Masterful!
By: Kamika Farinas
Shout-outs!!!
Nasico: Cool!!! I like that idea!!! ^_^ I'll probably use it when I can! Hehehe. . Thankee!!
Littlewolfalex: Hai!!! I liked the ending too!!!
Syaoran: *grumbles* Of course you'd like it! You weren't the one who was tortured by Sakura-chan's whining!
Sakura: Whining? That's what it is to you?? *huffs and walks away stomping*
Syaoran: Sakura-chan!! You know I didn't mean it like that!!
*sweatdrops* Let's get on with it. . .
Christina: Hai!!! I typed this up faster than usual because of reviews like yours!!! I'm so glad you like the story!!! ^_^
Cards captured: Flame (Firey), Nightmare (Dream), Blare (Silent), Sink (Float), Clear (Erase), Aqua (Watery), Sour (Sweet), Thorn (Wood), Appear (Erase)
Disclaimer: If you HAVEN'T seen this in the OTHER 16 chapters. . Then I don't know where you've been. . .
Chapter Seventeen
Syaoran lay in bed, thinking something over. 'The Appear Card. . . Why do I feel that. . . Something's wrong?' He shakes his head. 'It's probably just me. . .' He thinks as he sits up. He turns to the door just in time to see it open. He smiles as he sees the beautiful face of his girlfriend.
"Ohayo. . ." Sakura says softly as she steps inside. She sits next to him on the bed.
Syaoran smiles at her, "Sakura-chan. . . ." He whispers as he leans towards her.
Sakura shakes her head, "Syaoran-kun. . . I just discovered something. And I brought Kero-chan with me." She says as she pulls out the golden beast.
Syaoran sighs, wondering what was wrong.
Kero rolls his eyes at the site of Syaoran. "Why does HE have to hear this?" He asks, glaring angrily.
Syaoran scowls at him.
Sakura sighs, "Kero-chan. . . Maybe he might know why. . ." She rummages her back, pulling out two of her cards, more specifically, the Clear and the Appear.
Kero blinks as he stares at the particular cards. "Hmm. . . Strange, they're both modeled after the Erase Card. . . But Clow Reed-sama never used a card more than once. . ."
Syaoran nods his head, "I actually AGREE with the stuffed animal on this. It is rather strange."
Sakura frowns, "Could it be a fake card?" She asks.
Kero shakes his head, "It's not. . . I can feel its power."
Syaoran sighs, "Maybe he had a reason. . . Or maybe. . . There's just one extra card. . ."
Sakura shakes her head, finally realizing something. "It's not a Clow Card."
Kero looks at her as though she had two heads, "Th-that's not possible! I can feel the power of the card. . ."
"It has power. . . But it's not made by Clow Reed. . . It feels. . . Different. . ." Sakura mutters, staring at the two cards.
Syaoran blinks, finally keying in on what she was talking about, "Yeah. . . It feels. . .Different."
Sakura turns it over, seeing the same as what was on the original Clow Cards but there was something bothering her. "Co-Could the Li Clan have made this?" She asks, looking up at Syaoran.
Syaoran lies back on his bed. "I don't know. . . . I wouldn't put it behind them. . ."
Sakura sighs, "Okay. . . I just wanted to point this out. . . I'm going to go talk to Meiling-chan. She wanted to talk to me about something." She stands up, gives Syaoran a kiss which gave Kero the chance to escape, then leaves.
Syaoran looks up at the ceiling. 'Okaa-san. . . What have you done now?' He thinks mournfully, thinking the worst.
With Meiling. . .
Meiling paces across the living room. She felt completely guilty for ditching the others yesterday when she knew they needed her. She looks up to see Sakura walking down with her usual smile. "Ohayo Meiling-chan!" She greets.
"Ohayo Sakura-chan. . ." Meiling says softly, finally sitting down.
Sakura joins her, "What did you need to talk to me about?" She asks curiously.
Meiling looks down, playing with her thumbs. "Go-Gomen nasai!" She exclaims.
Sakura blinks in surprise. "Gomen?? For what? You haven't done anything wrong." She says.
"I. . . I knew you were in trouble yesterday. . . But I didn't come. .. Gomen!" She looks down, blushing, hoping Sakura wouldn't ask why she didn't come.
"Demo. . . I'm sure you have a good reason." She says cheerfully. "What were you doing yesterday??"
Meiling blushes even more furiously, "I. . .I was with Hi-Hiroshi. . ." She says, moving around in her seat uncomfortably.
Sakura giggles as she says with a sing-along voice, "Meiling-chan has a crush."
Meiling blushes as she stands up, "Sakura-chan! Don't tell anyone! ONEGAI!" She asks desperately.
Sakura nods, "What Meiling-chan wants." She smiles at her.
Meiling sighs as she starts to head towards the door.
Sakura calls out to her, "Where are you going??" She asks curiously.
"I-I. . . I'm going to spar with Hi-Hiroshi-san. . ." She says softly in reply.
Sakura nods, "Hai! Have fun Meiling-chan! I'll tell minna-san that you went out!"
Meiling smiles, "Arigato Sakura-chan. . . You're a true tomodachi. . ." She exits the house.
Sakura sighs, "Arigato Meiling-chan. . . Arigato. . ."
~*~
Tomoyo stands by the door, "Eriol-kun. . . Where are you going?" She asks softly.
Eriol continues moving from his closet to a suitcase, laying open on his bed. If he was startled by her sudden question, he didn't show it. "Tomoeda." He says simply.
Tomoyo walks over to him and sits on his bed. "Without telling us?" She asks.
"I was going to tell you when I leave." He tells her, continuing to pack.
"Demo. . . Demo. . . Doshite? Why are you leaving?"
Eriol turns to her and smiles. "Tomoyo-chan. . . I have to go find someone. . . I hope not to take long demo. . . onegai. . . take care of yourself and Sakura-chan. ."
Tomoyo stands up, not looking at him. "Eriol-kun. . . Take care of yourself. . . And. . . . And I hope you find Kinomoto-san perfectly." She says, heading for the door.
He chuckles, "I should have known you would know. . ."
She turns around and smiles weakly at him. "Please. . . Come back soon." She leaves the room, shutting the door behind her.
Eriol sighs, "Tomoyo-chan. . . I'll be back as soon as I can. . ." He mumbles as he turns back to his packing.
"So you're going to go find Sakura's otou-san?" A voice kicks in.
Eriol laughs, "Now Cerberus. . . You know you're not supposed to be eavesdropping. It's not very good."
Kero flies onto the bed. "Well this is the only room that doesn't have any noise. . . So why are you looking for Sakura's otou-san?"
"We need his help. . ."
"Whose help?" Another voice comes in, not noticing the sun guardian sitting down.
"Ahh. . . Sakura-chan. . ." Eriol says as he turns around, coming face to face with the auburn-haired female.
"Where are you going Eriol-kun? I just saw Tomoyo-chan walking past with tears in her eyes." Sakura says with a worried tone.
Eriol sighs, "Tomoyo-chan. . ." He mutters.
"Where are you going?" She continues to ask.
"To Tomoeda. . . To see your otou-san. . ." Kero tells her.
"Kero-chan!" Sakura exclaims with eyes wide. "You know? Wait. . . Otou-san?? Demo. . .Doshite??"
Eriol sighs, "Onegai. . . I need to pack. . . I have to go find him. . . Fujitaka-san. . ."
She nods, "What you think is good Eriol-kun. . ." She walks out, calling Kero to follow her.
Eriol turns around, watching the female walking out, a floating stuffed animal beside her. "This is for the best Sakura-chan. . . Onegai. .. Be safe. . ." He says.
With Meiling. . .
Meiling walks into a dojo, double-checking the address in case she was in the wrong place. She blinks as she enters, finding it empty.
"Meiling-sama!" A voice yells out behind her, a distance away.
She turns around to find Hiroshi already in a fighting outfit. Meiling smiles as she waves to him.
He reaches her side, slightly panting. "Aren't you ready yet?" he asks.
She shakes her head, "Not yet. . . I just got here." She explains.
He chuckles, "Well. . . Unless you'd like to fight in THOSE clothes. . ." He says, eyeing her white shirt and tight red skirt. "The dressing room is over there." He points in the direction he had just come from.
Meiling smiles, "Arigato!" She says as she dashes towards the dressing room.
Hiroshi sighs as he looks down, "This is it. . . I can use this opportunity. . ." He mutters beneath his breath. "See how she fights. . ." He adds.
Meiling appears in her own fighting outfit, the same from all those years ago when she used to help Syaoran capture cards. She smiles, "Are you ready?" She comments after placing her bag on the ground.
He raises his eyebrow. 'The Li Clan ceremonial robes! She still has them after all those years?' He thinks at the same times asking, "Where did you get those clothes?"
She grins, "It's my family's robes. They've been passed down to me! And with them. . . I'm going to beat you!" She says, slightly cockily.
Hiroshi smirks, "I wouldn't bet on it. . ." He promptly stands strong, changing into his fighting stance.
Meiling grins in return, "It won't be an easy fight. . . I can assure you of that!" She too stands in her own fighting stance. 'I won't be beat! I was trained under the best!!! I must show how powerful I truly am!' She thinks as she dashes towards him, aiming straight for his stomach.
Hiroshi thinks to himself, 'I'm ready Meiling-sama. . . I'm ready. . .' He swiftly dodges her attack, stepping back and quickly retaliating with his own blow to her.
She flies back, moving away from his fist and stepping back. 'He's good. . . but not good enough!' She starts to rush towards him again.
He dashes towards her, 'Not going to let her hit me!' Her eyes widen in surprise.
'He's trying to attack me?' They meet halfway, him with a punch to her head and her with a kick. Hiroshi blocks her kick about to punch her when she does a back flip, hitting him straight in the face. She lands on her feet and regains her fighting stance.
Hiroshi laughs as he wipes off some sweat. "That was pretty good." He comments as he stands in his stance.
"And that's not all I can do!" Meiling adds.
He rushes towards her but she keeps her ground, ready for anything he would throw at her.
He punches straight at her face but she raises her arm to block. A second passes before he tries to kick her away which she blocks with her own leg. With her leg raised out, she spins around, hitting him straight in the stomach. He flies back, clutching his stomach and facing the ground, slightly coughing.
Meiling takes advantage of his weakened state and rushes towards him. When she reaches only a few steps away, Hiroshi stands quickly. Her eyes widen again in surprise as he takes her wrist and flips her around, ultimately smashing her against the ground. She groans at the pain but pushes the feelings of hurt away.
Pushing away from the ground, she flips up and lands on her feet, already attacking with a few punches towards his head and stomach. Matching her attacks, he blocks each punch and again grabs her wrist but this time she was prepared. Just as he was about to flip her over, she lands straight on her feet, grabbing a hold of his wrist and pushing his body against the ground.
Meiling steps back, panting slightly. Watching cautiously, Hiroshi staggers as he stands.
"You're good at fighting." He comments.
Meiling chuckles, "Well, I only stole your move. . ."
He smiles, "That shows how good you are, being able to use a move although you only saw it being used."
"Well. . . Let's keep fighting. . . I didn't come here to talk!" Meiling shouts as she races towards him, holding her arm high in the air, about to punch him. He darts to her left and pushes her down. She hits the ground hard but stands up, slightly staggering as he was.
Hiroshi rushes towards her, not showing any sign of attacking. She holds her ground cautiously and a few feet away, Hiroshi jumps up, aiming one of his legs straight at her. She gasps, dodging it just in time by stepping back a few feet. With him landing, she spins around, kicking him straight in the stomach. He flies across the room and smacks into the wall hard.
Meiling pants even more in exhaustion. She watches as Hiroshi struggles to stand but falls again. She grins knowing that she had won.
Hiroshi chuckles, "That was a good fight," He tells her as she helps him stand.
She smiles, "You were good too. . . It's a good thing that you're not as good as my cousin. Otherwise, I would have lost in an instant."
"Your cousin? He's better than you??" He asks.
Meiling chuckles, "Better than me? I think the words are 'THE best' would be much more suited." She tells him.
He leans against her as she helps him walk across the room, heading straight for his bag. "Then that would be a match I'd pay to see." He says as she helps him sit down.
"There wouldn't be much to see. . ." She grins. "I'm going to get changed. . . Staying in this sweaty outfit isn't a dream come true. . ."
He chuckles as he watches her walk away. 'She has improved since the last time I've ever seen her fight. A LOT better. . .' He thinks. Inside his back, his cell phone goes off. Picking it up, he answers.
"Moshi Moshi Hiroshi speaking." He greets.
A female voice talks back. "Now Hiroshi. . . Were you fighting just a few minutes ago?"
Hiroshi chuckles, "I knew I couldn't hide anything from you. . . And yes I was fighting. . . With a certain ruby-eyed female."
"Her? Now was it a good fight?"
"Yes it was. . . We should be extremely cautious of her. She could ruin everything for us quite easily. After all, she did beat me."
"Hiroshi? Beat? Let me guess. . . You went easy on her."
"Of course. The only way I could reach my maximum strength is if I used my magic but I doubt we would want Blossom and Wolf to feel my aura that quickly."
"That's a good point. Now remember. . . we need Ruby in order to get Blossom and Wolf. Don't fail. That is your most important mission."
Hiroshi chuckles again, "Now you're bossing ME around? How is that possible?"
"Just because you're at a higher level than I am, doesn't mean that I can't remind you of your mission, now does it?"
"Good point. . ." Hiroshi hears footsteps heading back, knowing that it was Meiling. "I have to go. SHE is back." He ends the conversation, "Bye." He quickly hangs up and stuffs the phone in his back, as though it was never there to begin with.
"Are you okay?" Meiling asks immediately, as soon as she steps in. Unconsciously, she felt as though she had walked in on something important but she shakes that feeling away.
He smiles at her, standing up still a little weak but okay nonetheless. "I'm fine. . . you want to go?" He asks her.
Meiling blushes, "Um. . . . Actually. . . I was wondering if. . . . We could have dinner tonight. . ." She whispers, Hiroshi barely hearing her. She stares at the ground, her cheeks now matching her eyes.
Hiroshi smiles as he tips up her chin. Red eyes meeting amber eyes. Without noticing, a blush spreads through Hiroshi's cheeks as the two start to lean closer to each other. 'Hiroshi. . . BAKA!!! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??!!' He yells at himself mentally, but nothing could seem to pry his eyes away from hers.
Meiling feels her heart beat faster and faster. 'Hiroshi. . .' She thinks softly as she stares deeper and deeper into his eyes. 'What am I feeling? Love? Like? What could it be?' She continues to think, closing her eyes.
Hiroshi watches her eyes close and shakes his head. He gasps as he flies back, startled by his own movements. 'I can't. . . . Believe it!!! I was about. . . To kiss her. . .' He looks up to see Meiling staring back at him with confused eyes.
"Hi. . . Hiroshi??" She asks, stepping closer to him.
Hiroshi's eyes widen as he grabs his back and dashes out, shouting behind his back, "Bye Meiling!! Talk to you tomorrow! Same time same place!"
She looks on at his retreating back, a cloud of dust where he was standing. "I wonder what that was all about. . ." She scratches her head, "Was it me?" She sighs as she grabs her own bag and heads for her house. "I wonder. . ." She adds last before stepping out of the dojo.
In the shadows. . .
"Ahh. . . Meiling-chan, it's been a while. . . Let's hope that all I taught you will come in handy. . ." A male voice says. "And be cautious of Hiroshi. . ."
Meiling turns around seeing nothing and hearing nothing, "What was that?" She shrugs and walks away.
"Be cautious of Hiroshi." The words linger in Meiling's mind.
"What could that mean?"
With Yelan. . .
Yelan stands before the household where Sakura and Syaoran stay. "You won't be safe. . . I guarantee it. . ." She chuckles as she holds another card in her hand, The Ground Card.
To Be Continued. . .
So how is it?? I know the fight scene is a LITTLE unrealistic. . But I SUCK at fight scenes! And remember that person in the shadows! He'll come in handy soon!! Okay?? Well. . .I hope for the next chapter to come out soon. . And the next card capture!!! This chapter was mostly focusing on the relationship between Meiling and Hiroshi. . . And the secrets he hides. . . *smiles* You probably should come back for the next chapter!!! Bye bye!!!