Gundam Wing Fan Fiction ❯ Sarah ❯ “I lost...to someone stronger than me...” ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 8
"I lost...to someone stronger than me..." -Chang Wufei
I laughed. What else could I do? The first move he makes he puts me in check. I could see why he was a Gundam Pilot--easily. Now I had to show him that I was Heero and Relena Yuy's daughter...
The reason I was already so arrogant about my parents without even knowing the real reasons I should be was because they seemed so...amazing to me. My parents were my best friends, offering guidance and support, but also the respect peers have for each other. They never treated me less than their equal, which is why I was so extremely close with them. And the fact that they were the only people I'd ever known my whole life had nothing to do with it, I'm sure...
Mr. Chang stared at me. Narrowing his eyes at my amusement, he bitterly asked, "What is so funny, onna? Did you realize that you are going to lose?"
I grinned at him, never breaking out stare, and took the piece threatening my King. "No, I was laughing at the fact you left yourself so open for an attack, that's all. My turn for a question: Did you pilot a Gundam?" I asked, equally as bitter, sarcasm dripping off every word.
He snorted at my arrogance and looked at the table, contemplating my move. "Yes." Picking up his bishop, he placed it on my side of the board, once again endangering my Kind.
I shook my head at his ego, knowing it to be his downfall. Preparing to take his piece, I inquired, "Why do you keep giving up such valuable pieces? You won't take my King that easily, you know..."
He glared at me over the tops of his glasses, onyx eyes sparkling. "I believe that offense is the best defense." Smirking, he watched my hand hover over the nearest pawn. "Go ahead, take it...and blow your chances at winning."
Frowning, I stopped my previous action to look around at the board and where his pieces where positioned. If I took his bishop...that left my Queen completely open for attack. "You think I need my Queen to win? that I must rely on a...female to help me win? How unlike you, Sempai." I decided to risk it. If I beat him without my Queen, that would just show how good I really was. Taking his bishop, I gingerly placed it next to the board, yawning. "I think for my next question I would like to know--"
"You can't ask a question right now. You haven't taken another piece yet, Sarah-san. You should really pay more attention to the game and your own rules, onna..."
My eyes widened. "What do you mean? I just took your bishop!" I exclaimed indignantly, gesturing toward the row I was forming of black pieces.
He scoffed. "And did you not ask me a question right before you were taking it? I believe that counts, Sarah-san." I'm sure by then my eyes looked as if to catch fire at any moment by the way I was glaring at him. I felt my neck get hot as my temper flared, but quickly subdued as I forced myself to focus. He was trying to anger me so I couldn't think straight and make a mistake, I figured out. Chuckling, I nodded, much to his surprise.
"You're right, Sempai. I should have thought of that. Please, continue with your move." I stated politely, smiling sweetly the whole time. All he did was stare at me, trying to blink away his disbelief as his pale hand hovered above one of his pieces, waiting for his brain to decide.
We continued this game of cat and mouse far into the day, and soon I heard Sally approach with our lunch.
"You two are still playing? How long is this going to take?" I shrugged, and my opponent smirked, taking his tray. "Would you like some tea, Sarah?"
I nodded, unable to verbally respond as Wufei had me silent until I took another of his pieces, which were becoming scarce, as well as my own. Quickly counting both our lines of figurines, I saw we were even, both with the same amount of pieces captured. Although, to an outsider, it would seem that I was winning. All that Wufei had left was his Queen, a rook, two pawns, and, of course, his King. I, on the other hand, still had both my bishops, a rook, a knight, and my King. I didn't have my Queen any longer. He had taken her a while back, grinning the whole time. Then, I promptly took his two knights and one of his rooks, getting many more answers. Not to say that he didn't enjoy his moments of silence...those were abundant, and normally close together chronologically.
So far, I had figured out that he had piloted two different Gundams, one the Shen-Long, the other, Altron. Both had been nicknamed Nataku. I also found out that he had been the one who had killed Treize Khushrenada, the former leader of Oz. After getting that answer, he had kept me silent for five turns, taking my remaining pawns.
As I saw us nearing the end, I thought furiously. where had I seen this setup before? Black: a King, Queen, Rook, two Pawns; White: a King, Rook, Knight, both Bishops...
Then it dawned on me. This was exactly the arrangement of the game I had first won against Father! One dilemma arose...How did I win? For the life of me, I couldn't remember how I had beaten my father...
Wufei stared at me, raising and eyebrow while he took a bite of rice. I stared back, not about to be beaten, and sat still, trying to remember. "Well?" he asked, impatiently. "It is your turn, Sarah-san..." I glared at him, mouth upturned in a frown that said, 'I know, shut-up!' and brought my hand over a rook, thinking furiously. 'Wait...' I thought, eyebrows furrowing. 'Is it...?'
Moving the rook, I analyzed the move I had made and beamed, knowing it was the right one. 'I'll show you, Chang Wufei! Watch that smirk leave your face as I kick your a--'
"Checkmate."
"Nani?! How? Show me!" I demanded, jumping up. Looking at the board again, I saw it clearly, and how I had left my King unguarded by moving my rook. Dejectedly slumping back into my chair, I started setting up the board again, taking tiny sips of tea in between each placement. Looking up, I sighed. "I'll leave first thing tomorrow, Sempai. Thank you for a good game, and many learned lessons. Sayonara..."
I turned to leave, only to be stopped by the man's rough, "Matte, Sarah-san...are you going to give up that easily? Is that what Heero taught you? He must be getting soft in his old age..." The taunt echoed in my ears, challenging me. Urging me to go back and accept. How could I refuse? Father always told me to never turn down challenges, especially when my honor was being threatened. Facing the man, I asked quietly, "What is it you want me to do, Chang-san?"
He smirked, looking at me over the tops of his glasses again. "Heero taught you to fence?" I nodded. I loved the sport, and was confident in it. Yet, I had been confident in chess, too, and I was overcome easily. "What about Shanai fighting? Kendo sticks?" I nodded again. My favorite. "Meet me in the living room in an hour." With that, he left, barely glancing at me as he passed by, heading for the door. Pausing, he added, "Wear as much padding as you think you need. I'm warning you though...I don't hit lightly."
Raising an eyebrow, I headed for the room they were letting me stay in, ego bubbling up to the surface as I remembered the last time I fought Shanai.
"Good, now increase your speed, that's it, come in for the attack..." my father coached, encouraging me while blocking my every thrust easily. Deciding to try something new, I stepped aside as he attacked and flipped over him, turning swiftly to bring the edge of my bamboo sword to his side, just under his arm. I stopped, resting it there, and waited for my father's next move. It seemed to take forever, but finally he relaxed, bringing his stick down to point at the ground. Seconds later, I was lying flat on my back, a numbing pain in my side and the wind knocked out of me, while me father pointed the tip of the Kendo at my throat. "Never drop your guard. Even after you have won. You'd be surprised how many people have the knack for coming back from the dead. Now get, lesson's over. go inside, have some food and get to class with your mother. Good practice."
I remember getting up and going inside, but pausing at the window to watch my father pick up my dropped sword, wincing. He grabbed his side where I had hit him and lifted up the bottom of his tank, and analyzing the tender spot. I gasped as he revealed a very large bruise along his rib cage, and a small area where my attack had broken the skin, causing blood to trickle down his side. He dropped the bottom hem of his shirt and continued as if nothing had happened, all the while shaking his head and muttering about how good I was becoming.
Smiling to myself, I grabbed a tank top and long, cotton pants, knowing I needed to be free of constricting material. Remembering the Chinese man's warning, I smirked and said aloud, "It doesn't matter if you hit hard if you never catch me!"
I glanced at my clock. I still had about forty-five minutes until I had to meet for him another challenge. Sitting on the edge of my bed, I pondered over why he was giving me a change to redeem myself. He had won, and I was supposed to leave tomorrow, according to our agreement, yet he challenged me a different game, giving me the chance to beat him. Did he...want me to know about his interpretation of the Gundam? Did he actually want to...help me? Well, why didn't he just come out and say it?
Then it dawned on me. His pride. My pride. He couldn't just say, "Sarah, let me help you..." for knowledge of the fact that I wouldn't as readily accept it.
He was testing me, also. He was seeing if I was worthy enough to be Heero and Relena's daughter...
I had to prove it to him.
But first...I needed to stretch. Sitting on the floor, I spread out my legs and began my flexibility exercises, literally folding myself in half as I prepared. Finishing thirty minutes later, I plopped down on my bed and took a quick rest, knowing I needed it. I needed to be fully aware of what was going on so I wouldn't, first of all, get hurt severely due to lack of sleep, and secondly, be able to beat him. I didn't know how many times he was going to challenge me until I beat him, so I had to take every chance I got and give my best.
And he was going to get my best. And more.
Resting for the remaining fifteen minutes in the hour he gave me, I regained all of my strength and stamina lost during the endless chess game, and woke up, fully refreshed and sure of myself. Stretching one last time, I walked out of my room and down the hallway, coming to the stairs. I was confident, no doubt, but not overly so, as I had found that to be my demise in the last challenge. I couldn't let my pride and ego take over while I battled Wufei, in any way. If I didn't win, I would just ask where I could find the next pilot and leave, no further questions. I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't just leave without knowing what he thought of the Gundams and how they had affected his life. I would never forgive myself.
"Ah, you are here. And right on time." he snorted, looking away. "I have a mat ready."
A mat? "Uh, Sempai?"
He raised an eyebrow, and again glared at me over the tops of his glasses, looking down his nose. "Nani?"
"A mat? Why not outside?" I had never fought on a mat before, and I knew I certainly wouldn't be comfortable fighting on one. I couldn't let him have the upper hand in any way, even this simple question of where we were going to fight.
"You don't want to fight on a mat? Fine, we'll have it your way. Outside it is. This way." he stalked off, heading through twisting hallways as I kept up, walking at brisk pace, until we arrived at door. Opening it, he looked back at me for a moment, then stepped outside into the cool afternoon air. I gasped as I looked at where he intended for us to fight, awed by the beauty of the place we were in. It was somewhere in the forest behind his house, completely hidden from the world. There was a little pond in the corner of the clearing, along with a small bench Sally had installed, I guessed. The trees provided complete shade, but there were little lamps periodically hanging from the branches, giving the whole area an eerie glow. He walked around the circle, watching me with every step he took. "Is this alright, Sarah-san?" I nodded, still amazed by the splendor of the clearing. "Good." Walking over to the bench, he hit a switch on the arm of it, and a little platform raised out of the ground, holding two brand new looking Kendo sticks. Grabbing one, he swung it around, rotating his wrist, while he tossed the other to me. I caught it, and noted the lightness of it, and the way it was balanced. I took a ready stance, holding the katana practice blade above my head, waiting for him to attack. He stood there, watching me with a smirk on his face, while he kept his blade at his side, seeming to not be my competitor, but a bystander.
"Well, are you going to attack?"
He shook his head. "Nope."
"Nani? Why?"
"Ladies first."
I narrowed my eyes at the Chinese man, knowing full well that he wanted to pick me off as easily as he had during the Chess game. It wouldn't be so easy this time. I advanced forward, still keeping a defensive stance, and swung my shanai downward at an angle, towards his side. I knew he would block it, so as soon as the bamboo hit I flipped backward, waiting for his charge. Again, he stood stationary, not moving and seeming to not pay attention to me. "Come on, are you scared?" I had to taunt him, to urge him forward to attack me. Thankfully my plan worked, and he charged, at which I sidestepped, bringing my sword around to get his back. At the last second he turned, blocking me and bringing the edge of his shanai towards my legs, at which I jumped. Rolling to the ground, I rocked onto my back, then jumped up, using the momentum of my legs to bring my whole body up into an attack stance. The bamboo strikes echoed off the surrounding trees, and we continued, matching every thrust with a parry equally as harsh. At one point he rolled and stood up behind me, and I wasn't fast enough, catching the flat of his blade on my arm. I winced as my arm went numb, and switched to my left hand.
"You should have been faster." he said bitterly, seeming upset that he had gotten me.
"I wasn't."
He glared at me, then pulled away and stood stock-still, shanai behind him. "Attack."
I shook my head, knowing this trick all too well. He would wait until I got a fraction of a second from attacking him, then would pick me off. Father had taught me to know these traps very well, and I learned to quickly as he seemed to enjoy doing them. "No. You attack."
Wufei nodded, smiling. "Good girl." Flipping over me, he swung high, hoping to catch me in the head, but knowing well that he wouldn't. I rolled thankfully, just in the nick of time, and missed his hit; otherwise I would have had a concussion and very large bruise, if not worse. I continued to defend, but it got boring as I knew he wasn't trying as much as he should be; so I changed my tactics. Charging at him, I attacked quickly, swinging the bamboo around and increasing my speed, getting him into a rhythm of hits. One, two, three, down, one, two, three, down...and so it continued until I drove him almost to the end of the clearing. Using a trick I learned from Father, I stepped aside as he was about to attack down, and turned a complete three-sixty, catching him in the side. The shanai hit with a resonant thwack right in his ribs, causing him to gasp. I pulled away, watching him warily as I remembered the lesson my father had taught me about dropping my guard, and my eyes widened as I saw him drop his weapon, panting as he tried to catch his breath. Walking towards him slowly, I made my way around to face him square on, eyebrows furrowing as I saw his face contort in pain.
"Sempai? Are you...okay?" I asked, leaning in closer and placing a hand on his shoulder.
He looked up, eyes dark in torture, and whispered, "No..." while collapsing in my arms, much to my surprise. Afraid I had hurt him badly, I supported his weight as best I could as I called down the stairs to his wife. "Sally?!? Help us! Mrs. Chang!!! Sempai is hurt!"