terry, like if he knew him for the longest time.
"Hey! Terry!" the boy called out in a voice that totally gave away that he was American.
"Oh! Hi, Keith!" Terry called back.
"You know him?" I asked.
"Oh." Terry brought Keith closer. "Keith, this is my friend, Ryuko Kinomoto Li. Ryuko, Keith Johnside."
Weird. Well, I'll try to talk to him, with my 'English' voice. It'll be hard, because I was never good at English. Well, here goes nothing.
"Hey, I gotta ask you something, Ryuko." Keith politely started the talk.
"Yeah? What?" I replied.
"What does your name mean?"
"Well, actually, my name means 'dragon', which is ryu, and 'half' which is ko. That brings about 'dragon half' or 'half-dragon'."
"Hey!" Keith said aloud as he saw something on the ground. "What's this?"
We all saw it. It was a long, twenty-inch blade that had wing shaped handles. Not much about it.
Keith then picked it up. "This is a weird sword. This should be confiscated, immediately!"
It was giving off a weird aura to me. Then I realize: it was a Sakura card. "NO! DROP THAT SWORD!!"
But he didn't hear me. He lost the color in his eyes, and was seemingly possessed by the blade. He then tried to slash at me. Luckily, I dodged it, but left a huge hole on the ground. People started to panic around us.
"Ryuko! Is that a Sakura Card!?"
"Yes Terry, it is. The Sword Card!" Pulling out my Star Key, I was going to summon my Star Staff.
"What are doing, Ryuko? You can't do it here! People are staring!"
"I don't care! If I don't do anything, Sword will make Keith destroy everything in the area!"
"You're right! Well," Terry then brought out his camera. "I'm gonna catch this for sure."
"Here goes nothing.
Oh Key that hides the forces of the stars!
Reveal to me thy true form!
I, Ryuko, command thee under contract!
RELEASE!"
I pulled out my Star Staff. I know I have to stop the Sword, but not where there are not too many people. I don't want them to get hurt. So I run away to a less populated area, with Terry behind me and Sword chasing after the both of us. It was an empty room, which was perfect.
"Now, I need a card. Of course!" I pull out the one that will stop Keith for sure.
"FIGHT CARD!"
And in a flash, Fight came out.
"What do you want, Ryuko?"
"Try to dismantle the Sword Card from that boy!"
"I'm on it!"
But before she could do anything, they witnessed something odd and peculiar. They noticed that Keith had stopped moving, and, tears were forming in his eyes.
"Why is he standing there, doing nothing?" Fight asked.
Terry was thinking for a second, then remembered something. "Of course! Keith used to have an older sister named Wendy. She died two years ago in a car accident. Maybe it's the fact that Fight may resemble her, that's making Keith stop his attack."
"You think?"
"Sister?" Keith tried to reach Fight, still in a daze from the Sword card.
All Fight did was go behind him, and struck him in the hand that was holding Sword. Keith fell down, and the Sword card started to rise up.
"RYUKO! Do it now!" Fight spoke out.
"Yeah!" I position myself in front of the floating Sword Card, and
"Return to thy form which though should be!
SWORD CARD!"
As the incantation dissipated from my range of self-hearing, there were some spiritual chains that wrapped around the Sword Card, and was now sealed back into the card.
"Got the Sword Card." I whispered to myself. I motioned to Terry that we should go back to where Nakuru was, but...
"Ryuko?"
I turn around, and there was Nakuru standing right behind me, as she was watching me the entire time.