Lchan: I think this's gonna be a pretty short but graphic (meaning, a bit
wordy) chapter with hints of mush. I hope you'll enjoy it anyway. This took
me a long time to put up since I couldn't go online! It always says 'check
your password and try again' when I try to dial up.
Oh well. Please, minna, feedback!! Keep me healthy!! You know, people, I suddenly find how funny some of these 'graphic' statements are, if you look behind the beautiful combination of words...
Heehee...
Ahem. Okay. There you go. See? Down there? That's the 11th chapter (whoa!). Go read it. ;;
X-One Down, Two to go
Syaoran crouched into the familiar battle pose, hoping against hope the adrenaline would hold up until the end of the battle. The icy numbness was settling in his limbs again and was causing serious lapses to his concentration.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sakura imitate him in a pretty klutzy but nevertheless okay Chinese-martial-arts pose. She was nothing spectacular, but he admired her charismatic courage and determination.
Syaoran's grip tightened on the familiar cold but smooth handle of his sword, vaguely enjoying the rush of power it consoled him with. He looked past the sharp tip of the blade towards the leering face of his opponent.
He hated that look--a look that pitied and underestimated him and his capabilities...and Sakura... No one had the right to underestimate her--the one girl who'd actually managed to IMPRISON his heart in her hands.
Sakura waited for his signal, knowing that his, and only his, instructions could help them pull through this. The stance she was displaying, the angle in which she held her sword, the technique she was about to perform...they all belonged to him (well...and the rest of the fighters in Hong Kong and the Li Clan...). And she wouldn't know how to do it if she went ahead by herself.
And then she heard it--his smooth, deep voice, rarely heard, for his expression and his eyes have always been his best communication media.
She secretly loved it when he talked to her in those calm, gentle tones, although she didn't know why. Every single moment when he did that would and have been filed away into her precious memory. Forever.
"Go," Syaoran murmured, his voice low but clear.
He and Sakura bolted from their places, swords held in much the same way. "Haaaaahhhhh!!!!" Sakura screamed, trying to produce more energy from herself. Syaoran couldn't yell. He hadn't much energy in him to bring out, anyway.
His eyes caught Sakura's briefly, for a split second, reminding her of their first move.
Sakura gave a small but significant nod, a look of determination worthy of his admiration masking her pretty face.
She remembered the sequence of actions through trying to bring back to life Syaoran's voice as he patiently repeated the simple moves thrice for her in her mind.
"Slash left, slash right, sommersault, land behind, roundabout kick, hit across the jaw, diagonal slash, seal. Get it?" His voice as he said those words echoed and reechoed through her brain.
Syaoran swung his sword to the left, Sakura did the same, both of them striking their own 0.5 portions of the Twin Card.
'Slash left,' Sakura ticked off.
Brows furrowed with concentration, Syaoran curved his sword back to right, feeling the familiar gush of wind that always seem to come when he was fighting.
Sakura bit her lip, trying her best to keep up with his smooth moves. She knew, of course, how to handle a sword...just not as good as him. She WAS better on the Fly Card than Syaoran, though...but that's beside the point.
She swung her sword to the right in perfect synchronization with her partner.
The Twin Card screamed two echoing screams.
'Slash right.' She tensed herself for their next move. What was that again? 'Hoe.' She ran Syaoran's voice through her head quickly:
"Slash left, slash right, somersault, land behind, roundabout kick, hit across the jaw, diagonal slash, seal. Get it?"
'Got it. Okay. Somersault.' She turned towards Syaoran.
'Jump, jump!!' he urged Sakura mentally. He flashed her a brief, reminding look that begged her not to forget their next move. He could see the slight change in her expression that signaled her acknowledgement.
Sakura pushed on the floor with her legs, aiming for a high jump that's sufficient enough for a single somersault. Syaoran released himself briefly from the grips of gravity and felt the air rush by him.
They both braced themselves for a quick turn in midair, angling their bodies for a beautiful curve. For a moment, they were upside-down, the tiles flashing before them in a blur before they pushed themselves back into an upright position, stretching their legs again to meet the floor.
Thud. Thud.
They both landed.
'Somersault, land behind, okay,' Sakura counted off, mentally. She flashed a brief glance in her partner's direction.
Syaoran caught her eye again. She had a small smile on her face. She winked at him, and he felt he would melt right there and then. But then he snapped himself back to reality and caught himself just in time to deliver the kick.
He found himself grinning throughout the rest of the battle--no, not a grin. More like a smirk. A smirk that hid a huge childish smile he wanted so much to express.
But couldn't.
Not because that would break his image...but because he COULDN'T. It was his lack of experience that's the problem.
He and Sakura twisted around, legs outstretched to their sides. Syaoran felt his half of the Twin Card's body connect with his foot--hard. Sakura almost shrieked when she felt the same thud against hers.
'Roundhouse kick!!' her mind screamed, almost in disgust.
The adrenaline was running low, Syaoran knew, but he had to keep fighting. His gasps for breath remained unnoticed by Sakura, her attention completely dedicated to fighting. He kept himself awake through endless scolding, encouragements and reminders of the possible crash of his fragile pride.
And, of course...for the ultimate source of adrenaline...SAKURA...for her...
The Twin Card's two parts screamed in agony and confusion, the speed and fluency of the moves astounding them and taking them by surprise.
Before they could collapse, Syaoran and Sakura delivered the final blow. Fists connected with jaws with bone-cracking impacts.
'Hit across the jaw!!' Sakura inwardly rejoiced, thankful she didn't have to do any more violent tricks.
The two elflike creatures flew across the room, crashing against the wall.
Those series of actions proved to have taken its toll on Syaoran, and it had clearly taken a lot out of Sakura.
The amber-eyed boy dropped to the floor, raising his heavy head to tell Sakura to seal it (them!?). The world was turning upside-down, and he found he was watching vague blots of colors through the dim black curtains of his vision.
"Seal it, Sakura!!" he yelled. "HAYAKU!!"
"HAI!!!!" Sakura yelled back, her voice filled with happiness but still coated with awareness of the situation.
He heard her footsteps as she ran across the room, heard her familiar yell-- "Twin Card! Return to your powers confined! TWIN CARD!!!!"--then he felt the also-familiar icy gusts of wind, dimly saw the bright flashes of light...
Before he finally blacked out. Again.
Sakura hugged the restored Clow Card to her chest, looking towards the unconscious Syaoran victoriously, her eyes softening as she watched him sleep, drained of energy through trying and succeeding to help her.
'Seal... We did it. I got it, Syaoran-kun...I got it.'
tbc
Lchan: Whoa. That was short, ne? Anyways, please review! The next chapter will be longer than this one, I promise!! Hayaku means hurry. And I guess I could take flames now. Just not too many flames, okay!? Uhm...but as much as possible, avoid that, people, 'k?
Okay. Need feedback!!! Well, not really NEED. But I crave for feedback! I want feedback!!!! Onegai? Hee hee...
Thanks, you're the best.
Love Your Enemy, If You Only Knew, My Dearest Cousin, 6.75
http:
Oh well. Please, minna, feedback!! Keep me healthy!! You know, people, I suddenly find how funny some of these 'graphic' statements are, if you look behind the beautiful combination of words...
Heehee...
Ahem. Okay. There you go. See? Down there? That's the 11th chapter (whoa!). Go read it. ;;
X-One Down, Two to go
Syaoran crouched into the familiar battle pose, hoping against hope the adrenaline would hold up until the end of the battle. The icy numbness was settling in his limbs again and was causing serious lapses to his concentration.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Sakura imitate him in a pretty klutzy but nevertheless okay Chinese-martial-arts pose. She was nothing spectacular, but he admired her charismatic courage and determination.
Syaoran's grip tightened on the familiar cold but smooth handle of his sword, vaguely enjoying the rush of power it consoled him with. He looked past the sharp tip of the blade towards the leering face of his opponent.
He hated that look--a look that pitied and underestimated him and his capabilities...and Sakura... No one had the right to underestimate her--the one girl who'd actually managed to IMPRISON his heart in her hands.
Sakura waited for his signal, knowing that his, and only his, instructions could help them pull through this. The stance she was displaying, the angle in which she held her sword, the technique she was about to perform...they all belonged to him (well...and the rest of the fighters in Hong Kong and the Li Clan...). And she wouldn't know how to do it if she went ahead by herself.
And then she heard it--his smooth, deep voice, rarely heard, for his expression and his eyes have always been his best communication media.
She secretly loved it when he talked to her in those calm, gentle tones, although she didn't know why. Every single moment when he did that would and have been filed away into her precious memory. Forever.
"Go," Syaoran murmured, his voice low but clear.
He and Sakura bolted from their places, swords held in much the same way. "Haaaaahhhhh!!!!" Sakura screamed, trying to produce more energy from herself. Syaoran couldn't yell. He hadn't much energy in him to bring out, anyway.
His eyes caught Sakura's briefly, for a split second, reminding her of their first move.
Sakura gave a small but significant nod, a look of determination worthy of his admiration masking her pretty face.
She remembered the sequence of actions through trying to bring back to life Syaoran's voice as he patiently repeated the simple moves thrice for her in her mind.
"Slash left, slash right, sommersault, land behind, roundabout kick, hit across the jaw, diagonal slash, seal. Get it?" His voice as he said those words echoed and reechoed through her brain.
Syaoran swung his sword to the left, Sakura did the same, both of them striking their own 0.5 portions of the Twin Card.
'Slash left,' Sakura ticked off.
Brows furrowed with concentration, Syaoran curved his sword back to right, feeling the familiar gush of wind that always seem to come when he was fighting.
Sakura bit her lip, trying her best to keep up with his smooth moves. She knew, of course, how to handle a sword...just not as good as him. She WAS better on the Fly Card than Syaoran, though...but that's beside the point.
She swung her sword to the right in perfect synchronization with her partner.
The Twin Card screamed two echoing screams.
'Slash right.' She tensed herself for their next move. What was that again? 'Hoe.' She ran Syaoran's voice through her head quickly:
"Slash left, slash right, somersault, land behind, roundabout kick, hit across the jaw, diagonal slash, seal. Get it?"
'Got it. Okay. Somersault.' She turned towards Syaoran.
'Jump, jump!!' he urged Sakura mentally. He flashed her a brief, reminding look that begged her not to forget their next move. He could see the slight change in her expression that signaled her acknowledgement.
Sakura pushed on the floor with her legs, aiming for a high jump that's sufficient enough for a single somersault. Syaoran released himself briefly from the grips of gravity and felt the air rush by him.
They both braced themselves for a quick turn in midair, angling their bodies for a beautiful curve. For a moment, they were upside-down, the tiles flashing before them in a blur before they pushed themselves back into an upright position, stretching their legs again to meet the floor.
Thud. Thud.
They both landed.
'Somersault, land behind, okay,' Sakura counted off, mentally. She flashed a brief glance in her partner's direction.
Syaoran caught her eye again. She had a small smile on her face. She winked at him, and he felt he would melt right there and then. But then he snapped himself back to reality and caught himself just in time to deliver the kick.
He found himself grinning throughout the rest of the battle--no, not a grin. More like a smirk. A smirk that hid a huge childish smile he wanted so much to express.
But couldn't.
Not because that would break his image...but because he COULDN'T. It was his lack of experience that's the problem.
He and Sakura twisted around, legs outstretched to their sides. Syaoran felt his half of the Twin Card's body connect with his foot--hard. Sakura almost shrieked when she felt the same thud against hers.
'Roundhouse kick!!' her mind screamed, almost in disgust.
The adrenaline was running low, Syaoran knew, but he had to keep fighting. His gasps for breath remained unnoticed by Sakura, her attention completely dedicated to fighting. He kept himself awake through endless scolding, encouragements and reminders of the possible crash of his fragile pride.
And, of course...for the ultimate source of adrenaline...SAKURA...for her...
The Twin Card's two parts screamed in agony and confusion, the speed and fluency of the moves astounding them and taking them by surprise.
Before they could collapse, Syaoran and Sakura delivered the final blow. Fists connected with jaws with bone-cracking impacts.
'Hit across the jaw!!' Sakura inwardly rejoiced, thankful she didn't have to do any more violent tricks.
The two elflike creatures flew across the room, crashing against the wall.
Those series of actions proved to have taken its toll on Syaoran, and it had clearly taken a lot out of Sakura.
The amber-eyed boy dropped to the floor, raising his heavy head to tell Sakura to seal it (them!?). The world was turning upside-down, and he found he was watching vague blots of colors through the dim black curtains of his vision.
"Seal it, Sakura!!" he yelled. "HAYAKU!!"
"HAI!!!!" Sakura yelled back, her voice filled with happiness but still coated with awareness of the situation.
He heard her footsteps as she ran across the room, heard her familiar yell-- "Twin Card! Return to your powers confined! TWIN CARD!!!!"--then he felt the also-familiar icy gusts of wind, dimly saw the bright flashes of light...
Before he finally blacked out. Again.
Sakura hugged the restored Clow Card to her chest, looking towards the unconscious Syaoran victoriously, her eyes softening as she watched him sleep, drained of energy through trying and succeeding to help her.
'Seal... We did it. I got it, Syaoran-kun...I got it.'
tbc
Lchan: Whoa. That was short, ne? Anyways, please review! The next chapter will be longer than this one, I promise!! Hayaku means hurry. And I guess I could take flames now. Just not too many flames, okay!? Uhm...but as much as possible, avoid that, people, 'k?
Okay. Need feedback!!! Well, not really NEED. But I crave for feedback! I want feedback!!!! Onegai? Hee hee...
Thanks, you're the best.
Love Your Enemy, If You Only Knew, My Dearest Cousin, 6.75
http: