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.
<><><><><><><><><><>
".... 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.
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