“I don't believe it! Meilin's coming back!”
Last time, three weeks had passed since the capture of the Fly Gem, and the gang prepared to celebrate the New Year. Li received a letter from Meilin telling him she would arrive in Reidenton the next day to live at Li’s place with Wei and himself.
“What have you guys been keeping from me!?”
After she found out about Ceaira and Aquilia, the gang took Meilin back home, where just as they were about to settle in for lunch, the Thunder Gem decided to strike.
“I hope I can still do this . . .”
At the battle field, Ceaira used her magical powers to find Thunder’s form near the radio tower. As they formulated the plan, Meilin suddenly spoke up to proclaim an inner feeling toward her role in the battles.
“I want to prove that despite my lack of magic, I can help capture a Kayo Gem like this. I want to be more help this time!”
She and Aquilia drew out Thunder by using some pretty affective insults, which allowed the gang to use shadow and dark magic to stop and seal Thunder. How will the rest captures go now that there is another member on the team?
“Ready Meilin?” “You bet Sakura!” Sakura smiled, then closed her eyes as she held a card in front of her with her eyes closed, and turned the image outward to face away from her. She then tossed it forward and then began twirling the wand. “Fight Card . . .reveal your form to us all!” She finished twirling as the card stopped in front of her. She raised the wand above her head, then brought it down, causing the point to slam against the card’s image. “Fight Card! Release and dispel!” Waves of energy and light appeared and travelled outward as she held the position. Sky blue light suddenly emerged from the card, swirling all around her.
The energy fled from Sakura as she lowered her wand to the ground. Meilin, Li, Madison, and Kero watched as it massed together and began transforming. Once the energy disappeared, Fight’s true form was seen standing on the ground with her eyes closed. “Hope you know what you’re doing Meilin!” “Don’t worry Sakura, besides the best way to practice for a martial arts competition is to spar with a skilled opponent. Seeing as the Fight Card is the best out of all of us, then I’ll defiantly get a feel for what the competition will be like on Sunday.” “Okay Meilin, if you say so.” Sakura showed concern, but then blinked as she turned toward Fight who was watching her. “Fight Card!” “Yes Mistress Sakura?” “Meilin needs to practice for a martial arts competition tomorrow, and she requested that you be her sparring partner because of your skill.” “So I am to spar with Miss Rae?” “Yup!” “Very well mistress. I will do as you request.” “Meilin doesn’t want you to hold back! Give it all you got Fight!” “Okay Mistress Sakura!” Fight nodded, then turned to Meilin and stood in a ready position. Meilin went into a back stance and the two faced off.
Meilin had been back in Reidenton for about a week, but school had yet to start up again so no one other than the gang knew she was back. Ceaira was out with Tori for a dinner date that day, while the others including Kero and Aquilia were in the school gymnasium watching Meilin who was now sparring with Fight. After the New Year’s craze was over, Meilin decided to enroll in a marital arts competition for fun just to see if her skills were getting rusty, at least that’s what she claimed to the others.
“HEE-YA!” Meilin spun around, dawned in her battle costume, delivering a kick to Fight’s face. She stumbled backwards, allowing Meilin to charge forward and leap into the air to unleash a drop kick. However Fight recovered just in time, and she dropped down onto her back and shot both of her feet into the air. Meilin was hit in the back, and she fell to the ground to land on her side. Fight jumped up onto her feet while Meilin slowly climbed up to hers. Before she realized it however, Fight had charged forward and tackled Meilin back down onto the ground. Raising a fist, she shoved it down, but stopped it right before it collided with Meilin’s face. Meilin looked up and gasped at the distance between the punch and her face, then frowned as Fight helped her up off the ground. “Are you okay Miss Rae?” “Yeah, I guess so.” “That is good.”
Fight smiled and the two bowed, then she turned to Sakura and bowed to her as well. “Mistress Sakura, I must return to my card form so I may regain my strength.” “Okay Fight. Thanks for helping us out.” “Your welcome.” Sakura smiled, then waved her hand over the star piece of her wand. As it glowed, it caused Fight’s form to glow and transform back into the Fight Card. Meilin picked it up, and then walked over to her friends and handed it to Sakura. “Thanks for the help Sakura. I’m gonna go get changed now.” “Okay. We’ll wait here okay Meilin?” “Sure.” She nodded, but then frowned as she grabbed her sports bag and headed for the locker room. When she disappeared, Sakura and Li looked at each other and frowned. “Poor Meilin . . .” “Yeah. I don’t think she’s gotten over her loss to the Fight Card.” “It’s been three years . . .and since it was the first card Meilin battled against with us, it must have been really important to her.” “Yeah. Meilin’s like that. Maybe she wanted to spar against Fight to try and beat her. You know, reclaim her lost honor or something.” “You could be right Li. I remember that battle so well . . .”
“That looks like a young girl in a very strange costume, all right!" "The design IS actually very millennium." The Fight Card then placed her hands together and bowed to show honor, like any martial arts warrior should have. Kero watched then whispered to Sakura that the Fight card is a skilled warrior. Suddenly, Fight opened her eyes and charged forward, leaping up and aiming her fist at Sakura and Meilin. The two leaped aside as Fight slammed her fist against the pavement. "That was close!" "Well yeah, that's why they call it the Fight card! It will only fight the strong opponents." Fight went into a battle stance, but then changed direction and faced Meilin. Sakura was surprised. "It wants to fight Meilin?" "Well, let's just hope she's as good as she think she is." "Come on, give me your best shot!"
“She did a great job after Fight challenged her that night.” Sakura smiled, then crossed her arms as she and Madison nodded in agreement. Li thought for a moment, then looked toward the two. “But it didn’t look that way when I arrived Sakura.” “Well Li . . .she was doing okay for a while . . .”
Fight charged forward and threw a few punches, but Meilin successfully blocked them all. She then launched a counter attack, ending with a kick that sent Fight flying back toward the fence, causing her to slam her back against the railing. Everyone was amazed without a doubt. "Meilin...can fight!" Feeling confident, Meilin strolled on over to the others and placed her hands on her hips once she stopped. "IN CASE you had any doubt about who's the best fighter," Sakura suddenly frowned as she began her next part of her short speech. "SOME CardCaptor. You OBVIOUSLY can't handle this as well as I can!" Just then, Fight came back to life and tried to attack Meilin. She once again dodged, still pretty confident. "Wanna go again?" Meilin then began her barrage of punches and kicks, seeming like she was going to win for all Fight could do was block them all. When Meilin used a tornado kick. Fight grabbed her foot, surprising Meilin, and twisted it to slam her down against the ground. Fight then leaped into the air preparing for the final blow, which caused Sakura to panic. "No, MEILIN!!" Meilin gasped as Fight came down at her, but suddenly Li leaped out from no where and kicked Fight in the chest, sending her into the brook. He then stood up from the ground, his serious expression back on his face.
“But then after you arrived Li, and after you put her down a little, Fight turned on you. Then Meilin’s anger got in the way.” The group nodded together, then continued to think back to that day.
"You may be a Clow card..." "No, wait!" "...But I'm MEILIN RAE!" She charged forward and attacked, kicking her in the chest. She then rushed forward again and began attacking again, while the others watched. Meilin suddenly missed a punch, allowing Fight to grab her and slam her onto the ground. she then raised her foot to slam it on her, but Meilin rolled away to safety. She suddenly found herself losing greatly, as she slammed up against the Penguin Slide. She leaped to the side as Fight tried to punch her. Meilin fell to the ground, for she had been defeated by Fight.
“Her confidence was hurt a bit, especially with her martial arts.” “I always assumed that the Twin Card battle boosted it back up.” “Not really Li, especially since you accidentally put her down that day too.” The three teenagers nodded, then Li crossed his arms as he looked down at the Fight Card in Sakura’s hand. Frowning, he looked back up and toward the locker room. “Maybe . . .maybe she’s afraid her skills aren’t as good as everyone, including herself thought they’d be. Fight must have done it, and maybe she was reminded of that battle when she was sparring.” “Really? You think so Li?” “Yeah.” “Then why would she enter that martial arts competition tomorrow?” “Maybe she’s trying to regain her confidence by placing in the top three.” “Yeah. That makes sense Li.”
As the three discussed Meilin’s situation, Kero and Aquilia sat on the gym floor and had a conversation on their own based on the one already in progress. “Why do humans have such complicated emotions Kero? You’ve been around them longer than me, so you might be able to answer my question.” “Actually Aquilia, sometimes I still have trouble understanding them. Meilin especially because she changed right before she left Reidenton two years ago, so she’s got this new side I’ve never seen before.” “I see. Thank you for trying.” “No problem. Guardians gotta stick together.” “Right.” The two smiled, then extended a paw and wing and shook in agreement.
Just then, Sakura and Madison both walked over with their backpacks, then kneeled down beside the two. “Okay, we’re going to go now and get some supper. Into our backpacks okay?” “Yeah sure . . .” “How can you stand being inside small backpacks Kero?” “It’s something I got used to.” Kero smiled, then allowed Sakura to pick him up and place him carefully into her backpack. Madison allowed Aquilia to hop into her hand, then placed her into her backpack as well. Standing up, they walked over to Li, who was standing by Madison as she now wore a green sweater and black jeans with red hair ribbons. “So where are we going for supper?” “Umm, how about we grab something to eat at Dairy Queen? I’ll buy for everyone today.” “I’ll help you pay Li. That’s too much money for one person to shell out alone.” “Thanks Sakura. You don’t mind helping?” “Nah. This is for all of us, including the resident bottomless pits.” “Hey! We resent that!” “Oh Kero, I’m just kidding.” The group laughed except for Meilin, who frowned to herself as she held the strap of her backpack. “I’ll never be a great martial artist . . .I can’t even beat a Clow Card in a sparring match . . .”
Far away, Ceaira and Tori were sitting in the park in the playground area. Tori was on the ground while Ceaira sat on the bottom of the Penguin Slide. “Thanks for dinner Tori, but I’m sorry that I didn’t eat too much.” “It’s okay.” “Are you sure?” “Yup!” “Okay.” Ceaira smiled, then closed her eyes as she turned toward the sky. The sun was setting which created a vast array of beautiful shades of blue, red, yellow, orange, and pink. She sighed to herself, then opened her eyes to take in the beauty of the sky. “I can’t remember when I got to enjoy a peaceful evening like this, I seriously hope nothing wrecks it.” Continuing to smile, Ceaira turned to Tori, then got up from the ground. She walked over and sat down beside him, then rested her head on his shoulder. Tori smiled, then wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “So, how about a movie next weekend? Anything you want Ceaira.” “Anything eh? How about that ninja flick, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon?” “Sure. Heard that’s supposed to be good.” “You do realize it’s actually a subtitled movie Tori.” “Really? Hmm . . .as long as it’s understandable I’ll watch it.” Ceaira giggled to herself, then calmed down as she pulled her knees closer to her.
However, nearby in the bushes there was a rustle, followed by a red blur as something dashed through the bushes and by the trees. It silently raced up the slide then stopped at the top to survey Ceaira and Tori. It was draped in red ninja garments, with a katana blade on it’s back. It’s skin was a dark grey and it’s eyes were a dark green. It watched the two, then suddenly stood up. Removing it’s sword, Ceaira suddenly gasped as it’s aura shot through her mind. “Oh no . . .” Tori looked at her with concerned eyes, then waved his hand in front of her face. “Are you okay Ceaira?” Before she could respond, the ninja let out a battle cry as it leapt down from the slide toward the two. Ceaira looked up, then cried out as she jumped up from the ground and pushed Tori out of the way before the sword could hit either of them. After landing, the ninja looked toward Ceaira and glared with it’s dark green eyes. “Prepare for the end Syona.” Ceaira and Tori looked at it with frightened eyes, especially Ceaira because she knew she couldn’t use her powers in front of Tori.
“Is everyone done their supper?” “Yeah.” “I am stuffed.” “Me too.” The four teens smiled as they tossed out their garbage and placed their trays on top of the bin. They then exited the restaurant and headed down the street toward the park. “I am so glad to be back in Reidenton with all of you guys, especially with those Kayo Gems running around.” “Yeah, you missed a lot of action before you came Meilin, but Ceaira said there are still a lot of gems left to capture.” “How many has she got so far Sakura?” “Well, she’s got sixteen of them, and I have one of them too.” “Why do you have one Sakura? You’re a CardCaptor.” Suddenly, Aquilia popped her head out from Madison’s backpack, then pulled out a wing as she turned toward Meilin. Clearing her throat, she waited for her to turn toward the small bird before she began her explanation. “Well Meilin, I have a theory that since Clow Reed and Clow Kayo were brothers, the powers of both the cards and gems are in all of those affiliated and that have magical powers.” “Does that mean Li can get the gems too?” “It would make sense if my theory is correct, seeing as he is a direct descendant of Clow Reed after all.” “That does make sense.” “Right Meilin!”
Aquilia smiled, then suddenly gasped as a strange energy shot through her mind. She then narrowed her eyes as she looked around the area. Meilin frowned when she saw Aquilia’s sudden reaction. “Are you okay Aquilia?” “Wait Meilin, are her eyes narrowed and is she looking around?” “Yeah, why Li?” “There’s a Kayo Gem nearby . . .that’s what she does when she senses one. Ceaira too.” “Seriously? I wonder which one . . .” Meilin placed a finger to her chin as she thought to herself, when suddenly there was a loud yell of pain which emitted from the park. The group panicked and froze, when suddenly Sakura realized who that was. She then took off and began running toward the park. “Sakura wait!” “I can’t! That was Tori we heard!” “TORI?!” “Then that hopefully means Ceaira is near by!” Everyone nodded to each other, then raced off after Sakura, who was already far ahead of the group.
Tori stumbled backwards as a trace of blood could be seen from the corner of his mouth. Wiping it away, he went back into a martial arts front stance as the red ninja went into a back stance. “Stand aside boy, it’s the girl I want!” “Well you won’t get to her!” Tori glared at the ninja, then raced forward and swung his fist at the face. The ninja however smirked to himself and stopped the punch by simply grabbing the fist with his right hand. Tori and Ceaira’s faces became engulfed with shock. “Enough of this foolishness. It’s not you I want.” Narrowing his eyes, he leaped up into the air and slammed Tori into a tree back first using an ariel kick to the face. “No! Tori!” Ceaira’s eyes filled with tears as she rushed over to Tori’s side. He was covered in cut’s and bruises as he seemed to be out cold. The ninja snickered in a male voice then slid the katana blade back into it’s sheath. “Now that he’s out of commission, maybe I’ll get a real battle.” “Just great . . .which one of the Kayo Gems are you?!” “Little Syona, how naive you are . . .I am the Fight Gem.” “The Fight Gem?!” “Yes Syona, that is my identity. Now prepare for battle.” “WHAT?!”
Ceaira’s face turned to shocked as Fight went into a back stance. She froze from panic, but then grabbed her pendant almost instantly and began her incantation. “Lock of Kayo . . .Key of Syona . . .forces of good . . .surrender the bow . . .surrender the might . . .so I may fight!” A blue light appeared, causing her to open her eyes. She pulled her hands apart and the blue arrow rose upward. It then became engulfed in a sphere of light blue energy. Streams of the same energy appeared then flowed into the pendant, which then began to morph. Ceaira then leaped up and stopped in front of the finished product of the metamorphosis; her crossbow. She grabbed it then fell back toward the ground.
Just as she landed on the ground however, Fight charged forward and rammed Ceaira with his shoulder, causing her to stumble back. Falling to the ground, she remained stunned for a few seconds before climbing back up onto her feet. “Okay then, that hurt . . .” After regaining her senses, she found herself falling back to the ground after Fight unleashed a well placed kick. She landed on her back, but quickly rolled out of the way before he slammed his sword against the ground. Climbing back up, she was suddenly kicked in the stomach, causing her to be flung backwards into a tree back first. She seemed to freeze on impact for a few moments before slowly sliding down onto the ground.
As Fight slowly approached her with his katana, Sakura, Li, Meilin, Madison, Kero, and Aquilia appeared from the path leading to the city. Seeing the gem’s form approaching Kero quickly transformed into Keroberos. He leaped into the air to tackle Fight to the ground while the others rushed over to Ceaira. Sakura and Li both kneeled down beside her and tried to wake her up. When she did, she cried out and clenched her teeth tightly. “Ceaira! What happened?!” “It’s the Fight Gem . . .I’m in too much pain right now, so I can’t fight it . . .” “What?!” Ceaira nodded, gripping her shoulder as she hissed from the pain. “The Fight Gem only wants to fight those with magic or with martial arts skills . . .the higher the better. I need one of you to fight him.” “But if we fight it Ceaira, then you won’t get the gem.” “Sakura’s right . . .unless Meilin fights him!” “WHAT?! ME!?” Meilin looked at Li with a look of total shock in her eyes. “But I can’t Li!” “Why not Meilin!?” “Because I’m not even good enough to beat the Fight Card! You all told me the gems are more powerful . . .so I’ll just end up letting all of you down.”
Meilin lowered her head to the ground as a frown dominated her face. Ceaira glanced at her, then ignored the pain long enough to look up and turn toward the Fight Gem. “Listen Meilin, you wanted to help with the Kayo Gems right? You’re the best martial artist here, and if someone doesn’t challenge him he’ll get away anyway. Someone has to try . . .and I can’t.” “But Ceaira-” “No buts Meilin!” Ceaira suddenly cried out again as she grabbed her shoulder and leaned forward from the pain. Meilin gasped, her eyes filling with tears as she clenched her fist. “Meilin . . .you’re the last chance to defeat Fight. Just clear your mind and remain focused. I know you can beat him . . .” Meilin appeared shock, thinking to herself how no one counted on her as much as Ceaira seemed to at that moment in time. A few seconds passed, and she finally nodded as her face showed determination. Clenching her fist, she spun around and faced the red ninja. “I’ll take care of this so called martial artist expert! Fight Gem!”
The ninja was caught off guard. He looked up and narrowed his eyes as Meilin walked toward him. She stopped, then went into her back stance as she glared at her opponent. “I challenge you to a martial arts match! The loser must obey the winner’s commands!” “Very well little girl . . .although you have no chance against someone like me.” Fight chuckled, then went into a back stance and faced her. The two remained lifeless as they locked eyes. Sakura watched, totally nervous as she and Li slowly helped Ceaira up onto her feet as she gripped her crossbow. “Do you think she can beat the Fight Gem Ceaira?” “I have confidence in her abilities . . .” “I hope she can do it.”
Fight smirked to himself, then charged forward. He threw his fist forward, which Meilin blocked easily. She followed up with a counter attack punch and kick, both landing on his chest. He stumbled backwards and Meilin leaped into the air toward him. Grabbing his shoulders, she placed her feet on his back after clearing the jump, then pulled him forward to toss him. He slammed into a tree, but recovered quickly and charged forward. Meilin attempted a spin kick, but fight ducked and came up with an uppercut to her face. She fell onto her back, but rolled away quickly before he could slam the heel of his shoe into her face. Climbing up onto her knees, she wiped away the blood from her mouth and glared at him. “You asked for it!” He then leaped forward to try and nail her with his elbow, but Meilin brought up her feet and dropped down onto her back, kicking him away in the chest. However he flipped through the air as she got up. His feet landed against the tree, and he pushed himself off and slammed into Meilin, keeping a grip on her as he slammed her into a tree. Meilin cried out from terror and pain as Fight grabbed her neck and held it tightly. As she gasped for air, he smirked as an evil look entered his eyes. “You are a pathetic martial artist. Some challenge you turned out to be . . .” Meilin opened one eye, and clenched her teeth as she started to become furious. “No . . .I’m not about to be defeated by a Kayo Gem!”
She suddenly cried out in rage and lifted her feet to kick him the chest. He released his grip as he clutched his chest, allowing Meilin to be freed. Stumbling backwards, Fight coughed and gasped for air as he fell to his knees. Meilin yelled a karate cry, then charged forward and leaped into the air, landing a devastating flying kick to his face. He rolled away, but slowly got up from off the ground and attempted to make a stance, however because of the inflicted pain he wasn’t able to make a good one. Meilin smiled, then leaped up into the air and landed two more kicks to the face. “YOU’RE GOING DOWN!”
The group gasped as she landed on the ground and breathed heavily from the tough battle, but the shock was mainly due to the fact that Fight was still standing! He panted and gasped, eyes still locked on Meilin who was prepared to continue the battle. “Do you give up?!” “I will never surrender . . .no way girl . . .I will never . . .” Before he could finish his sentence however, Fight began coughing and clutching his chest once again. Meilin watched him suffer, thinking that a worthy opponent didn’t deserve to feel that way. Walking over to him, she kneeled down beside him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Fight Gem . . .” “What are you waiting for? Finish me off.” “No . . .” “What?!”
Fight looked up with a curious, yet confused look in his eyes as he stared at Meilin. She smiled, then stood up off the ground and extended her hand to him. “I will not hit an opponent when he is down. It’s not an honorable act in martial arts Fight. Please admit defeat however . . .I don’t want to continue.” Fight gasped, then hesitated for a moment as he looked toward the side away from the entire group. After a few moments, he turned back to Meilin and accepted her help. He took her hand and stood up from the ground. “I admit defeat and recognize you as my superior. What are your terms for my defeat?” “I only have one term. You are one of the Kayo Gems, so my request is that you allow Ceaira to seal you back into the gem which you came from.” “Very well.” Fight nodded, then placed his hands together as he bowed to Meilin. She smiled, then returned the gesture before looking toward Ceaira. Lifting her crossbow, Li and Sakura kept her from falling as she locked on Fight as the target. “Fight Gem! Return to your power confined!”
Pulling the trigger, the arrow of light shot forward through the air and bursted into a large mass of light which engulfed the ninja. He closed his eyes, seemingly being drawn into a state of serenity as he disappeared into the light. When it disappeared, the Kayo Gem fell to the ground and bounced upward, but surprisingly it landed in Meilin’s open hand. Everyone was shocked, especially Meilin herself. “What just happened!? How did I get the Kayo Gem?!”
Walking over her, the others were completely confused at what just happen. Sakura placed her finger on her chin as she began to think. “I thought only those with magical powers can receive cards or gems when they’re sealed . . .but Meilin has no magic.” “She’s right. So why did I get it?” “Beats me, but I might be able to take it because of your lack of magic.” “Good point Ceaira, give it a try.”
Meilin looked down at the gem which beared the image of the red ninja in a back stance, his eyes narrowed and his katana in his hand which was above his head. Ceaira walked over and placed her hand on the gem and proceeded to back up. She however, jerked to a stop when the gem refused to budge. “Now this is getting weird . . .why can’t I take the gem?” Ceaira frowned, then cracked her knuckles as she grabbed the gem once again and pulled. After a few seconds, her gripped slipped and she tumbled to the ground. Meilin gasped, but sighed with relief when Ceaira climbed back up onto her feet. Rubbing her head, she became frustrated. “This is too weird . . .but I have an idea.” “What’s that Ceaira?” “Well, we all pull at once. Meilin you grab the fence with your free hand, and the rest of us will pull. Okay?” “Sure. Just give me a minute.” “Okay.”
Taking a deep breath, Meilin walked over to the fence and grabbed the chain railing. The others walked over, then took their positions. Ceaira grabbed the gems with both hands, while Li wrapped his around her waist. Sakura did the same for Li, while Keroberos grabbed him by the belt with his teeth, and Aquilia gripped Keroberos’ tail with her beak. “Ready Meilin?” “Ready!” Ready everyone?” “Yeah!” “PULL!” The tug of war began, everyone pulling as hard as they could while Meilin pulled in the opposite direction. She clenched her teeth as the gem seemed to be attached to the skin of her palm. “Come on! Keep pulling people!” Everyone nodded, causing an increase in strength as everyone pulled in the correct directions. “It hurts!” “Keep trying! Ignore the pain Meilin!” “Okay!”Suddenly however, a shot of pain forced her grip to be lost, causing the entire gang to fly back and fall to the ground. “GEEZ! That gem sure is stubborn eh?” “I’ll say . . .” “Hey, I got an idea. Meilin look at the back of the gem and tell us what is written for a letter.” “Okay . . .”
Meilin turned the gem around, then gasped when she saw an M written on the back. She showed it to the others, which caused everyone to gasp. “Meilin . . .somehow signed the Fight Gem!” “But that’s not possible! Meilin has no magical powers.” “This means that . . .Ceaira has accidental competition . . .” Sakura frowned, looking toward Ceaira who had turned away to look at the star filled sky. “Ceaira? Are you okay?” “I guess so . . .come on, let’s get Tori back home. He’s hurt pretty badly.” “Okay.” Everyone nodded, then got up from off the ground and resealed their weapons back into their smaller forms. They then walked over to Tori and helped him off of the ground.
The next day was very exciting for Meilin. During the martial arts tournament the gang watched as she easily took down opponent after opponent. During the final intermission, Meilin talked with the gang as they she waited for her final match to begin. “You’re doing awesome Meilin!” “I know! I think defeating the Fight Gem gave me the boost of confidence I needed.” “So the Fight Card IS the reason you’ve been so down with martial arts . . .” “Yeah. I just felt I was a loser because the Fight Card beat me twice. But since the Fight Gem is more powerful, and since I beat it, it shows I have skill after all.” “Well, you’re about to find out if you’re the best here or not. Who’s your final opponent?” “I think it’s a guy named Lance.” “We saw him fighting earlier. He’s pretty good. Good luck okay?” “Thanks Sakura, but even if I don’t beat him then I’ll have placed in the top three at least. By the way, how’s Tori?” “He’s at home resting, has a broken arm thanks to the Fight Gem.”
Everyone nodded, when suddenly it was announced that the final match was about to begin. Meilin waved to everyone, then headed toward the center of the gymnasium. Taking her place, she adjusted her costume quickly when suddenly her opponent walked out, totally dressed in dark blue. He took his place, and the two bowed to each other as the referee walked over. “Okay, the rules for the final match are special. There is no time limit and the first to be forced out of this ring on the floor will lose the match. Throws are disabled, and there is no time limit. Assume a preferable stance.” The two nodded, and Lance assumed a side stance while Meilin took up a back stance. The referee stepped back, ready to signal the start of the match. “Good luck Lance.” “You too Meilin.” The two nodded, then glanced at the referee who then clapped his hands together quickly. “Begin!”
Lance stepped forward and unleashed a snap kick, but Meilin easily blocked and counterattacked him in the side, causing him to stumble back. She then moved forward and threw three punches and a kick which all landed with no problem. When Lance went to try and use a spin kick, she simply used a backslap to get out of the way. However, when she landed she was kicked in the stomach. Meilin fell onto her back, but came back with a kick to his jaw as he tried to attack her on the ground. As he stumbled, she got up onto her knees and spun around to knock him down with a sweep kick. He feel to the ground, allowing her to roll over to him and slam her foot down onto his chest.
“She’s doing great!” Sakura jumped up and cheered, followed by Ceaira, Li, and Madison as Meilin seemed to be winning the fight. “GO MEILIN!” “KICK HIS BUTT!” They then sat down, still on the edge of the seats in preparation for the end of the match whether Meilin comes out as the victor or not.
Lance climbed up off of the ground, then assumed a front stance as Meilin went into a side stance. He then moved forward and tried to punch her, but she grabbed his arm and tossed him onto his back. As she tried to slam her foot down again, he grabbed it and threw her to the side. Fortunately, she twirled through the air to land on her feet and go into a back stance. Lance climbed to his feet and glared at her. “It’s soon going to end Meilin.” “Yeah, with you going out of the ring!” She leaped into the air then slammed her feet into his chest causing him to stumble back. However, he recovered quickly and charged forward to punch her in the face. She cried out and stumbled, but stopped just before she stepped outside of the ring. “I know this didn’t work against the Fight Card . . .but now I know where it went wrong and I know how to recover from it. So I better try it now!”
“Why is Meilin hesitating? Shouldn’t she go kick him or something?” Sakura watched with anticipation as she asked the question, causing Li to turn to her and smile. “Don’t worry, by the look on her face right now, she’s coming up with a plan.” “Well you would know, seeing as you both trained together.” “Let’s watch and see how the plan turns out.” Sakura nodded, then turned back to the fight along with Li to see how it would all end.
“Well, here goes nothing!” Meilin nodded to herself, then leaned back quickly before running forward toward Lance. She then threw herself forward to land on her hands, allowing herself to shoot up into the air and position herself for a drop kick. Lance watched, then quickly grabbed her foot to slam her onto the ground. Meilin smiled, then landed on her hands and pulled him forward to force him into the air. The surprise attack caused his grip to be lost, and he was thrown out of the ring to just land beside it. Meilin climbed up to her feet and smiled.
A loud roar of cheers and applause suddenly lifted from the crowd as the referee announced Meilin as the winner. Lance recovered from the attack, then bowed to Meilin. She returned the gesture, then shook his hand in respect. “Good job Lance. That was a tough battle.” “Don’t be thanking me Meilin. That was the best finishing move I have EVER seen. You defiantly deserved to win.” “Thank you. You were a worthy opponent Lance.” The two smiled, then released the handshake just as Meilin was ambushed by the others with hugs and congratulation words. She was caught off guard, but recovered quickly to hug everyone back. “Thanks for the support everyone. I really needed it.” “Thank the Fight Gem! After all, he helped you to regain your confidence!” “You have a point Ceaira.” “Of course I do. I’m the GemCaptor!”
Ceaira laughed proudly, then turned to the referee and announcer as they brought over a large trophy. After they shook the hands of Lance and Meilin, they presented her with the trophy. Meilin looked as if she was going to cry from joy as she hoisted the trophy above her head in victory, with the help of the others. After the excitement reached it’s peak, Meilin turned to everyone and showed a large grin. “I’m taking everyone out for ice cream to celebrate! Who wants to come?” “ME!” “Defiantly!” “Sure!” “ICE CREAM!” Everyone cheered, then calmed down as Meilin handed them her trophy so she could go change into her normal clothes. As the others waited, Kero and Aquilia popped out of their hiding places with wide excited eyes. “Did I hear someone say ice cream!?” “Oh Kero, that’s all you ever think about.” “So? What’s wrong with that?” “Never mind . . .” Sakura laughed, which caused the rest to laugh along with her. A few minutes passed and Meilin emerged from the locker room with her sports bag. “Let’s go! Time for ice cream!” “YEA!!” Everyone cheered once again, then proceeded to leave the gym as yet another exciting day slowly drew to a close for the Card Captors Gang.
“Only two more to go . . .”
Next time, Aquilia seems to have fallen under a spell of despair as she awaits the arrival of two specific Kayo Gems. As Ceaira tries to figure out what’s wrong with her, Aquilia decides to take flight and roam the city on her own.
“What’s happening to the city?!”
As she wanders, the city is suddenly attacked by a massive earthquake, which causes numerous fissures to appear. To her shock, a giant mantis appears from within the earth and attacks the city.
“I don’t care if I don’t have all my power’s back, I have to stop it!”
Can Aquilia face this mantis on her own? Or will she fall prey to it’s powerful force? Find out next time in Episode Fifteen: Even the Optimistic Get Depressed
“Each gem that is captured has a mystical seal . . .a new mystifying gem today we shall reveal . . .”
The Kayo box is dark blue with the image of a golden eagle on the lid. It suddenly flipped opened and tipped over, causing all the gems inside to spill out onto the ground. they all bounced around, but one landed and spun around on one side. It then fell over into it’s flat side to reveal the image to be a nightingale singing proudly upon a tree branch against the moon.
“Song Gem!”
Madison, Sakura and Li are all placed under a trance as a mysterious song emits from a giant tree. Ceaira summons the Create Gem to make two sets of headphones for herself and Meilin. After they’re sure they can’t hear the song, Meilin lures out Song, which is a beautiful nightingale, then Ceaira summons Amazon to trap it. The Song Gem is then shown again before bursting into a pale purple light.
“Hey there Card fans! It’s once again time for Kero’s Corner and today’s segment talks about Meilin’s battle costume!”
Kero then turns on the small TV to show Meilin as she fought against her opponent at the karate competition.
“Meilin Rae is Li’s comrade from Hong Kong, but later became Sakura’s ally too especially when martial arts were the only way to win a battle against a Clow Card.”
He then changes the channel to show Meilin standing in a still position with her left hand on her hip.
“Meilin’s battle costume is of course of the Chinese Origin like Li’s battle costume, but it’s specially designed to perform multiple karate attacks and defences. The colours and designs of course have a special meaning in the Rae Family.”
Kero smiled then flies closer until his face is almost right up again the camera lens.
“And now, check out this!”
He changes the channel once again to show multiple shots of the numerous bells on the costume.
“Now the bells have a special meaning. In Meilin’s family it’s rumoured that these ceremonial bells ward off evil spirits which try to steal the soul. The Rae family is very into legends, as well as Meilin. That’s why she has kept the bells as part of the costume.”
Smiling, Kero sits down in front of a small piano and pulls out a music sheet. He then stretches out his arms before turning back toward the camera.
“Meilin’s skills are very valuable when it comes to the new adventures the gang has to face, especially with the Fight Gem today. Now that she has this new personality, she’s defiantly gonna be easier to get along with. Well, that’s all for today. See ya!”
He waves then begins playing a beautiful song on the piano as the scene fades out.
