Kero: Good to see you back in the...WHAT THE CRAP HAPPENED TO YOUR FACE!!!

Me: Ah. Okay, I get the point. Apologies for not putting up a chapter in ages.

Kero: grabs Keyo by his hair and points at various cuts and bruises And what's this about?

Me: Ah. Some thug did a number on my face today (29/10/04), I'm okay, really.

Kero: I WOULDN'T CALL THAT OKAY!!!

Me: I swear to god I'm fine! I'm writing this chapter aren't I!!!

Kero: Okay...but when you're done you're going to go lie down!

Me: Actually, I plan on going and seeing a movie.

Kero: WHAT!

Me: Uhh...Don't own CCS...Clamp does. Oh, and I'm going to use the Japanese names for all the cast now. Oh, there's also some strong language in this chapter. Apologies.

Kero: HURRY UP! YOU NEED REST!!!!

'' thoughts

"" speach

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Chapter 10 – Ying Fa Style Lives.

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The two spent the rest of the morning wandering around the town. Syaoran giving Sakura a grand tour, and pointing out all of the shopping districts and directing her to where the nightclubs lay (which he avoided like the plague). For lunch, the two visited a small restaurant Syaoran visited on a regular basis. The two sat in a corner table as the waiter (who boasted an Italian accent) took their order.

The restaurant was covered with photographs, mostly black and white, practically telling its history. Founders, workers, customers...all were shown; different times and worlds were on show.

"Wow...this place is amazing..." Sakura exclaimed in wonder, looking around as she waited for her meal.

"Yeah." Li agreed. "It's about as old as the Dojo. See that picture there, you can see the Dojo's founder, and the restaurants founder shaking hands."

Sakura smiled and laughed at the sight, a young man with a long beard and lean figure was shaking hands with a fairly old man with a balding head. Sakura noted that the bearded man appeared in many of the photographs, with others around him. She even recognised Syaoran's father and a younger Syaoran.

"After every tournament, win or lose, they Dojo members would come here to celebrate. It was kind of a tradition."

After lunch, two then proceeded to walk through the park, taking a trail through the forest. It was a place where, very clearly, few people from the school went. It was very peaceful and quiet, the only sounds being of the birds and the bubbling river that ran through the woods. Sitting down on a low tree branch, Sakura surveyed the beautiful area, while Syaoran scrambled higher up.

"This place is so beautiful Li." Sakura spoke dreamily. The pink flowers from the tree floating down around her.

"Yeah." Li sighed, withholding the comment he wished to make.

The two sat and talked for the next few hours. About school, about their lives and things in general. As the evening settled in, Syaoran walked Sakura home, taking her up to the door (not knowing that they were being watched by Touya from the top window.

"Thanks a lot Li. Today's been great." Sakura beamed, that heart warming smile that was at this moment making Syaoran melt.

"Ummm...yah...So did I..." Syaoran blushed. "And you don't have to keep calling me 'Li'. You can call me Syaoran y'know."

"Thanks...Syaoran." Leaning in, she quickly kissed him on the cheek, give another smile, and walked through the door.

Syaoran stood still for a few moments, his hand running across his cheek. Smiling broadly, he turned around had began to head for home, happier than he had been in a long while.

The sky was turning a burning orange as he walked, the sun setting in the distance. Syaoran paused. The streets were nice and quiet, and his cheek still felt warm. Today had been a good day.

Footsteps...

He heard them. Turning, he decided that today could possibly take a downward turn. Coming up toward him, looking very...well...nasty...was probably the biggest Jerk in his school.

His name was Mark Tow. Like Syaoran, he was Chinese in decent. And unlike Syaoran, he was a complete and utter git. In fact, he was a raving psychopath.

"What do you want?" Syaoran asked, holding his ground. He never ran. He'd get beat up, but never run.

"To talk to you." Mark responded, a very venomous note in his voice, which Syaoran noted right before Mark's fist connected with his jaw.

It was the way it often went. Syaoran too gentle to fight back, to worn down to resist. All the while, as Mark beat him, he kept ranting.

"Don't speak to me like that you little shit! You damn little shit! You worthless shit!"

Same as always Syaoran thought. The thug never needed a reason to beat on him, and he smelt a little drunk. Breaking away lightly, Syaoran panted, gaining back his breath. His face hurt quite a bit, and he noticed blood on his hand as he wiped his lip. Then Mark started again.

"Y'know. It always gets to me. No matter what I do to you, you never fall! You never cry! You always keep that damn look on your face....And your eyes! That look...Maybe...maybe I should go for that girl..."

'No!'

"That Sakura chick your seem to be so fond of...I've seen you two...damn bitch...she turns down everyone who comes after her...I bet she would feel real nice..."

'No! Not her...not Sakura.'

"So soft and weak. She would feel real nice."

"NO!"

In one swift fluid movement, Syaoran knocked Mark back hard, winding him lightly, his body adopting to the fighting stance he knew so well.

The final student from Ying Fa Dojo was ready to fight.

"Think you can take me eh? YOU LITTLE SHIT!" Mark rushed forward, lashing out, finding each of his hits blocked.

"You...disgust me..." Syaoran uttered, before lashing out himself.

He danced around his opponent, keeping him from being able to block, raining down one blow after another, pummelling his body into submission, his attacks were a blur as he lashed out with his most singular style.

He wasn't fighting for revenge.

He was fighting for her...she meant more to him than anything...even his own life.

And he only now realised why.

It was easy...way too easy. Mark wasn't even in Syaoran's league in a real fight. He couldn't land any blows while Syaoran dodged around and struck again and again, no longer caring about the consequences, he had to protect her. Rolling as Mark punched out again, Syaoran stood up and delivered a kick to his head. Mark dropped to the ground, panting heavily, blood leaking from his lip, bruises growing all over him.

"I swear to god...If you ever so much as threaten Sakura..." Syaoran lent into close to Mark's ear. "I will kill you."

Mark nodded dumbly, too afraid to do otherwise, his body screaming with pain.

Resuming his walk, Syaoran once more wiped the blood from his face. He couldn't believe he had just done that. All the consequences of his actions began to spin through his mind, terrifying him. Upon arriving home, he wrote a swift note for his sister and ran down to the dojo, sitting up in the attic among the mementos and shrines. Rain began to fall as he sat cross legged, praying to the souls of masters long gone for guidance.

In the Kinomoto household, Sakura slammed her door shut and flumped down on her bed. Trust her brother to be a complete pain in the ass. One kiss...to the cheek! And he's acting like she slept with him...jeez...

Rolling over and curling up, Sakura drifted into happy dreams as a smile crept on her face, while Syaoran sat drifting into his own sleep full of very different dreams, his realisation floating through his mind.

Why he had fought to defend her, when he never would to defend himself.

Why he was willing to risk everything for her like that.

He had fallen in love with her.

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Me: Okay, quite a short chapter, but it's better than nothing. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far, and starting next chapter I will be doing individual thanks.

Kero: GO TO BED! You should be resting.

Me: STOP FUSSING!

In detail what happened was my face was turned into a living, fleshy, punch bag. I've got two ring marks on my face and I will be pressing charges for assault against the guy. This chapter pans out a little differently from what I originally intended, I was going to have Syaoran just get beaten up for no reason, but after what happened today, I couldn't do that, I had to mark some justice in the world so I had him kick the crap outta him.

Mark will be a reappearing antagonist. And good news, Eriol will appear next chapter (hopefully).