Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Sakura: Knight of the Clow ❯ Chapter 9

Sakura: Knight of the Clow: Nine

The dojo was quiet now, the sounds of the battle having come to a sudden close. Scattered around on the floor were fallen figures, dressed in white gi and belted in various colors but all of them had been soundly defeated. The final woman stood her ground against their foe, her breath raspy in the eerie silence that had come after the combat.

"Ma'am," Mei-Lin nodded, her short black hair falling into her eyes. She wore simple clothes, a black shirt and pants along with light boots.

The glowing figure didn't reply, the elegant figure instead taking up a fighting stance. The golden being smiled, eyes glowing as she gestured for Mei-Lin to come at her. Her formal robes shimmered, flowing around her, looking both beautiful and athletic at the same time.

Mei-Lin moved in a blur as she murmured, "If that's the way you want it!"

They moved together swiftly, barely touching as they struck and parried, each trying to get a feel for the other's abilities. Mei-Lin was very good, that she was confident in, but oddly she couldn't seem to penetrate this mysterious woman's guard.

'I'm in trouble,' Mei-Lin realized, barely blocking another powerful blow when....

...the doors opened with a crash, the figure rushing inside with her cloak flowing around her. The brown haired woman narrowed her eyes as she swiftly took in the situation even as two figures very familiar to Mei-Lin rushed in behind her.

"Ooops, busted," Tomoyo murmured, Yukito filming away behind her as they watched.

"Fight Card," the brown haired woman muttered, "lovely." She grasped the pendant around her throat, the charm glowing as it expanded into a staff.

The Fight turned, moving towards Tomoyo and her friends but Mei-Lin moved between them even as she wiped some blood from her face, left over from a stray blow. "We aren't done," Mei-Lin said firmly before taking up her fighting stance once again.

Fight smiled, a odd warmth in her eyes as she looked thoughtfully at Mei-Lin. She nodded graciously then kicked up, nearly taking the woman's head off. Back and forth they sparred, occasional blows landing as they fought on, each striving to defeat the other. Mei-Lin tried her best to keep going but as they continued she began to tire, wilting from the length of the battle.

"We've got to help her," Yukito frowned, the blonde haired man looking on worriedly as Fight ruthlessly pounded on Mei-Lin's guard.

"Mei-Lin might win," Tomoyo muttered, "but Fight is out-lasting her, Sakura."

Sakura surprised them both by moving swiftly forward, running as she swung her staff down, distracting Fight for a moment. Fight struck out so fast that Sakura didn't even see it, belting her backwards with frightening ease. "I think I can boost your strength," Sakura managed to wheeze out to Mei-Lin, "if you'll let me...."

Mei-Lin put herself between Sakura and Fight, protecting the winded young woman reflexedly. "If you can," she answered her crisply, "then do it."

From beneath her cloak Sakura drew a card, the Beast on the face almost glowing in the dojo's dim light. "Beast card," she cried then tossed it up into the air, striking it with her staff as she cried, "lend your strength and aspect to this warrior! Beast Card!"

The Beast leapt from the card, growling at Fight even as she mist-like swirled around Mei-Lin's body. Fight stepped back in surprise, eyes widening just slightly as the mist seeped into the other woman's form, a glow shining around her.

Mei-Lin straightened up, a new vitality filling her slim form. The wounds that she had already received, a broken nose, cuts and bruises were all gone, her body glowing with new health. She moved faster than before, striking tirelessly as she and Fight fought once again.

They were evenly matched once again, and the oddly blank expression that Fight had been carrying slowly shifted to a smile. The more difficult the moves, the more hard pressed she was, the more the glowing figure seemed to enjoy the battle. They battled furiously, unyielding, each trying to utterly conquer the other.

Later on Mei-Lin couldn't even explain when the fight turned, when she finally got the upper hand on her unearthly foe. An sudden opening, the slightest faltering of Fight's guard and she struck, hammering at the woman's exposed shoulder. Following up swiftly she pressed home her attacks, using the weakened side to her fullest advantage. Finally Fight fell, a right cross rocked her head back and sending her crumpling to the floor.

"It's done," Mei-Lin sighed then, swaying slightly, she bonelessly collapsed to the ground.

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".... did you know that the Beast could combine with her like that?" Tomoyo's voice asked, the sounds of a conversation bringing Mei-Lin back to consciousness.

"The cards and I share a sort of link," the woman called Sakura answered, "I could sense that the Beast could do that, basically."

"I'm just glad that no one was seriously hurt," Yukito answered, "the martial arts students at the dojo got away with only bumps and bruises."

Mei-Lin hissed as she pushed herself up from where she was laying on someone's couch, her whole body aching. "That's good to hear," she said as she felt eyes turning to her.

"Do you want some tea?" Sakura got up, pouring out a cup then carrying it over to the small house's living room.

"Thanks," Mei-Lin took a careful drink, feeling better doing something so normal after her very odd afternoon. She looked up at Sakura and asked curiously, "You're the Knight that Tomoyo's been writing about, aren't you?"

"Guilty," Sakura smiled slightly.

"Are you all right?" Tomoyo spoke up, studying Mei-Lin worriedly.

"Surprisingly, yes." Mei-Lin shifted a bit, wincing slightly as she added, "I'm stiff and sore all over, but other than that I'm fine."

"I'm glad," Sakura hesitated before she sighed and said, "I'm sorry that you had to get involved in all of this."

"Actually," Mei-Lin took another drink of tea, "I sort of enjoyed it. It was almost like the sort of things my cousin Li writes to me about."

"Li Sayorin?" Sakura blinked and Mei-Lin nodded. "Small world," she muttered.

"Hello," Yukito waved a hand as he continued, "little confused here."

"Li Sayorin is an archeologist associate of mine in China," Sakura explained, "he's also been researching Clow and the artifacts that he created."

"My cousin and I are supposed to be descended from Clow Reed," Mei-Lin added as she sat back with a sigh. "So that woman I fought was a Clow Card?"

Sakura took it out of a pocket, the Clow Card now bearing the image of a smiling woman in a fighting stance. "Captured thanks to you," she said with a smile.

"You can understand why we're keeping this a secret," Tomoyo started before being cut off.

"I won't tell anyone about what happened," Mei-Lin said firmly, " and I'm pretty sure that no one at the dojo will too, since they would also have to admit they were all beaten up by one woman. But...." Mei-Lin trailed off.

"Yes?" Sakura asked.

"My cousin is looking for any Clow Cards in China," Mei-Lin looked up as she said with determination, "I'd like to offer whatever help I can in capturing them here."

"It'll be dangerous," Yukito cautioned.

"I'm not scared," Mei-Lin calmly answered, "and there are some stories about the Clow Cards that have been passed down in our family." She flashed a smile as she continued on, "I bet that sort of information will be useful."

"I've probably heard some of them from Li already," Sakura commented. She looked at her intently and Mei-Lin could almost feel the woman assessing her. Then her face gentled in a smile as she said warmly, "I could use the help."

Mei-Lin shook the other woman's hand then blinked in surprise as she felt a hostile gaze on her. 'Wonder what's annoyed Tomoyo?' she wondered.

To be continued...