Me: Okay. To those who have actually read my other fics, I apologise for not updating them in this life time.
Kero: You better be.
Me: I truly am. I'm a lazy, lazy sod.
Kero: It's true.
Me: I have, however, decided to update this one (cause it's my fav).
Kero: And he doesn't own CardCaptors.
Chapter 9 – The Ying Fa Dojo.
The sun shone through patches in a cloudy sky as the pair made their way out of Syaoran's apartment. Sakura wore a light pink tank top and a pair of denim shorts that Syaoran couldn't help but notice. He himself wore a dark green 'hoodie' with a red tee shirt underneath, and a worn pair of navy combat trousers. As the padded down the street, Sakura neglected to release Syaoran's arm from hers...not that he minded.
'I cannot believe this...I really cannot believe this.' Syaoran thought to himself as they made their way along. 'She really does like me...AND I almost kissed her...I can't believe I almost did that...what if we hadn't stopped? What would she have said! What would she have done! What if...'
His train of thought was cut off as Sakura came to a stop, as they were linked arm in arm; Syaoran was also pulled to a stop. "What's wrong?" Syaoran asked.
Noticing the link, Sakura quickly pulled her arm from Syaoran's, uttering apologies, before pointing over the source of her confusion.
"It's that building over there. I'm just wondering what's in it."
Following her arm, Li's face broke into a reminiscing smile at the sight of the worn down building. Faded flyers were pinned to it, images of various people in various outfits. Worn wooden doors marked with large Chinese symbols in faded gold paint shone bright in Syaoran's eyes as he surveyed the building. Grabbing hold of Sakura's arm, he pulled her towards the door.
"Come with me and I'll show you." He spoke ominously.
Pulling a confused Sakura behind him, Syaoran fished out an old brass key and pushed it into the lock on the door, creaking it open and guiding Sakura into the dark room.
"Stay there." He whispered.
Reaching across with practiced ease, he picked up a set of matches and lit a series of candles and tapers, slowly filling the room with light, revealing an old dojo. The walls were lined with photos of past fighters and trophies. Old uniforms hung in glass cases, and at the top of the room was a set of stairs leading to the top floor of the squat building. There were windows, but all were boarded up, blocking out the natural light.
"Sorry about the lack of electricity, but no-one can foot the bill for it."
"Oh wow..." Sakura's voice was just above a breath as she walked across the wooden floor and onto the worn mat's. Looking in on cabinets filled with weapons, admiring the marker's of victory, and faded photographs trapping memories and champions forever. "Oh wow oh wow...Syaoran...what is this place."
Grinning as nostalgia flooded his senses; Syaoran came to stand beside her, his own eyes admiring the picture of a young man standing proud, a young girl of a bout 12 stood beside him, holding a title belt aloft, while a young boy of a about 6 sat on his shoulder's waving to the camera.
"This dojo has existed for about 100 years, and most people forget it's here. Anyway, when we moved here, despite all the things haunting my family, the sensei of this place welcomed in my family, he helped us get our apartment, and my father began to fight here. He abandoned his old style, the one of our clan, and learnt the sensei's technique." Pointing to the photograph before them, he lay his finger above the proud man. "That's my father there...it was 4 years before...before...anyway, he had just won the middle weight title in the local contest between the city's dojos. That's me on his shoulders, and Julie holding the belt. My mum took the picture."
With a sigh, Li looked around the old Dojo.
"After the sensei died, the number of people coming began to diminish. My father still came every day...every day until...well..."
Placing a hand on Syaoran's shoulder, Sakura pulled him into a hug as he rested his head on top of Sakura's, getting his emotions back under control. Regaining control of himself, Syaoran briefly returned the hug and then moved across to the stairs.
"Come here." He smiled across to Sakura.
She followed him up into a room already lit by candles. It shone brilliantly as ornaments around pictures of different men and women began to glow in the light. She allowed her eyes to stray briefly to Li as he replaced burnt out candles and refilled empty oil lamps.
"This shrine has never been dark, so it's kind of important to me to keep it light. So I come here as often as I can to check on it."
Sakura gazed at the pictures, various items surrounded them. At the head of the room there was a photo of a very old man, surrounded by the most items. Walking beside her, Syaoran gave a bow to the photograph, before re-lighting some of the candles.
"That's the last sensei of the dojo. Not only was he the greatest fighter to live...but he was the kindest soul. He lived in this dojo...it was his life...he'd turn in his grave if he could see it now...well...if he hadn't been cremated as well..."
Sakura let out a light giggle at the joke and looked over some of the items. Valuable jewellery was lain out, Ming vases and dried flowers. There was also a small rubber duck and plastic hair brush right next to the picture. With a light chuckle, Syaoran looked down on the small trinkets.
"Those were left by Julie and I...Sensei was part of the family to us. He'd often come over and eat with us; he was also a great cook himself. I missed him dearly when he died." Turning his head slightly, he nodded to a small shrine in the corner. "I made that one for my parents. There's not much there though."
Walking across the wooden floor, Sakura knelt beside the small shrine. The picture showed the couple smiling happily, it was their wedding photo. She couldn't help but notice how much Syaoran and his father looked alike, only his father had much neater hair. Looking down, a small teddy bear and a broach lay beside it.
"That was my bear...my mum gave it to me when I was 5...to keep my nightmares away, and the broach was a gift my father gave Julie, it was said to bring good luck. I put them here to allow them peace and the best in the afterlife." Syaoran informed her sinking down beside her, his head hung low.
Leaning her head against his shoulder, Sakura wrapped an arm around his waist and held a soft smile on her face.
"Li...thank you for showing me this place."
"Places like this can't be forgotten about...I can't let the memory of these people die..."
"It's hard for the memory of a dojo to live without people to fight for it."
"It still has one student."
"It does?"
A smile returned to Syaoran's face then. Standing up, he gave Sakura a deep bow.
"My lady, you kneel beside the final student of the Ying Fa dojo."
Reaching down his hand, Sakura accepted and allowed him to help her up.
"So you're really a student of this dojo?"
Blushing, Syaoran rubbed the back of his neck in nervousness.
"Well...pretty much. I'm mostly self taught...from reading manuscripts and watching old fights on tape...but the dojo was left to it's students in the sensei's will. So the dojo now belongs to me."
The pair began to walk downstairs, when Sakura made a small request.
"Hey you show me some of your...uh...moves?" Sakura asked, feeling very nervous and silly.
With a bow, Syaoran led her to a seat at the side and removed his hoodie and shoes, laying them beside the chair and moved to the centre of the room. Giving a bow to his audience, Syaoran began to run through his well rehearsed routine.
Sakura couldn't help but be amazed by his movements. She had watched a lot of martial arts movie's in her time, and seen a few of the fights in the Olympics, but she hadn't seen anything quite like this. In a way, it was more like a graceful dance than martial arts. Syaoran swept around the mat, arching and twisting his body as though dodging invisible blows, and then sweeping in at his non-existent opponent with a series of graceful swipes and strikes. His hair lashed around his face as he moved, he seemed to glow as the candle lights shone around him and he continued his dance in the windowless room. After about 10 minutes, Syaoran came to a halt and bowed before Sakura, who gave him a small round of applause. As Syaoran pulled off his now sweaty tee-shirt and pulled the hoodie back over his body, Sakura, while covering her blush, decided to ask a rather obvious question.
"Li, if you can do all of that awesome butt kicking stuff, why do you let people pick on you?"
Looking down, Syaoran tightened his shoe laces before standing up. Facing away from Sakura, he began to give his answer.
"Because...because I can fight like that...When you're strong enough to split a cinder block in half with a single blow...you have to wonder what you could do to a person. I just...I don't want to hurt anyone...No matter what they do to me...I can take it...I just...I'm afraid that I might do something that would get me kicked outta school...and it would break Julie's heart...she does so much so I can go there, and learn everything I'll need for a better life than I have now...I can't do that to her."
Taking the hint, Sakura said no more as the two put out the candles and exited the Dojo. Once more, Sakura took hold of Syaoran's arm and pulled herself close to him, causing both to blush deeply.
"Li...you're probably the most selfless and kindest person I have ever had the pleasure of meeting."
Walking down the street, Syaoran smiled broadly, enjoying the girl's company as they headed into town. He felt that soon, very soon, all the sorrow he had in his heart, would be blown away by this girl.
There was no denying it...
He was falling in love.
Me: Woah! Did I just write that chapter?
Kero: I guess you did?
Me: Seriously, I have no idea how I wrote that! Oh well. As long as it's good and brings in some reviews.
Kero: I'm more concerned about your other fics...
Me: ARGH! GOMEN! I PROMISE I'LL GET THEM DONE!!!