Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Rite of Passage ❯ Reclaiming a Cherry Blossom ( Chapter 5 )

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Card Captor Sakura Fanfiction
February 6, 2001
Disclaimer: Card Captor Sakura and all its characters are owned by CLAMP, Kodansha, Mixx. No money made, all for fun. Reminder: though this fic borrows aspects from both the anime and manga versions, it will primarily follow the manga plotline. The Li Family characterizations and non-canonical characters are figments of my imagination.

Rite of Passage
Chapter Five: Reclaiming a Cherry Blossom
By Ina-chan

Nobody knows exactly how old Li Yue-shu* is. She has been around for so long that she herself admitted loosing count how many generations of the Li clan she had seen born and die. Thus everyone simply and affectionately called her Old Grandmother.

Because Old Grandmother lived for so long, everyone expected her to live forever. No one was prepared when she suddenly died in her sleep. I was only a few months shy from my seventh birthday when she passed on. I have very few precious memories of her...

What I remember the most about her were her eyes. How bright and young the looked despite the ancient appearance of the tiny body that held them... How deep and profound they became when she passed on her knowledge... How fierce and intimidating they grew when you stirred her indignant rage... How soft and understanding they turn when she took away the pain from bumps, scrapes and bruises. And how sad and lonely they seemed the last time I sat on her lap on her favourite rocking chair...

...on the last day she was awake.

"Maa!" Old Grandmother exclaimed as she snuggled me comfortably on her lap, "There's a distressed look on my little wolf cub's face. Was Wei's lesson too hard today?"

I only answered with a silent shake of the head.

"Did Ra-jie tease you again?"

Another head shake.

"Ah... something happened in school," Old Grandmother deduced with a knowing look, "Why don't you tell Old Grandmother all about it."

A rather violent shake of the head.

Old Grandmother followed my nervous darting glances to the room's closed doors and walls before making a knowing nod, "I see. You don't want your sisters to know and tease you," she whispered secretively, "Why don't you whisper it to Old Grandmother's ear then."

"Hmmm," She hmmmed in an equally quiet secretive whisper, "The School's Literary Fest. Your teacher wants you to sing a solo part and you don't want to*. That is a big problem." She tapped her frail fingers on her chin as her forehead knotted, deep in thought. I watched her silently until her face brightened, indicating a solution, "I know. Why don't you tell you teacher that you don't want to sing the part."

Another violent head shake. <bzzzbzzzbzzzz>

"Ah... I see. You don't want to disappoint your teacher either. This is indeed a big problem, "Old Grandmother chuckled, "When your mother was little, she had a similar situation. One time, she was supposed to recite a poem during a town festival. Ah! My poor Ie-lang* was frightened out of her wits. But in the end, she managed to do it. Do you want to know why?"

Nod.

"Your father teased and bullied her so much... In the end she was so angry at your father and wanted to prove him wrong so badly that she totally forgot about her stage fright," She laughed heartily

How that was similar to my problem was absolutely beyond me.

Old Grandmother wiped the tears from her eyes before turning back to me, "Maaa. I see a bewildered look on my little wolf cub's face. You're still a baby, after all. Well then... think of it this way. If you are to choose one person who you would like to hear you sing, just that one single person in the whole wide world, who would it be?"

I reached out and wrapped my arms around her neck.

Old Grandmother laughed as she covered my face with ticklish tiny little pecks, "My little wolf cub is teasing Old Grandmother. Well then, when you go up and sing your part, I want you to close your eyes and pretend that there is no one else watching you. Imagine us just as we are now. In this room, with Xiao-lang sitting on Old Grandmother's lap, singing his song just for us."

I closed my eyes and snuggled closer to her tiny frame, listening to the strong beating of her heart.

"But someday... someday, you WILL understand," Old Grandmother whispered soothingly, "It's not easy to love someone, you know. The amount of love you have to that person is equal to the amount of pain you will feel..." She stroked my hair and started to rock her chair, "Will you listen to another story, Xiao-lang. I know you won't understand all of it now, but promise me that you will always remember this. It's not a particularly happy story, I don't know if you think its a good one. But this is very very important. And I need you to remember it exactly as is... at least until you're old enough to understand."

She used to do that sometimes. Talk in a faraway voice about things I barely understood. But there was something odd about the tone of her voice... and there was an unusual look of sadness in her eyes.

"A long time ago," She began, "There once lived a very beautiful young woman named Ying-hua*. She was kind, and gentle, and everyone in her family loved their delicate cherry blossom. She was the heir to a powerful family of sorcerers and magicians.

Then one day, she had a fateful meeting with a foreigner. A young Englishman who was also talented in magic. They fell in love and Ying-hua married him against her family's wishes.

Her family never forgave her Englishman for stealing away their beloved treasure. The birth of her son made the situation worse. It has been a long standing tradition that the one born with the strongest talent was the one who will inherit the responsibility of leadership in the Clan. It was obvious that Ying-hua's son was born with unmistakable strong magic.

But there were those in the family who refused to acknowledge one with tainted foreigner blood as their future Father. The family argued, fought, and became divided. Until...

Until it was discovered that Ying-hua's son not only had strong magical ability, but also had the ability to create his own form of sorcery. Frightened and threatened by such power, the family cut away all ties from Ying-hua until she denounced them and returned to her family and assume her rightful role. To even utter the name of her Englishman and her son was a sin. That, my little wolf cub, is our family's greatest shame.

I was just a child then when I watched the boat my beloved aunt rode to disappear forever in the horizon. I vowed that no matter what, I will bring her back to us. When news of her death came, I finally realized that it was not a task meant to be done by someone else. Someone completely innocent of the sin against her. I vowed not to die until I hold in my arms the one who will redeem our family from our shameful sin. I waited patiently all these years. Hoping that every child I held in my arms will the one. The one who will bring Ying-hua back to us."

For some strange reason, Old Grandmother suddenly looked so old and tired.

"Xiao-lang, Ying-hua's son left a legacy... and a horrible disaster will befall when the seal is broken," Old Grandmother continued in an almost inaudible whisper. It almost felt as if she were talking directly into my soul, "That legacy is all that's left of Ying-hua. So remember this story. When you're old enough to understand, you will realize that have an important task ahead of you. You must, will all your power and all your heart, protect his legacy from that horrible disaster. Only then, my little wolf cub, only then will Ying-hua finally return home."

***

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother letting you make your own pathetic attempts, "Aren't you done yet?"

That flying stuffed animal turned around and shot me a scathing glare, "The Shadow Card is very difficult. Even Clow had a difficult time capturing it."

She's just not doing it right. I flicked a triad of spell wards at it, "TEAR*!" Only to watch it pass through harmlessly.

"I told you that Shadow is difficult to contain. You don't know anything!"

I'm really getting very annoyed with this stuffed animal, "Oh yeah? Well, some expert YOU turned out to be!"

"LOOK OUT!"

The Shadow card unfurled its fury as tendrils of darkness and zoomed to our direction at breakneck speed. I didn't need more than a side-sweeping glance to see you staring at your impending doom. DAMN IT!

The air whistled dangerously close to my ears, almost as if our attacker decided to pull back its punches at the last minute. Almost. The sting on my right arm is testimony to that.

"RI-KUN!"

I could only wince as you screamed at my from behind me. If thoughts weren't racing wildly, I would probably have laughed at the irony of this scene. With my teeth clenched against my arm's loud protests of agony, I drew my sword and focused all my energy in its mystical blade...

"Rai tei sho rai kyou kyou nyo ritsu ryou..."

...feeling the comforting crackle of electricity in the air as the Lord of Thunder started to answer my call with its presence... Old Grandmother... please lend me your strength.

"RAI KEKI!!"

The flash of lightning bathed the darkness with its magnificent illuminating light.

"That's the way! Hit the shadow with light and it will disappear. You're a descendant of Clow, so you understand how the Clow Cards work," The stuffed animal spoke with a tiny twinge of admiration in its annoyed cry, "But I still hate you."

"But..." The camera girl called out, "How can you defeat it that way?"

She was right. No matter how powerful the God of Thunder may be, once its light fades... The Shadow would only return, grow, and glower threateningly at its attacker with indignant vengeance. Not at all different from what it was doing now... "'Kuso!*" The only thing I could do was instinctively stretch my arms wide to shield you behind me as the Shadow slowly circled around us..

"Kero-chan! How do I turn the Shadow back into a card?"

"If the Shadow was in its true form it wouldn't be that hard."

I felt you move away from the safety of your human shield, "Oi! That's dangerous!"

"It's okay," You replied, that familiar fire of determination hardening the lines of your face, "I'll wipe out this Shadow!"

This was only the second time I saw you fight. But this was the the first time I saw you fight aggressively in battle. Your technique still reflected your inexperience and lack of training. Your strategy was still so simple and unorthodox. I must have looked foolish standing there, gaping in disbelief, as my mind tried to digest what I just witnessed.

"Thank you for helping me," Your voice broke into my reverie as you bandaged my injury with your handkerchief. You looked up and gave me a big smile, "I got the idea when you used lightning to stop it."

Even though I lived all my life in a household of women, I never really understood how a girl's mind worked. As soon as I thought I finally got the answer, my demonic sisters would elude the question by doing something unpredictable. You were worse than all my sisters combined. You were supposed to be my opponent... my enemy... my rival. Just as I have already set myself to hate you... you do this. You do something to astonish me. You make me feel foolish. You confuse me, "You and I are nothing alike!"

"I'm doing my best!" You utter defensively, "I really trying hard to catch the cards myself!"

As the day stretched its arms throughout the four corners, momentarily defeating the darkness of the tired night... all that was said and done will never be enough to change this one fact. You are still my opponent...

"STOP FOLLOWING ME!"

...my enemy...

"I HAVE BUSINESS HERE!"

...my rival...

"Kore? Is this for me? Thank you."

... AND I ABSOLUTELY REFUSE TO LOOSE TO YOU!!!

End of Part 5
Continue to Part 6:A Snowflake, Bonds, and Honour
Return to Part 4: Insanity, A Red Plum, and a Snow Bunny

Ina-chan's Squawk:

*Yue-shu - Just for the record, CCS canon has no "Old Grandmother". I made her up, as well as her name. The Chinese kanji I chose is supposed to mean "oak". But as I browsed around, there is also another Chinese kanji pronounced the same way but means "keep within bounds" or "to restrain". I thought it was a very appropriate name considering how I characterized her, ne?

*^_^. In the anime version of the literary fest storyline (where Sakura's class does their rendition of "Sleeping Beauty of the Forest" with Sakura as the Prince and Syaoran as the Princess <sweatdrops>... ^_^.), there was one scene when Sakura asked Syaoran if his school in Hong Kong held literary fests and if he participated in them. Syaoran replied that in his school's literary fest, he sang. When Sakura prodded him to sing a song, of course he refused with such kawaii self-conscious defiance. I've always been fascinated with this particular personality quirk of Syaoran (that is being so self-confident with battles and all things logical. But when it comes to personal things, he just becomes so self-conscious and shy! Its so cute! ^_^.) so I added it in as a core aspect of his being, even as a little kid.

*I still haven't found Li Yelan's proper Chinese romanization. Though in Japanese Kanji, her name means "To rise above darkness".

*Ying-hua= <GRIN> Hmmm... non-Chinese speaking readers? I give you three guesses what this name means...

*The kanji used for "ha" when Syaoran threw them unnamed spell wards meant "Tear, rip, destroy, crush". Since it is the Shadow card, I guess he was attempting to rip the shadow apart. <shrug> Well, comes to show that he's not the Clow Card expert he claims to be... ^_^.

*Kuso - Japanese expletive synonymous to an expletive profanity (like "Damn!", "Dang it!", "Sh*t!", take your pick).

The manga scenes are also excessively edited. If you want to see the original scenes as is (that is if you still haven't), check out Mixx's vol. 2 of the Cardcaptor Sakura graphic novel (if you can read Furigana, check out the original Kodansha tankubon).

As usual, reviews, comments and criticisms will be very much appreciated. If you have a fanfiction.net account, please don't hesitate to review my fics on http://www.fanfiction.net. The genre is under Anime-CCS-Drama. I would love some constructive criticisms for the improvement of this fic series. ^_^. I'm also open for private mail CCS discussion. You can reach me via ina_chan@yahoo.com!

Ja!
Ina-chan

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