CH08: New Powers

"Please release..." She begged.

Sakura felt like she was at fault for everything. Every tragedy that had occurred had somehow been related to what she had done. If she hadn't released the Clow cards, or even if she had just been better at capturing them, Laishi Lin would still be alive and Tomoyo would still be her best friend. If she had confronted Yue first, Syaoran wouldn't be injured. If she hadn't left, he wouldn't be addicted. If she had only been able to use her cards... then neither of them would die.

Syaoran wrapped his arms around her. He was still trembling. Sakura wondered if it was because he knew they were going to die. He jerked as a large piece of debris smashed into his back. He bit back a scream of pain from the impact as his grip around her became tighter. Was he trying to shield her with his own body, or only seeking his last comfort before his life ended?

"Sak... "It sounded like a voice trying to penetrate the howling of the wind.

"Did you hear that?" Syaoran groaned.

"Sa... ra..."

"It's Kero!" Sakura said. Her spirits instantly brightened. "He'll save us!" Sakura flinched as a splintering crash was heard. Sakura tried to sense where Kero was, but the air was much too saturated with magic for her to detect his presence. There was another loud crash. A few seconds later, another. A flash of blue light appeared above them and the wind screamed.

"Sakura!" The great yellow beast's head and a single paw made it through the barrier. It was enough to reveal that he had been badly wounded. Blood dripped from under his dented headpiece, and several deep gashes were ripped into his fur.

"KERO!" Sakura stretched her arm up in a futile attempt to reach him, but was pulled back down sharply by Syaoran before a shower of splinters rained down on them. "KERO!" Sakura shouted again. He was gone. There was no sign that he had ever set his paw within the enclosing whirlwind. Though it may have only been the dust blocking out the light, it seemed as if the entire world had gone dark for a moment.

"Stop it now!" Tomoyo was barely keeping her composure. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and glared at him threateningly.

"Tomoyo, I allowed you to use my magic at its fullest potential and you created this. If I tried to stop it, there would be a collision of two equal forces. Yes the storm would end, but the resulting explosion would kill everyone inside of it," Eriol explained calmly. He didn't seem worried at all.

"Please!" Tomoyo begged. Her head leaned against his chest. "I'm angry, but I don't want her to die."

"If that's true, then she will be fine. The spell is controlled by your will after all, even if it is only a copy imprinted into my staff." He felt her tears begin to wet his shirt and he looked to where Kero was valiantly trying to save his mistress. Yue took a more conservative approach, avoiding personal injury as he attacked the whirlwind from a distance.

'Sorry, Keroberos, but you do not have enough power to free her right now.' Eriol thought sadly.

"Sakura!" a battered Kero rose to his paws. His right foreleg was limping and his wings had been stripped of many of their feathers. He was in bad shape, but he couldn't give up while Sakura was in danger. Yue was hovering at a safe distance, shooting arrows as fast as he could. Kero opened his jaws wide, and with a mighty roar, shot a massive fireball at the wind.

The winds whipped violently as if impacted by a mighty force. Sakura felt something whiz by and scratch her. She looked up and saw a shower of sparks fade into the clouds of dust. It was as beautiful as it was deadly. Blue sparks appeared next, but with less force. The red ones flared again. Sakura knew that Kero must have been using his fireballs to create the red while Yue's arrows created the blue.

Her guardians... Her friends were trying their best to get her out, while she sat moping about her stupid key. She glanced at the offending object and the red light of Kero's blast illuminated the golden star on the end of it.

"The words control the spell in spirit if not in form," Sakura said as she remembered one of her first lessons in magic. "To control it, you must articulate it so that you control the spell and it doesn't cause unwanted effects or drain you of your life energy."

Sakura's eyes widened as she realized, "I've been asking for the wrong thing!"

Sakura remembered the words that Clow had said to her when she had passed the final judgment. "Clow's power was derived from the darkness, and so his key derived power from darkness. My power is not Clow's power. It does not come from darkness, the sun or the moon. My power is that of a star," she said resolutely and then began to chant, "Key that hides the power of my star, reveal your true form. Your mistress commands it. Release!" Sakura looked on in wonder as the key grew into the wand she had used to defeat Yue.

"You did it!" Syaoran said proudly, "I knew that you could do it." He winced in pain.

"Everything's going to be alright," Sakura said confidently as she stood up. A magical circle different from Clow's appeared below as her magical aura began to gently repel some of the flying debris.

"Now, Clow card!" She struck the Storm Card with her wand.

Nothing happened.

"Not again!" She exclaimed. Sakura collapsed to her knees, clutching her wand to her chest. "Why didn't it work?" She cried out in frustration. She had been so close. She could have defeated this magical force and saved both of them. Kero wouldn't be hurting himself trying to get to her. Why couldn't anything go right for her?

"Sakura. You have a new staff and a new source of power; maybe the cards need to be changed too," Syaoran suggested weakly as he struggled to remain upright, protecting Sakura from at least some of the flying debris with his own body.

"How am I supposed to do that? Mizuki-sensei told me the incantation to change the staff. How am I supposed to change the staff? I don't know how to change anything!"

"Just try. You can do it." Syaoran ordered.

"Clow card, discard your former power and draw upon a new strength. Storm!" With a flash of light, the card activated.

"You might want to watch this," Eriol said. He held Tomoyo's camera in front of him. Tomoyo had no idea where he had gotten it from. She had left it at home. "You will regret if you do not capture this."

Tomoyo took the camera and aimed it at the whirlwind as it began to fluctuate. The clouds above the wind darkened as another funnel of wind came down within the first, rotating the opposite direction.

A grinding sound filled the air and arcs of lightning crashed down all around the battling tornadoes. Tomoyo could barely hold her hands steady as she watched the display of power.

Then, with a powerful explosion, the outer wind expanded and dissipated. A fine mist of particles rained down upon Tomoyo. What had once been rocks and twigs and furniture and parts of buildings had been ground down to fine sand by the friction of the winds.

"Now wasn't that exciting?" Eriol asked. Tomoyo nodded as she watched the storm dissipate and form as a card in Sakura's hand.

"She was wearing my clothes." She muttered in shock.

"But it looks like our date will have to be postponed. It seems as if the restaurant will need to be cleaned up before it serves anyone." Eriol said dismissively. This snapped Tomoyo back to reality and she began to argue angrily with Eriol once more.

Meiling exited the restaurant carrying two plates of food and screamed incoherently as she surveyed the devestation.

"What the hell happened out here?" Meiling yelled. The patio area of the restaurant no longer existed. She looked at Sakura and Syaoran. While neither seemed to have any life threatening injuries, they were both looking terrible, covered in small cuts and abrasions. Kero was limping over, barely able to stand. Yue, however, seemed to be in immaculate condition and arrived at Sakura's side just in time to catch her as she fainted.

"Hoee!" Sakura exclaimed as a loud explosion woke her. She quickly identified the source of the explosion as a movie playing on the television.

Syaoran glanced away from the screen before flopping down beside her. The traces of their battle had almost disappeared from his features, yet he looked worse than he had before. The room smelled of sweat and sick, and she understood why when Syaoran rolled over and vomited over the side of the bed. A metallic splatter told Sakura that there was probably a bucket there.

"Syaoran?" Sakura said before yawning tiredly.

"I'm fine," he said hoarsely. He didn't look or sound fine to Sakura.

"How long was I asleep?" Sakura asked. She decided to let him keep his pride, or what was left of it, rather than force him to talk about his current infirmity. The doctor had told them that this type of thing was to be expected, at least for a few weeks.

"Two days," he replied. He sighed and rolled back to his original position.

"I'm still so tired," She said. She rolled over and lay her head on his chest, listening to the rhythmic thumping.

"Transforming the card took a lot of energy. It was like last year when Mei-" Syaoran's breathing paused for a moment, "she used the Fiery Card. Your magic wasn't strong enough so it took from your physical energy reserves."

"So if I transform more of them, I might die..." Her nails dug into Syaoran's stomach as she tensed at the thought.

"It's different with you though. They explained it when she almost died. When you deplete your power, it trains your body to handle more magical energy. It's like the saying 'what doesn't kill you will only make you stronger'."

"How many..." Sakura mumbled as she drifted off to sleep again.

Fujitaka led his students towards the gates of the Forbidden City. Some of them were taking the expedition seriously. Others, however...

"Were you looking at this?" Evalese asked Benjamin. He had become her favorite subject to tease. She leaned over to give him a better view of the area she was pointing at. "You know, you can be really cute when you look like that." Benjamin's face had become beet red.

"W-we n-n-need t-to be s-serious," he stuttered as he fought to avoid a nosebleed as more and more blood rushed to his face.

"''oo said I am not serious."

"Take this like man, Benjamin." Alexei gave him a solid shove, sending his face into the two voluptuous mounds displayed before him. Benjamin's body went limp and he flopped backwards to the ground in a daze. Alexei suddenly felt that he was the target of disapproving stares, including a particularly intense one from Evalese.

"Vhat? If he did not vant it, he should not have looked." Alexie defended himself to the French woman. This earned him a solid slap.

"Where I come from, actions like that would have serious consequences," Yosef pointed out, "You should watch yourself."

"Please maintain your composure while we are here," Fujitaka told the group, interfering so that the situation would not escalate any further, "You are representing both your schools and the Li Corporation. They are going to take your actions seriously." Fujitaka pointed towards the gates of the Forbidden City where a small army of guards waited for their arrival. The students shifted into a pair of parallel lines and stopped their boisterous activity as they approached and were greeted by a man in a red and gold suit. His jacket extended all the way to his ankles and his collar to the rim of his dark glasses. The only visible feature was his spiky black hair.

"Welcome," he said, "You are expected. I trust you have all memorized the behavioral code. It would be unfortunate if a mistake resulted in harsh consequences." He scanned the group. "Your name?" It sounded more like a demand than a question.

"Eloise," the girl he had addressed replied.

"Return to your hotel and read the behavioral code again," he said coldly, "Your name?" He moved down the line before the girl could protest.

Fujitaka was not surprised that they were being tested this way. It was better to screen them at the door than to be forced to execute a foreigner for disobeying a rule they didn't understand.

"Furiya Kokoru," he said as he inclined his head respectfully.

"Proceed through to the guards. If you fail their challenge, you will be sent away. You will not be given another chance until tomorrow. Only those proven worthy may enter." He turned. "Kinomoto-sama, your presence has been requested by my father. You will not be challenged; please do not betray the trust that has been placed in you."

"You honor me too greatly. I humbly accept the invitation, Yuan-sama." Fujitaka bowed as far as his body would allow.

"Rumors of your scholarly excellence precede you. Meeting you has not been a disappointment." Yuan moved to the next student.

"Your name?"

"Chan Jade." She stated confidently as she emulated what she had seen Furiya do.

"This is a test of knowledge, not mimicry. Do not defile my home with such actions again," Yuan said angrily, "Return to you hotel. You will not enter until you have learned the rituals demanded of you."

Jade was shocked, but did as she was told. In the end only a few others achieved entrance to the Forbidden City that day: Meir Yosef, Velsen Benjamin, O'Connell Alex, Li Fei, Kai Fan, Long Teng, and Si Quan.

One of the guards led Fujitaka through the small walled city within a city. He was taken to the palace where a figure, who he presumed to be the emperor was sitting behind a translucent veil. Fujitaka, having completely memorized the procedures bowed fully prostrate at the entrance. There was a period of silence, but he did not look up. To gaze upon the emperor's face was a crime worthy of death. Even the Eunuchs and the royal guard kept their eyes pasted solidly to the floor. He knew better than to commit such an infraction without the Emperor's direct order.

"Rise and come forth." A eunuch who stood at the entrance to the curtain said after a faint whisper was heard. "My lord welcomes you into his home." Fujitaka stood and advanced to the base of the steps that lead to the risen section where the emperor sat. He kneeled. His eyes never left the floor.

"Your lord honors me. I am unworthy to kneel before even the humblest of his servants."

More whispers were heard. The eunuch began to tremble, reluctant to repeat what was spoken. Another whisper came and the Eunuch blurted out, "My lord says to 'cut the bullshit,' he will speak to you privately." At this, the eunuchs and guards left the room and closed the doors. They were obviously shaken by what had transpired.

Fujitaka waited as the curtain seemed to pull itself aside.

"You know as well as I do that this is motivation for the people. Subjecting you to these contrivances in private is a waste of both of our time." Despite his usual form of communication, the emperor had a strong voice.

"Thank you," Fujitaka replied as he stood and looked the Emperor in the eye. He was a middle-aged Chinese man with short, slightly graying hair. He was of average height, and his build was wide and solid. His eyes were piercing and gray. He wore flowing robes. They were similar but much more intricate than the ones the younger Yuan. Fujitaka guessed that, based on the clothes, the man who greeted them must be the Emperor's son. On the emperor's left hip was a jeweled scabbard with a gold hilted scimitar. In his right hand, he held a staff that was topped with a diamond orb the size of a fist. A flash of light flared through the gem, temporarily blinding Fujitaka. The emperor's face looked surprised for a moment as he looked upon the man before him.

Meiling sighed as she looked over the bills she had to pay. The restaurant had been closed for repairs for a few days, and she was sure that she would have to dip into her savings to make ends meet this month. She remembered what Sakura had said about her allowance. Five-hundred American dollars per week. Sakura had spent only a few hundred of it thanks to Syaoran, so she now had a rather impressive sum in her bank account, especially since the amount had been raised since the engagement. This of course had only been one of many ploys to attract Sakura into joining the Li family.

In reality, Meiling had made less than a tenth of that, and had not had the opportunity to be so frugal. It seemed a little comical that their allowance was paid in American dollars, but the Li Corporation was an international business, and the United States dollar was the easiest currency to work with. Because they used prepaid credit cards linked to expense accounts, the difference in currency had never really made a difference to Meiling. Now it mattered. If she started using the few thousand dollars she had saved she would also have to pay conversion fees...

She wasn't sure what she was going to do when school came around. She wasn't even sure she'd be able to afford her tuition, even if she could get a full scholarship, and she did not want to go crawling back and begging for money. This meant that she would need another source of income, and it would have to earn a lot more than waitressing did.

"It's just a damn bedroom and kitchen, how can it cost so much?" Meiling sighed. Electricity and water were included fortunately, but still, twenty-one thousand Yuan a month was terribly expensive, but it was the only thing she could find even remotely close to her price range. It must be the price one paid for living in such a rich neighborhood.

Her money troubles did not end there. She had been taking advantage of her job to get a few free meals a day. With the café closed, her food costs had more than tripled. At this rate, she would never even be able to afford a car. She knew that Wei would be more than happy to give her a ride wherever she needed to go, but she knew that he would have no choice but to serve those in the main branch first. This really, really, sucked.

Meiling decided to go outside for a bit of fresh air to clear her head. The stress was beginning to get to her and the exercise would do her good. She hadn't really had time to train since moving away so the fresh air felt good to her. Her walk soon turned to a run. She zipped masterfully between the pedestrians in the crowds, occasionally executing some fancy acrobatics to avoid them.

A flyer in a window caught her eye and she skidded to a halt outside a rundown building. It wasn't that the flyer was particularly impressive. It was the number at the bottom that caught her attention: Two-hundred-thousand. It was the first prize for a martial arts competition. She didn't hesitate to race into the building. That prize would cover rent for almost an entire year.

The building was surprisingly clean on the inside. The walls were painted white with only a few wall scrolls with words like 'honor' written in large calligraphy. There was a pot of leafy bamboo shoots sitting next to a dark wooden desk. Tatami mats lined the floor. Meiling took off her shoes and wandered over to an archway that led to the only other room on that floor of the building. This large room had weapon racks lined up along the walls. Some were filled with bamboo training weapons. Others were definitely real. Except for a path along the edges of the room, the entire floor was lightly padded. In the center of the room a middle-aged man sat meditating. The floor creaked under her footsteps and the man looked up.

"May I help you?" The man asked.

"The contest on the flyer outside. I want to enter it." Meiling stated.

"Your dojo will be able to enter you in the contest." The man said dismissively.

"I don't have a dojo," Meiling replied.

"Then what you are looking for is a dojo." The man replied. His eyes focused on her like a hunter watching its prey.

"No. I can't afford membership right now. That is why I want to fight in the tournament. I need the money. Please let me enter." She begged.

"I cannot just let anyone walk in off the streets and enter the competition. Martial arts is a dangerous sport. You might get hurt."

"Then test me." Meiling snapped. The man was irritating. He wasn't taking her seriously. She barely saw the man move. He was on his feet and making his way behind her in the time it took her to blink.

"Right feint, left ankle hook," Meiling called out as she swept with her foot, going for the leg she knew would be supporting the man's weight. It had been the obvious move. What better way to prove that someone is not ready for a fight than to attack them from behind. As the man jumped back to avoid the attack, Meiling used her momentum and did a one-handed cartwheel that landed her a few feet away from the man in a standard defensive position. "Flip and stance."

"Most people would just react on instinct in a battle like this. You remained calm and even called your attacks. I underestimated you." The man grinned. He was enjoying this.

"A mistake that is made only once," Meiling replied cockily.

"I will admit that you have the skill to fight, but I cannot let you enter a contest without being a member of a dojo." He taunted.

"I'll join and pay the fees when I win then."

"There's no guarantee that you'll-" Meiling rushed him.

"Right," her fist barely missed his face.

"Left," He couldn't dodge this one. He had to take it or block. Either way would work in Meiling's favor. He blocked, grabbing her wrist.

"Back, grab," She took a step back and pressed against the elbow of his extended arm with her free hand.

"Lock." She forced his elbow up. He had to lean forward, setting him off balance. She kicked the back of his shoulder, sending him falling face first towards the floor. As he fell, her leg slid along his shoulder, trapping it under her knee while his elbow was twisted up painfully and wedged into her waist.

"I win." There was no way the man could move without dislocating his shoulder now.

"I would expect nothing less from the infamous Li Meiling. But that does not change the fact that I can't allow you to enter." He said.

"Why not? I'm good enough, and I said that I'd pay you!" Meiling said angrily, forcing the hold deeper. How did this guy know her name?

"Because, if you'd read the whole flyer, you'd know that the contest is for eight to fifteen year olds." The man teased the infuriated Meiling.

"So I was wasting my time here?" Meiling blinked slowly as this fact registered with her.

"Fighting an opponent like you is not a waste of time, but you seem to have lost your edge since you defeated my student in the national competition." So that was how he knew her. She didn't recognize him. She had defeated many 'undefeatable prodigies' in that competition. None of them stood out - she had beaten all of them easily.

"I haven't had enough time to train," she replied bitterly.

"There are other competitions, and other options," the man said, "but you will have to wait for a little while if you'd like to discuss them."

"What? Why?"

"It seems that the students of this dojo have arrived. And if you keep me in this hold any longer, my arm will become too stiff to train them." Meiling released the man and he began his class.