Meiling and Sakura searched around the area, but there was no sign of anyone. "Could it be a false alarm?" said Sakura, holding tight to her staff.
"Maybe," sighed Meiling. But this feeling… "Let's go back."
"Not so fast."
"Huh?" Both girls searched for the voice, but saw nothing, as it was too dark. "Sakura," said Meiling. Sakura nodded.
Sakura took out a card. "Glow!" Slowly the arena began to light up. Soon they could see the silhouette of a man against the trees. "There!"
Then the man attacked. He pulled out an Ofuda and began to chant. The ground began to shake and crack. Slowly the ground split open and Sakura and Meiling fell into the darkness.
"Ah! Float!" cried Sakura. She and Meiling began to float upwards and then landed on the other side of the man.
"What do you think you're doing?" cried Meiling. But her eyes went wide. That man… it's the same man that she fought during the Shaman battle.
"I'm taking you with me, Li Meiling," he said.
"What?" cried both girls. But the ground shook again and vines erupted below their feets. It binded Sakura and Meiling, making them unable to move.
"Damn it!" cried Meiling. Slowly the vine pulled her into the ground. "AAAH!"
"Meiling-chan!" cried Sakura.
"Sa-Sakura! Help!" Meiling was sinking deeper and deeper into the ground.
"Meiling-chan!" Sakura cried helplessly. She struggled to break lose. Come on… just let me grab that card…
Meiling's whole body was already in the ground. She felt so terrified. Oh god… help me…
"Got it!" cried Sakura. "Arrow!" A rain of arrows zoomed from the air and cut loose Sakura's vines. She grabbed another card. "Earthy!"
The ground where Meiling was sinking in separated, revealing Meiling still bound and being pulled. "Sword!" Sakura sliced the vines and quickly grabbed Meiling's hand.
Meiling took a deep breath. "Thank you."
The man attacked again. He sent rays of deadly beams at the girls. Sakura grabbed another card. "Shield!" The rays were deflected for a while. But then… "Oh no…" said Sakura in a strained voice.
"What's wrong?" cried Meiling.
"His power… too strong… can't hold on… ah…" Shield lost power and turned back into a card. Sakura stumbled to the ground.
"Sakura!" cried Meiling, she held Sakura for a moment. Then the man came closer to Meiling.
"Pathetic girl…" he said. "She may be the card mistress but she still has a lot to learn on how to tap into those certain points to defeat certain powers. In the meantime…" The man's eyes gleamed.
Meiling shivered. Then screamed.
OoO
Ren woke up with a start. "Meiling?" he whispered.
"Buchama!" cried Bason. "The girl, Kinomoto, she's lying outside unconscious!"
"What?" Ren quickly sprung out of bed and began to change. "Get Li, Bason!"
"Ah!" said Bason. Then disappeared.
Ren ran out of his room. I feel very sure I heard Meiling… Ren saw Syaoran with Bason running towards the stairs. "Li!"
"Tao! Meiling's missing!"
"What?"
"She's not in her room!"
"Kisama! Let's go!"
The both of them began to run in search of the two girls. "Bason!" cried Ren.
"I'm on to it, Buchama!" Bason disappeared.
"Sakura! Meiling!" cried Syaoran. "Damn it, what could have happened?"
Ren gritted his teeth. He smelled something familiar…
"Buchama! Over here!"
Both Syaoran and Ren ran towards Bason. The spirit floated above Sakura who lay unconscious on the ground.
"Sakura!" cried Syaoran. He lifted Sakura's head. "Sakura!"
Sakura stirred. "Wor—?"
"Are you all right? What happened?" said Syaoran.
Ren looked at the surroundings. The ground was still in rubbles. A spell was used to seal the ground that was just cracked open. The trees had signs of beams slicing through them. "There was a fight…" hissed Ren.
Sakura opened her eyes. "Syaoran-kun…" She sat up.
"Be careful!" said Syaoran.
Suddenly Sakura remembered. "Meiling-chan!"
Ren turned to Sakura. "What?"
"What happened to Meiling?" asked Syaoran.
Sakura grabbed Syaoran's shoulders. "Someone took her! He took her away!"
"Who took her away?" asked Syaoran.
"I'm not sure… he had an Ofuda!"
Ren's eyes widened. He remembered back at his battle. Meiling holding an Ofuda… explaining someone was attacking him… using an Ofuda. "Kisama…" he cursed.
"Tao, what's wrong?" said Syaoran.
It might be his fault Meiling had been kidnapped. If only he hadn't asked Meiling to help him… "It's nothing. We have to find her."
"How?" said Sakura.
"There is a way," said Syaoran. "I could use the search spell and track her down. As long as Meiling's a part of the Li-clan, it will be simple to track her down even through the most strongest spells."
"Let's try it," said Ren. It's my fault… I have to save her…
OoO
When Meiling woke up, she felt numb all over. Her arms were tied to a pillar and she was standing. She had to blink a few times for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. Slowly, she looked at her surroundings.
It was a huge hall filled with incense and talismans, the wall was filled with drawings of dragons, torches lit up the arena.
"Do you like the way I decorated this place?" said the man, appearing from the shadows.
"Fancy, I guess," replied Meiling. "But what's the big deal of kidnapping me?"
"Well, it seems that you have a lot of potential."
"Potential? You must be crazy. I'm the weakest magic user yet."
"No, Li Meiling, the weakest are plain humans. You, on the other hand, aren't so plain as you think you are."
Meiling's eyes widened. "What… do you mean?"
The man sneered. "Have you ever felt that you had more power than you've ever dreamed of but you have no idea how to use it? Have you ever felt you could beat the Clow mistress using your own power?"
Fear crept in Meiling's heart. "What…"
"I know, Li Meiling, your true potential. Only I am able to help you show it." The man reached out to touch her cheek.
Meiling turned in anger. "Don't touch me, you freak!"
The man's sneer widened. "Ah yes, you are definitely like her. No wonder she chose you."
"What do you mean?"
The man pulled out an Ofuda. "Goodbye, Li Meiling."