CardCaptor Sakura Remastered IV Episode 7 (10)

During lunch Nina gathered everyone together for a Clow Card update in the upper kitchen. By this time Eve had returned and they were looking over the numbers. “---and with one more card---” Nina erases the numbers, and jots down the new total, and new captured card count “-- It seems we only have 25 more Clow Cards to find before we have the entire set.”

“Hurry! BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT! (Offer void in your area).” “Ed” blurts out, smiling mischievously. “Whatever.” Nina rasps, putting the marker down. “Everyone see that?”
All heads nod. Sakura/Tomoyo exchange glances as everyone stares at the board, eating away. “I think your missing the big point though.” Keiko mumbles through her food, “What’s next?”

“Well --” Nina turns, regarding the board again as she sits and begins to eat, “We know where Fight and Power are for starters---”

“Fat lot of good that’ll do since Power is protected by the Assassin’s Guild, and Fight would rather beat our heads in that give her power up.” Keiko retorts, still munching away as she slowly taps her finger on the table, “Though she’s only holding on to her power to get the last man who attacked her and her boyfriend. Once he’s out of the picture she might be more willing to cooperate so, with that in mind…”

“Keiko!” Eve protested, to which Keiko quickly blurts out “Not us! Not us! I’m not saying we go hunt this guy down or anything, but once she gets it out of her system she might be more willing to give her power.”

“Fat chance.” Kero remarks glumly, chewing his own food slowly, “Fight isn’t the type to give up anything so easily, least of all her powers. She’s going to hang onto it forever and never give it up.”

“Pessimist.” Cloud shoots out, her own focus on Kero and her food. “Fight is always a big bully anyway, but once you kick it out of her you can get her powers no questions asked.”

“But that only worked the last time because Sakura had the Power card! And this time she doesn’t have it!” Kero shot back, to which Keiko said “Kero’s right. We have to do it differently.” (motioning with her fork hand at the board as she spoke) “Is there any other outstanding loose card we can catch that’ll make taking Fight’s powers easier? Perhaps take the power Sakura has now and put it to some use that she hasn‘t thought of before?”

“Power was our best chance.” Kero remarked, “Though I suppose we could use the Shot card and attack from a distance--”

“NO!” Sakura shouts, hands slamming down against the table. “I know I can reason with her. I don’t want to force her to give up her powers, I want to try and show her it’s necessary for her to give it up of her own free will!”
Keiko, however, wasn‘t buying this line of thought. “As romantic as that may sound it’s also highly impractical. If we take everything Kero has said at face value then Fight isn’t the type of card that would --” (Fuu enters) “--yes?”

“There’s someone to see Miss Sakura. She says her name is “Fight”.” Everyone exchanges glances, before all eyes fall upon Sakura/Tomoyo.
“Of course I’ve been wrong before…” Keiko noted with a confused expression on her face.

* * * * * *

Downstairs they found Fight sitting on the couch in the reception area, fidgeting abit as she waited. Sakura, abit nervous, slowly walks up to her with Tomoyo by her side. “Uh-- hi.”

Fight looks up, a desperate look on her face, “---mistress---” she rasps before lunging into Sakura holding her tight. “Please -- take my power now -- just take it --”

Everyone looks at her confused, but Sakura is the only one who manages to muster the question “Why?”
Her story was quick and to the point.

Two nights ago she caught up to the last man. Her last tormentor. She chased him through King Penguin Park, stopping his assault on an innocent young woman. When she finally ran him to ground she didn’t stop to talk, to question, to scream -- she let her fists to her talking.

Each shot of her fists filled the air with a sickening crunch crunch crunch as her vision blurred red with anger and her fists sent up spurts of blood that splattered across her body. At last, after a whole minute she realized he was dead from the first hit. Her first blow snapped his neck and killed him outright, and since he was a Dreamling he wasn’t going to be reborn like Fictionals or Half-lifes, nor was he going to “wake up” like Normals.

He was dead. But she couldn’t stop hitting him, she was angry and took it out on him. She felt someone touch her shoulder, spun about and---

Fight chokes, eyes wide and she covers her mouth looking ill. She rolls over to one side sobbing hysterically. Her lover had followed her. He wanted only to stop her, to comfort her. Her first blow shattered three ribs and dropped him to the ground in pain. When realization hit she wanted to panic, but she had to get him to a hospital.

He was a dreamling, just like her attacker, if she didn’t act fast he could die. Now, after two days of dread, bedside vigils, and praying, once the worst was past -- the pain and panic hit her hard. She had been on adrenaline and fear for the past two days, but now that she was coming down from it she was gripped with pain, guilt, self hatred, and now realization.

“My -- it’s bad -- it’s all BAD -- if I didn’t have my power -- if I wasn’t so arrogant -- none of this -- none of this --”

“But without your power you wouldn’t have met him, right?” Kero asks, fluttering near her looking at her, “You met him because of your power…”

“I could have met him without it! I didn’t need to enter his life in that horrific manner -- he told me once that he never thought a man could be raped before -- he never felt -- goddess -- how could you understand what rape feels like, Kerberos?!? To be so utterly helpless -- feeling like you just want to die over and over again and then to hate the world and everyone in it because it hurts so much to be alive!”

Tomoyo nods her head, “I know how you feel.” she whispers, kneeling next to her. “I know what it’s like.” Fight, confused, looks into Tomoyo’s eyes. “You --” (stops, takes a deep breath) “--it’s true, isn’t it.”

Tomoyo nods her head. “I wouldn’t lie to you.” Keiko suddenly hustles everyone out of the room, and for once nobody protested.
She then told Fight what she needed to know.

* * * * * *

“Your father?” Fight whispers, looking at Tomoyo curiously. “I didn’t think -- I thought --” Fight takes a deep breath, swallowing hard, before continuing. “Did Mirror tell you why she was “born”?”

Tomoyo and Sakura shook their heads in the negative.
“Clow Reed used to have a neighbor, she lived on a small farm near his complex with her young daughter. She was a beautiful woman in her 30’s, but it was her daughter that caught Clow Reed’s eye. She was only 10 but she was quite a beautiful young girl. At first he tried to make her his apprentice in the magical arts so he could pass his mantle of world’s strongest mage to her, but she had dreams of being an artist so she refused. He then created the Mirror card, and for a long time she walked around the complex in that girl’s form. Whenever Clow used us and allowed us time out to “mature” we noticed her, but thought nothing of it. Nothing at all…“ (silence briefly passed between them as Fight gathered her thoughts before she continued)

“After all Clow Reed was quite set on a “prodigy” for his life’s work so we thought he was prepping this card, Mirror, to mimic him when he died and carry on his work for him.”

Tomoyo nodded her head, “But there was more to it.”

“Yes.“ Fight continued, “One night, after training, I went back to return to the deck in my card form -- that’s when I heard it. I went to Clow Reed’s bedroom to see what was wrong and I saw him -- taking Mirror in that girl’s form.” Both Sakura and Tomoyo turned on Kero, who was still there, and he nodded his head. “It’s true. That’s the dark feelings that bled from Mirra into what became Mimic. Her feelings of betrayal and heartbreak. Then again how would you feel if you were “made” by your own “father” for the singular purpose of being his sex toy? It screwed Mirror up big time. To wear another girl’s body, and to be her in bed for sex? Who wouldn’t be messed up?” (Sakura silently nods her head, though it was if she wasn’t even aware of nodding)

“In the end, when he died and the book was sealed, she was a split personality. Her soft spoken gentle side, which became Mirra, and her nasty hateful side which became Mimic.”

“Then--” Sakura realized, “--the first time I met Mirror I was confronting Mimic at the same time?”

Fight : “Both, actually. I didn’t realize it at the time, maybe I was hoping she mended in the long years in the book, but I was wrong. The Mirror you first met was two “personalities” in one. The nasty girl who framed you for her mischief, and the gentle girl who felt guilt for harming Toya, and reached out to him for compassion and found understanding and acceptance from him. But Mirror -- I mean Mirra is at peace now, right? Her past is put behind her-- if only Mimic could have had the same chance before--”

Suddenly Fight lurches forward and grasps Sakura tightly, eyes staring as if into a great distance, mind blanking out no longer wanting to think of anything.

* * * * * *

As for Mimic?
“OH NO YOU DON’T!” Mimic screamed, jumping onto the next floor, using her power to change her boots into rollerbladed boots.
“You can’t beat me like this!” She leaned forward, mimicking mistress Sakura’s perfect blading style, and went full throttle after 20 Faces.

He was on primitive old rollerskates, she was using the custom-made high end rollerblades used by Sakura herself, that gave her the advantage. Still, he managed to reach the rooftop before her but she was right on his tail. As she hit the rooftop, blades retracting, she caught sight of him taking an aerial retreat via the use of a helicopter. “OH NO YOU DON’T!!” she screams, switching her mimicking ability to Jump/Windy to take to the air, latching onto the helicopter as it lifted into the air with 20 Faces onboard.

“LAND THIS THING AND GIVE ME THAT ARTIFACT YOU STOLE OR SO HELP ME GOD I’LL SHOOT THE ENGINE OUT AND SEND THIS THING CRASHING TO THE GROUND!!”

Meanwhile, a few miles away -- “Telling you that it’s a crime for your teacher to have a relationship with you is probably a waste of my time, isn’t it.” Ryuuki thought out loud, her short auburn hair providing a limited distraction as she played with it with her fingers. “You just expect far too much from people sometimes.”

“NO I DO NOT!!” the 10 year old black haired raging engine of destruction screamed, wielding a dangerous stuffed alligator in one hand, and a lethal stuffed tiger in another. “HE’S TOO OLD FOR ME!! WE’RE TOO FAR APART!! BUT I’M HIS FAVORITE!!”

Ryuuki scoffed, “That’s an atypical reply teachers give to all their students. Unless he or she is sleeping with them then they’re most definitely their favorites, but that doesn’t count with you since---”

“SHUT IT!!” she screamed, animals flaying about like deadly scythes in her rage, “THE CREEP!! THE JERK!! HE ABUSED MY HEART AND TRAMPLED MY FEELINGS!! I HATE HIM!! I‘LL NEVER STOP HATING HIM!! NEVER!!”
The rage lasted a whole minute before she finally collapsed on the floor, out of breath. “The Dark Lord of the Plushies needs a breather I see.”

“---can it--- gasp --- gasp--- wheeze--- gasp---” Suddenly something crashes into the balcony outside. Something female, wearing a strange set of clothes.

Mimic - “Damn him…“ she rasped, face angry. “I’ll get that artifact back dammit… I will… I will…“

* * * * * *

Meanwhile, back on Terra
The only thing Sakura could think of saying was that Fight should think about it. While it was true that Sakura needed to seal Fight’s power, she didn’t want to do it for the wrong reasons. She wanted Fight’s blessings, and if it meant waiting a little while longer she was prepared to do so.

So it was in this state of mind that Sakura, Tomoyo and Eve went with Fight so she could speak to her significant other and come to a decision on this.

The hospital was beautiful. The huge sprawling complex that was the Pacifica Rim Hospital had three huge buildings which were the medical complexes and patient recovery center. In the center of the three building complex was a giant park dubbed the Starlight Gardens, where patients and visitors alike took time to recover both physically and spiritually from what ailed them.

The patient recovery center was to one side of the huge park, and that’s where Fight had to go. As the four crossed through the park, admiring the beautiful shade trees and lovely pond, Fight felt something was amiss. “Something’s wrong.” she said, eyes glancing about nervously, “Something’s not right.”

Suddenly something sped past the edge of her eyesight, barely catching her attention. Before she could spin about she felt a sharp pain as something impacted into her back sending her crashing to her knees. A second blow knocks her side over side into the ground, stunned. As Sakura and Tomoyo rush to her aid, a female clad in red and black uniform dress (her long blonde hair sweeping about as she held Sakura and Tomoyo in her gaze) thrusts her right arm out at the two bringing them to a dead stop. “I take it you’re the one I want to see…“ (she then turns her arm towards a tree and flexes her arm muscles, a shot of pure energy shooting out of her extended hand and through the tree shattering it into several large pieces).

“Now…“ (pointing her hand back at the two while holding Fight down, the “Shards“ of a card clearly wrapped about her now bared right arm) “…who do I see about having this damn thing pried out of my arm.“

* * * * * *

Up until a few months ago Fight’s life had been an endless war.

War against the world, war against her limitations (even if she was the personification of combat), war against her failings, and ultimately war against herself.

She trained endlessly, making herself perfect in her skills. Even at “Rest” in card form she went over her tactics and trainings in “dream state”.

Cards that “dream”. Separately they dream in their own private space, but in the book all together they dream in a mutual “place”. A place where relationships and friendships are forged.

It was in this space, this “dreaming” that Umi (Water) and Gaia (Woods) fostered a relationship. It was also in this space that Cloud and Kero kept their relationship going while he “slept” within the book.

Here, however, Fight was as much a loner as she was in the waking world. She would often keep to herself, though sometimes other cards would draw her out of her quiet training to interact with her. Still, to her the thought of needing a companion seemed a distant thing that only others indulged in.

That is, until she met him on that night which changed everything.

That night in the park changed her. She became more and more aware of her surroundings. At first she was intrigued by relationships, then desperate for companionship, the person who tried to save her being the one she wanted to be with the most.

Why? Maybe because he came to her rescue at great personal cost to himself. Maybe because he only thought of her even when he was being violated. Or -- maybe because for the first time in her life she needed someone to lean on, when even her great skill couldn’t protect her from what happened to her that night -- or the pain that wracked her heart that no amount of fighting could defeat.

From that day he meant more and more to her, until she couldn’t imagine living without him by her side.

The day she hurt him by accident was horrific for her. She stood by his side or nearby as they treated him at the hospital. She couldn’t leave his side, the fear that he might slip away from her wound into his chest which she struck too deeply.She knew that she didn’t want to lose him, and fought hard against the darkening depression and despair which loomed over her as she waited for word. Finally good news came, and he would recover -- but the incident had given her reason to change, hopefully for the better.

She didn’t want her powers anymore. Fighting, it seemed, has lost it’s meaning next to the new feelings that overwhelmed her. Once, as the previous year drew to conclusion, she even struck out against her former “mistress” to keep her powers -- but now all she wanted to do was be rid of them.

To that end she visited mistress Sakura, and asked her to remove her powers, but Sakura asked her to be patient and think things through.

To that end they decided to visit the hospital where her beloved was so she could ask him for advice.

And that is where we are -- now.

* * * * * *

“I felt so useless for a split second, when the sealing wand didn‘t seem to work.” Sakura sighed, watching Fight talk to her significant other from a distance. “I just froze -- why did I --?”

* * * * * *

"Snap out of it!" the woman screamed, waving her arm at Sakura as she stared at it listlessly. "Do something!!"

Sakura, eyes blankly glancing at the arm, could barely move. It was as if the very thought of what she was implying was too much for Sakura to assimilate.

* * * * * *

“That was something you never confronted before, it’s alright if you became abit confused by the situation.” Tomoyo reassured her, drawing Sakura close. “It was for the best in the end.”

“I suppose. But--”

* * * * * *

Tomoyo moved forward, grasping Sakura's arms as she helped Sakura summon the sealing wand forth. Holding her tight, she looked up at the woman and said firmly "Hold your arm out, and trust us."

"What?" she rasped, looking at the wand and the her arm, "Are you sure about this? I mean she's so out of..."

"TRUST us." Tomoyo said again, firmly this time. This brought out an almost immediate reaction from the woman as she held her arm out, "OK. Do it... whatever it is your going to do."

Tomoyo, leaning forward to bury her face into the back of Sakura (her hair blocking Tomoyo's view), takes a deep breath and whispers "Now."

She feels Sakura slowly draw the staff up, and in a unified voice they boy call out "CLOW CARD RETURN TO YOUR POWER CONFINED... SHOT CARD!!"

As the wand slammed down the woman's arm jerked, her face winced as she felt the shards in her arm try to wiggle free. Suddely she screamed, her arm jerking as if it tried to yank itself free of her body. Two strong hands grasped her, holding her tight and yet comforting as Fight held her, keeping the arm held forward as the staff's tendrils wrapped about it. The pain was almost unbearable as the card tried to wrest itself free of the woman's arm, but finally with a great sense of relief the pain was yanked free as all the shards came loose.

Before Sakura/Tomoyo they reformed into Shot, then back into the card which flew up, hesistated, then flew into the hand of the woman it was once bonded to.

She couldn't hand the card back to Fight fast enough.

* * * * * *

Tomoyo’s lips touched Sakura’s, pressing firmly in a soft kiss silencing any further argument or self doubt from Sakura.

As for the young man in Fight’s life? He was doing better. It took awhile but the doctors put him back together good as new and healed him up. As they prepared to release him for home treatment that she told him her decision. As always he supported her decisions, though he seemed worried. She smiled, and kissed him softly on the lips. For now
it seems she was going to be with him. Without her Clow magic.

Sakura, stepping forward with hands shaking abit, held the sealing wand before Fight and asked again “Is it OK? Can I---?”

“It’s fine, mistress. Please, it’s what I --” (smiles as she turns back towards her beloved) “-- I mean what we want.” (her gaze returns to Sakura) “It’s OK. Do it.”

With that she raised her staff high and focused. “Clow Card return your power to me -- and be free. Fight!”

She snaps her arms forward, staff head coming down right in front of Fight as it’s energy tendrils shoot out and enwrap her. In seconds her power is collected into card form, and returned to Sakura’s hand.

One more down.

As the three leave the room, Fight curls up in her beloved’s arms and allows him to rock the weary and worn girl in his arms before they left the hospital to go home together.

To Be Continued
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