The Testing of Li Peony
A CCS Fanfic
by SyaoranSword
Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to Card Captor Sakura. CLAMP and other companies I may not know of own it all. This is a fanfic and not part of the "official" storyline. The story is only meant for the enjoyment of the author and any would-be readers.
Notes: Please forgive me for taking so long to get this out. I'll make a commitment right now to get a new chapter out every week. Thank you to those who have bugged me for the longest time (Urania*Niecy, LeRoy Loke), and I don't mind at all when you do. Feel free to do it when I slack off on my author's duties. I won't be starting any new series until the three I have out are done. One-shots, however, will still be churned out now and then. My plan is to get this done, then go back to EWIATYB, and finally return to the first fic I ever posted, "The Magitech War". On with the fic!
~~~ (place) ~~~ = scene change
" " = dialogue
[ ] = thoughts
( ) = commentary
Chapter 5: Li Bruce and the Diva of Martial Arts
"Your happiness is closer than you think."
Peony heard Clow Read's voice. [Where am I?] Clothed in her robes and clutching her staff, she found herself in a place without light. [It's so dark.] She walked for a little bit in one direction. [There's no one here.] Peony shivered as the thought came to her. [Am I… alone?] The one thing that could scare the young girl the most was being alone. "Okaa-san! Otou-san!" she yelled into the darkness. Peony heard only silence. "Is anyone here? Answer, onegai!" She slowly dropped to her knees in despair. Tears formed in her eyes and trailed down her face. "It's true. I really am alone." She sobbed into her hands. "I will always be alone."
"I believe in you." The girl looked up startled. "You are strong, Peony-chan. I know you are."
[That voice… It sounds like someone I know.] "Who are you? Tell me, onegai."
"Never give up hope. Your wish will be granted, and everything will surely be alright."
"My wish? What do you mean?" The voice that had spoken was gone. "Matte! Come back!" she screamed. Kero was jolted awake from his fantastic dream of a mountain made of pudding. He saw Peony thrashing her blankets. Kero wanted to wake her up, but he watched her calm down. She then whispered, "Come back, onegai. Don't leave me."
After hearing that, the little guardian took drastic measures. "PEONY!! WAKE UP!!!" For his trouble, he got slammed into a wall after being accidentally whacked by her frantic movements. "I never learn, do I?" he asked himself as he slid downward.
Peony sat up and eyed the now pained guardian. "Kero-chan! I'm sorry about throwing you into the wall again, but that always happens when you yell to wake me up."
Kero staggered as he got up. After shaking his head, he flew to his future mistress. "Listen, Peony. You were having a nightmare. I was worried, so I did what I had to do."
"Kero-chan, I'm fine."
"You were crying in your sleep. Are you sure you don't want to tell me about it? It could be important for your near future."
"Well…"
"Peony-chan!" her mother called from downstairs. "Breakfast is ready!"
"I'm coming, Okaa-san!" Peony gathered her things and went to the bathroom to clean up.
Kero flew downstairs to the kitchen, where he found a fresh stack of pancakes waiting for him. "Sugoi! You're the best, Sakura!"
"Peony-chan made you pancakes yesterday. Are you sure you're not tired of them?"
"No way! I will never get tired of pancakes!" He took the entire plate and zoomed into the dining room, where everyone was finishing their meal. Kero took a casual look at those gathered before setting his plate down. Just as he was about to dig in, he stopped and took a more careful look around. He knew all of the faces, but Kero was shocked to see someone he recognized, but wasn't there last night.
"Surprised to see me, Kero-chan?" His fiery eyes stood in contrast to his combed, yet somewhat messy black hair. He wore a pair of dark jeans, and a green short-sleeved shirt with a yin-yang symbol on the front.
"Ahh! You!" Kero pointed his paw at the newcomer. "When did you get here?!"
The boy brushed a hand through his hair. "Just this morning, actually."
They were interrupted by Peony, who had just come downstairs. She too was surprised at the newcomer. Peony's eyes brightened as she smiled. "Bruce-kun!" She went over and gave him a hug. "It's been so long."
Bruce is the twelve-year-old son of Li Meiling and Li Tong, an upper level official in the Chinese government. Since the fall of the imperial system, the Li Clan made sure it maintained its ties to whoever ruled China. Tong now serves as the link through which the Clan can influence Beijing, but he rarely has any time to spend with his family. Meiling trained her son in the martial arts, and he even possesses a small amount of magic from his father.
He hugged her back. "I know. How have you been? I heard from my mother you defeated Yue-san."
They released each other. "I didn't want to hurt him, but I'm glad I won."
The two kids didn't realize that Jin watched what went on between them. He tried to shake off the twinge he felt in his heart. [It's natural for cousins to hug like that… right?] Jin's feelings were still unclear to him, but his rationale didn't satisfy his subconscious wish to be in Bruce's position.
From his looks, it is obvious that Jin is the son of Eriol and Tomoyo. Aside from that, it's hard to tell. From when he was younger, Jin picked up neither the "evil" ways nor the obsessions of his parents. He turned out to be a little shy, but he is as much the encourager as his mother. What Jin does not know is his part in his mother's and in his grandmother's legacies.
Peony, Bruce, and Jin were childhood friends who didn't often have the chance to see each other. While Peony stayed in Hong Kong, Bruce was in Beijing, and Jin traveled with his parents to wherever their fashion business needed them. They all met for special occasions, but because of Meiling's close ties to the Clan, she and Bruce would visit whenever they could.
Sakura entered the dining room and smiled seeing Peony and Bruce talking. Seeing his wife, Syaoran stood up and called for silence. He looked directly at his daughter as he said, "Peony, your second test will be in one hour, and it will be against Meiling."
"Hai, Otou-san." Peony sighed. [Now I have to hurt another person I care about.]
~~~~~~
At the Coliseum, Sakura and Syaoran stood on the field with Meiling. The sky above them was a pure bright blue. The air near the ground felt cool and soothing. All in all, the conditions were perfect for the upcoming match. Meiling punched and kicked the air. Her fluid movements were fast and accurate. As she finished a combination, Syaoran said, "You look as strong as ever, Meiling."
"Thanks. I've continued training on my own for years, as you can tell."
Sakura smiled at her longtime friend. "We're both glad you agreed to this. We didn't think the Elders would let you be one of the Seven because of your son, Bruce."
"You know I won't fight unfairly, so my son would become the next leader of the Clan," Meiling replied. "I honestly believe Peony is a great choice. It's about time a woman officially takes the lead." She winked at the couple, causing husband and wife to blush. "That doesn't mean I'm going to go easy on her."
Syaoran nodded. "Peony has had experience sparring with me, but I know it will be much different with you. It should be an interesting battle."
Meanwhile, Peony prepared for her second test. The Hiiragizawa and the Kinomoto families watched as the young girl attempted to land a solid hit on Bruce. She was the aggressor in this exercise, and he needed to deflect any blows directed toward him. Bruce had blocked every punch and kick sent his way, so far. "Come on, Peony-chan! You haven't hit me once yet." No sooner had he said that, she swept Bruce's feet from under him.
Peony quickly pinned the surprised boy to the mats. "You were saying, Bruce-kun?" She smiled triumphantly before helping him up. Jin's cheeks reddened as he remembered how he was taken down by Peony the day before.
"Doesn't Peony-chan look so kawaii with Bruce-kun?" Tomoyo asked while filming.
Eriol nodded. He then said, "That was a nice exhibition. Good luck to you against Meiling."
"Thank you, Uncle Eriol!" She sent a bright smile towards him. Unfortunately for Jin, he was in the way, making him blush.
~~~~~~
The two combatants and the small crowd were in the stadium. It was time for the second test to begin. Peony and Meiling stood within a 10-meter circle drawn into the ground. "The rules are simple, Peony," Meiling explained, "The first one to force her opponent to submit or to go outside the circle wins."
"Sounds good to me." Peony took her stance. "I'm read-" She suddenly felt as though a wet blanket had been thrown on top of her. Peony gasped, instantly recognizing what it was. She looked up to see her parents with reserved looks. They had put a dampening spell on her. It most often was used as a form of punishment, but she understood why it was used right now. The spell didn't weaken her, but it did bind her magic, making her a little uncomfortable. Peony adjusted, and soon she didn't feel the effects at all. The girl resumed her fighting stance. Confidently, Peony called out, "I'm ready!"
Meiling bowed to her. "If you don't mind…" she said as she rose into her position, "…I'll go first!" The older woman charged a startled Peony, who barely raised her forearm in time to block the first punch. Now on the offensive, Meiling sent a flurry of punches and kicks toward the girl.
Peony winced as each hit she blocked inched her backwards, closer and closer to the line. [Aunt Meiling is too fast and hits so hard! How am I going to escape?] The young fighter then remembered a skill taught by her father. She knew it was a big risk, and she would certainly lose if she guessed wrongly. Without hesitation, Peony acted on the gambit.
Meiling expected to have her kick blocked and wanted to follow it with a kick from her other foot. Instead, Peony had caught the first foot, causing Meiling to lose her balance and fall flat on her back. The girl retreated to the center of the ring, giving herself time to catch her breath and rest her stinging shins and forearms. "That wasn't fair of you to charge me like that!" Peony complained.
Meiling quickly got up. Brushing the dust off her robes, she replied, "You said you were ready, and you didn't even bow!" The girl understood what Meiling said was true, and she bowed to redeem herself. The older woman asked, "Shall we?" while taunting her with her hand a la Morpheus to Neo in "The Matrix."
The determination factor inside Peony nearly doubled. She fixed a hard glare towards the one who goaded her on. As the first beads of perspiration dripped off her forehead, Peony set herself and answered, "Yes, let's." Meiling didn't have the advantage of surprise this time as she rushed towards her, and it showed as Peony now traded hits instead of just taking them.
The battle continued with fatigue starting to nag at both combatants. On the sidelines, Bruce sat next to Jin as he remarked, "She's beautiful." Jin looked at him out the corner of his eye. "The way her movements are fluid and full of energy is fascinating. Even the whipping of the ribbons in her hair is enough to grab your attention." The boy with ruby eyes turned to fully face his friend. "Wouldn't you agree, Jin?" The boy flushed and shifted his eyes back to the action.
Peony's perseverance paid off as she dodged a strong kick, catching Meiling off guard. That one mistake was enough to decide the entire match, as Peony used the same move she had used on Bruce and Jin, the leg sweep. Pinning Meiling, Sakura's daughter was triumphant again. "Meiling-obaasan, are you hurt?" Peony asked as she helped her up.
"No, I'm fine." She took a firm hold of Peony's hand and shook it in congratulations. "I made a stupid mistake, and you beat me."
"You could ask me for a rematch… only for fun of course!"
Meiling grinned. "You can bet on it."
Jin just shook his head. "Is there anything she can't do?"
"There are a few things," Bruce answered. "That could all change by the time her birthday comes though."
[How true, Bruce-kun. How true.] Eriol was rather amused at the topic of Bruce and his son's conversation. He turned to his creations, Nakuru sitting somewhat primly with Suppi-chan resting on her lap. "You two are up next." He chuckled as he added, "Make sure to have fun with her."
To be continued…
Peony hung tough and defeated Meiling to pass round two. Up next, it's back to magic usage as she takes on both of Eriol's guardians at once! Who will win? Read and review!