___ ___ <__< BLOSSOMS IN THE SPRING <__< A crossover Improfanfic started by The Eternal Lost Lurker Street Fighter and all related trademarks belong to Capcom. Cardcaptor Sakura and all related trademarks belong to CLAMP, Kodansha. Used without permission. ___ <__< Chapter Two: Sakura draws out the FIGHT card! ___ <__< -----======----- In many ways, Karin Kanzuki was the image of the Kanzuki zaibatsu itself. As the youngest member of the Kanzuki family, as well as a graceful and striking young lady in her own fight, she was often picked as the public face of the company's activities, or presence during official matters. Despite being only a teenager, she even occasionally engaged in the business of the family company itself; a fact she was justly proud of. The ones behind the scenes, however, were mainly a bunch of wizened old men; and despite Karin's etiquette, the Kanzuki company was a heavy-handed and grasping entity, with a list of black marks against them that stretched to the floor among the watchdogs and conscientious people. Just the same, Karin was still the image of the zaibatsu; for behind her face lied a great deal of ugliness as well. She was terribly arrogant, her station and experiences solidifying the idea in her mind that she was infallible and perfect; and anything or anyone that was contrary to the idea was crushed with a ruthless scorn. Karin Kanzuki, clad in her neatly pressed red school formals and her blonde hair freshly permed into tight ringlets, awaited on the wide front steps of her family's mansion, ready to personally greet a visitor this morning. Soon enough, a black limosuine appeared at the gates, was cleared for entry, and cruised up to the entrance, smoothly braking to a stop with the door in front of Karin's manservant. Exiting the vehicle, opening the door himself, was a young man. Unlike everyone else present, he was dressed much more casually - blue jeans, brown leather jacket, and a white button shirt. His hair, blonde as Karin's (though more naturally so), came down in handsome cascades from his head, tied in the back with a ponytail held by a red ribbon. He stood up, and smoothed his hair back with an easy grace. He smiled winningly at the people around him, and extended a hand to Karin. "It's good to see you today." He said, in remarkably good Japanese. "I'm Ken Masters. You must be Ms. Kanzuki." "Charmed." Karin nodded, and took his hand to shake it. His grasp was relaxed but obviously strong, and his skin was rough and slightly calloused. "I see you've been training hard, Mr. Masters." Karin said. Ken's smile faltered for just a moment; then he winked at her. "That's right, I have been. But let's talk about that some other time." * * * * * "Good afternoon, Ms. Kusagano!" Tomoyo chirped, a knapsack over her shoulder as she entered the back door of the Kusagano residence. "Why hello, Yuriko-chan." Sakura's mother responded smoothly. "Sakura is upstairs in her room right now." "I brought in your mail. Should I take this letter up to her? It's addressed to her." "Well, isn't that thoughtful of you. Go right ahead." Tomoyo skipped up the steps to Sakura's room and entered, to the sounds of a muttered argument. "..so no, you're *not* allowed to just walk around the room when nobody's looking and nobody's around." Sakura explained to Cerberus, sotto voce. The two of them had recently become fairly skilled at keeping the noise down in the few days that they had been living together so far - a handy skill, as it was better safe than sorry when it came to trusting the unpredictable acoustics of the Kusagano home. "But why not? I don't want to have to sit on some dusty shelf all day long. I'm a sentient creature and I demand some respectful living conditions!" Cerberus returned. "If I'm not here and my mom comes in to check the room every now and then, what is she going to think when one time you've flopped yourself on the bed, then the next you've flopped yourself on the dressing cabinet, then the next you've flopped yourself.." Sakura lowered her voice dangerously. "*over my open diary, Kero.*" "That was research, I told you already! I was trying to figure out the psychological differences between your old self and your new self - and my name is *Cerberus*. Cer-ber-us. It's undignified to call a powerful guardian like myself -" "Kero-chaaaan!" Tomoyo called out in a sing-song way. "Urk!" "Sakura-chaaan! Hell-o!" "Ahhh!" Sakura said, then whispered, "Ix-nay on the ero-chan-kay bit!" "Oh! I'm sorry." Tomoyo seated herself on the bed next to those two. "So, how are you two getting along so far?" "We're doing fine, Tomoyo-chan!" Cerberus said. "Badly." Sakura said. "You used to get along all right, Sakura-chan! You just need some time for the two of you to adjust, because your personality is a bit different now." "I got along with you just fine both ways, Tomoyo-chan." Sakura turned to give the evil eye to the little winged bear creature. "So it's all *his* fault." "I have some mail for you!" Tomoyo said, changing the subject. "Here, open this." "Hmm? Who's it from - argh! It's that Kanzuki b- it's from Karin Kanzuki." Sakura said, reading the envelope. "Sakura-chan, I didn't know *she* sent you mail." "Every week or so. I think she does it just to bug me." Sakura tore open the envelope with her fingers and pulled out the letter, written on rose- colored paper and faintly scented. "Let's she what she wants to say today.." ------------------------- Dear hated rival Kusagano, O HO HO HO HO! Once again, you fumble along your hopeless path of becoming a true Street Fighter, whilst I come across such coups of fate without even efforting myself. Are you aware of the famous underground fighter, Ken Masters? Of course you have, but you could never hope to become high enough in the circuit rankings to face him; whereas I will be meeting one of your treasured idols this very day, in a business meeting where we will be exchanging far more money and resources than you will ever see in your lifetime. Perhaps I can convince him to purchase that two-story shack you live in? O HO HO HO HO! Ever your superior, *$*$**#*@**#* Karin Kanzuki -------------------------- "Did she really write 'O HO HO' in her letter?" Cerberus asked. "I think two stories makes for a *very* nice house. Especially in the city." Tomoyo said defensively. "Oh," Sakura shrugged. "She just has a complex about me or something. I beat her once when she was fighting in an Osaka tournament, and she's been hounding me ever since. She's trying to get back her honour, but really she's just embarassing herself being so petty." Sakura tossed the letter over on the desk, where it joined a small pile of other colored, scented letters of hate. "Kero-chan," said Tomoyo, "I brought everything you wanted me to. Do you want to get down to Card Captor business, Sakura-chan?" "Might as well. School won't be started for another week, anyway." "So let's talk about the card possessing you, Sakura-chan." Cerberus said. Sakura got serious. "Right." Tomoyo pulled out a notebook from her knapsack. "When I was trying to hold on to my memories, I wrote down everything I remembered so that there was no way I could forget it. All the fights we had and the cards we saw - everything! So, with your help, Kero-chan, maybe we can look through these notes and figure out which card's inside her." Cerberus floated over to Tomoyo's shoulder and rested on it as the two of them flipped through the book. "Let's go to the cards list.." "Hey, can I take a peek at that?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo and Cerberus looked at each other, then back to Sakura. "Do you think we should let her?" Tomoyo asked. "Actually, we better not." Cerberus quickly said. "It might be too much information and memories at once. We don't want to unbalance reality at such an early stage by making her handle everything at once." The girl nodded solemnly at the bear. "You're right, Kero-chan. We better not." Sakura blinked, impressed. "Wow. Could it really be that easy to throw things out of whack?" "Yes, it could be that easy. So!" Cerberus pronounced. "Don't read or look at Tomoyo-chan's notebook until we say you can. Promise?" "Sure, sure!" Sakura said, looking worried. "I promise!" "Okay.." Tomoyo said, and fell silent, flipping through the pages. "Do you think.." she eventually said, pointing at one particular line. "That she's got the.." she peeked at Sakura, who sat at the opposite end of the bedroom. "..that she's got *this* card inside her?" "Hmm.." Cerberus rubbed his chin. "No, it couldn't be *that* card because.. turn back a few pages.. right, not *that* card because *this* happened and she's not doing that." "How about *this* card, then?" "No, she wouldn't even be here in this room if she was possessed by *that* card.." "Uh.." Sakura said, getting up. "Why don't I just leave the room and come back in a few minutes." She rose and almost made it to the door when Tomoyo gasped in delight. "The FIGHT card! 'This card wants to fight strong opponents'. What do you think, Kero-chan?" Sakura paused, a sudden spike of vague worry hitting her in the stomach. "Of course! THE FIGHT! That fits her perfectly!" "*She* goes around wanting to fight strong opponents all the time - it's a perfect match, Kero-chan, I agree." "Hey." Sakura interrupted, turning away from the door and sitting back down again. "Are you saying I'm trying to be a Street Fighter because.. I'm possessed?" "Well, it's possible. You're a lot different from your old Kinomoto self, Sakura-chan." Tomoyo said. "A *lot* different. It might be that most of the difference came from the fighting spirit that the card gave you." Sakura looked helplessly at her. "But.. no way.." "It's worth a try." Cerberus said. "Just to see if it's true or not. You're probably used to the FIGHT card's influence; that's why you're confused about the idea of being possessed." "Once the influence is gone, if it was there, you won't miss it afterwards, Sakura-chan. You'll probably wonder why you even wanted to be a Street Fighter in the first place." Tomoyo added. "Tomoyo-chan!" Sakura exclaimed, alarmed. "Can we at least try?" she asked. Sakura paused. "Well.. we can try." "Great!" Cerberus said. "Now, here's how it'll go. First, let's bring out the staff. You got the key?" "Uh.." Sakura quickly searched herself. "No, I don't." "WHAT?!" "Here you are, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, and handed the little trinket over. "You just left it laying around the last time you visited my house, so I picked it up. You know, you should start taking better care of it." "I guess I'm not used to it yet." Sakura admitted. "Agh! Be more responsible!" Cerberus grumped. "You remember how the words go, right?" Sakura breathed in, staring at the key in consternation before speaking the incantation. "Key which hides the powers of the Dark.. reveal your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract.. Release." In a flare of light, the key extended into its full form of a medium-length rod, with a curved beak head at the top. "Now." Cerberus said. "To remove the FIGHT card from you, you need to drive the beak into your heart while saying the magic words." "You.. want me to *stab* myself?" "No, no, no! It's a spiritual gesture. Besides, the head's blunted." Sakura raised the rod over her head, in both hands, and brought it down to where her heart was in a trial arc. "Like this." "Right. Now, you have to say the name of the card in the incanation, and then drive it down. Repeat after me, line by line. It's a really simple one! 'Return to the guise'.." "Return.. to the guise.." Sakura repeated. "that you were meant to be in.." "t-that you were meant..." "Sakura-chan." Tomoyo said. "Your hands are trembling." "What, are they?" She looked up. "You're right. I guess this rod is heavier than it looks." "Uh-uh, it's because you're nervous." Tomoyo replied, then smiled warmly. "Sakura-chan, don't worry! With the FIGHT card gone, it'll be that much easier to remember what your old self was like. I know this is scary, but it's for the best. Please trust us." "Okay, okay." Sakura steeled herself. "Let's do this. Kero, start again." "Return to the guise.." Cerberus repeated. "Return to the guise!" "that you were meant to be in," "that you were meant to be in!" "Clow Card! See, easy and short. What'd I tell ya?" "CLOW --!" Sakura screamed, and drove the rod downward. "CARD!!" A brilliant flare erupted from between the spike and the point of Sakura's heart, washing the room with white. Sakura's form bent over double and trembled for a second as the light poured forth; then there was a sudden shriek of noise, and the light pulsed even brighter a split second, taking the form of a horizontal ray before disappearing completely. Sakura was pushed off her feet by an invisible force, and she flew backwards before crashing into the wall of her bedroom, loosening a small bookcase above her and burying her in a rain of books, trinkets, and small plushies. "The card!" Cerberus said. "Do you see the card anywhere?" "It was all so fast! I'm not sure.." Tomoyo said. She scanned the room quickly, and then walked up to her slouched friend and started sorting through the junk pile covering her. "No. No card." "Maybe it flew into a corner somewhere." Cerberus fluttered off, checking hither and yon around the small room. "Sakura-chan.." Tomoyo asked. "You all right?" "Ai-yi-yi.." Sakura said, her eyes dazed and a-swirling for a few moments, before she snapped to. "How did it go?" "We can't find it." Tomoyo replied. "Maybe it didn't come out at all, actually." Tomoyo turned around to point at Cerberus. "Kero-chan's still looking through --" She stopped short, blushing, as a angry vein popped up in Sakura's head. "I dunno if it's in here." Cerberus said, rooting through Sakura's underwear drawer and strewing bras and panties about the floor. "It was closed, but maybe the card slipped in through a crack and.." Next thing the little bear knew, he was pinned against the floor, the Key Staff pressed threateningly against his furry chest. "I'm going to extract the *Pervert* card from you!" Sakura seethed. "Return to the guise.." "Wait, wait, wait!" Cerberus begged. "Okay, I guess it's not anywhere in the room." "You mean there might not me a card in me after all?" Sakura asked, freeing him from the beaked rod, and eyeing him suspiciously. The little bear flew up into Sakura's face and peered. "Oh, you *did* have a card in you, all right. And I can't sense it anymore, so it must have come out." "Ano.." Tomoyo said, pointing over to the bedroom window. In the middle of the glass pane was a neat little rectangular hole, with slight cracking around its edge. "AHHH! How am I going to explain that to Mom?!" "Sakura?" Ms. Kusagano's voice floated up the stairwell. "What was that noise up there? It sounded almost like fireworks!" "N-nothing, Mom!" Sakura called back. "I was just.. playing a tape Tomoyo- chan brought over with her!" The voice took on an edge of suspicion. "You're not practicing your fireballs upstairs again, are you?" "No, Mom, really!" "Well, I'll be seeing for myself when I come clean your room tonight. There'd better not be any damage up there!" Sakura held her head in her hands and groaned. "What am I going to do?" She snapped her fingers. "Wait, I've got it!" Snatching Cerberus out of midair, she propped him on the windowsill, back against the little hole. "There. Kero, that's your sitting place for the next few days." "Curses!" Cerberus said. "Phooey.." Tomoyo said, downcast. "I guess it escaped. We'll have to track it down like all the other cards now." "Oh, great. I had a Card in me all this time and now I don't even get to find out what it *is*." Sakura muttered. "Couldn't you have set up, I don't know, a mattress against the wall to catch it or something?" "Hey, give me a break!" Cerberus said, "It's not like I've had much experience with the cards possessing people before. It's a whole new phenomenon for me!" "But we're pretty sure it *was* the FIGHT card, Sakura-chan. It's the best fit out of all the others." Tomoyo added. Sakura folded her arms and stared down the others crossly. "Well, *I* say it wasn't! It couldn't have have been THE FIGHT, because I don't feel *any* different at all!" She paused. "I'm the same fighter I always was. In fact, I'm going to have a practice session right now, and prove it!" She marched out of the bedroom and slammed the door behind her, leaving her two guests behind. The two left behind stared at the closed door for a few moments after she left. "She really wants to hold on to her new life, doesn't she, Kero-chan?" "Yes. I underestimated how much it meant to her." "We were being mean to her.. weren't we?" "Maybe. But she's still going to have to learn how to reconcile with her old life." Cerberus folded his arms as he floated in place. "That means she can't go on.. without giving up something from her new one." Tomoyo nodded in sad agreement. * * * * * "So - we know that both our factories are suffering from being managed overseas. If you agree to exchange your Sacremento silicon processing plant for our chip manufacturing centre in Tokyo, I don't see what more needs to be said." Ken finished, as he paced back and forth amidst the upper meeting room of the Kanzuki mansion. "Excuse me for a moment." He began to head out to the balcony for some air. "I understand your desire for simplicity." Karin said, orating so that her associate could still hear her. "But the fact that the two factories have unequal functions can't be ignored. The Kanzuki zaibatsu will have to revise its delicate infrastructure, and-" "AIEEEE!!" Squeals floated in from the front garden outside. "MASTERS-SAMAAAAA!!" "HE'S SO CUUUUTE!" "PLEASE MARRY ME!" Ken hurriedly trotted back inside, blushing furiously as he scratched his head. "Please excuse my housemaids." Karin said, blushing slightly. "They were just hired a few weeks ago.. and you are indeed a young man of a rare sort of handsomeness." "Oh, you're just complimenting me for business reasons." Ken waved off. "No, quite honestly!" Karin waved in turn. "And.. also.. I understand you're an accomplished martial artist." Ken's eyebrow twitched. "Yes, that's true." "Here, why don't we break for an hour or so before resuming talks. And while we break.. I'd greatly enjoy it if you could show me some of your skills. I practice in martial arts myself, and I have a small gym downstairs we can work in." Ken paused for a moment, then very carefully sat back down in his chair. "Well.. it.. *sounds* inviting.." He shook his head. "But I really only came to negotiate. I mean, thanks, but - no thanks." "Oh, I insist!" Karin pressed. Inwardly, she gloated; if she could convince Ken to practice with her and kept some recorded footage of it, she could make Sakura *so* insanely jealous. She was so close.. Ken sighed heavily, and rested his head in his hands. "I can do this." he mumbled. "I can do this without anything bad happening." "I beg your pardon?" "It's nothing. All right, let's go." * * * * * The 'small' gym was in fact, a cavernous fitness centre, not only just for the family, but apparently for all of the mansion's servants and staff as well. Amid the exercise bikes and weight machines was a raised wooden platform, marked off with a tournament circle, and squared off with ring ropes for good measure. Ken Masters swallowed nervously. "So, I see.. you.. spar here. As well as train." "Naturally. It's one of the best ways to learn. Mr. Tomo.." Karin indicated the large, black-suited bodygaurd tailing behind her. "I won't be needing your services for the next short while." Nodding, Mr. Tomo stepped back, and Karin gracefully grasped the ring ropes, and leapt into the ring. "Excuse me?" Ken asked. "You're not thinking I should fight.. you?" "But of course!" Karin nodded. "Well I don't know." Ken said, looking off to the side. Choosing his words carefully. "Perhaps I don't want to fight you, because.. I'm negotiating with you and I.. wouldn't want to hurt you." Karin smiled secretly. "I don't think you have to worry about hurting me. I can take care of my own." "Maybe but.. you're not.." Ken paused significantly. "You're not a *strong* opponent. I don't think you're *strong* enough to fight me." "Oh?" Karin paused herself, as if mocking Ken's. "I *am* strong. In fact, I'm probably the strongest fighter here on the premises." "Uh, no you're not." he said lamely. "Yes, I am." she contradicted. "I've been training for years in my preferred style, and in the process defeated and ascended beyond three successive instructors." Ken began to sweat visibly. "Maybe we should just call this off and get back to the meeting table. Please? Please?" "Why, I've heard so much about you, Mr. Masters - I'm surprised. I thought you'd be very interested in having a fight from a challenging person such as myself." "Look, stop." "There's no need for any embarassment; you're an American, so I'm sure there's much less shame if you get defeated by a female than there would be for a Japanese." "Please don't say things like that!" Ken said, clearly panicked, as he began to tremble. "Quiet, please!" "I say," Karin said, annoyance showing clearly through her politeness. "Are you acting like a *coward*? I'm challenging you to fight! I'm *just* as strong as you, and I *want* you to fight me so I can make a two hour tape that I can mail to my rival Sakura! Now get in here!" Ken cried out, and clutched his head, falling to his knees. Mr. Tomo stepped forward. "Excuse me, Mr. Masters-" he said, "-are you feeling-" "SHO-RYU-REPPA!" In a burst of energy, Ken punched upwards, putting all his strength and chi into a fist that burst into flame as it was thrown, burying itself into Mr. Tomo's chin and sending him feeling. Ken spun, and struck him a second time the same way, this time soaring high into the air as Mr. Tomo was carried likewise, flinging the unconscious bodyguard away like a ragdoll. Ken landed, and pointed a finger directly at Karin. "You want to fight?" he growled, his voice rasping in a strange and alien fashion. "Then you can fight me! Let's go!" "Er.." Karin said tentatively. "Perhaps we should set our rules of engagement before we begin.." Then the doors to the gym burst open, a horde of bodyguards came pouring in, and the situation got nasty. * * * * * "Ha-do-ken!" Sakura cried for the sixtieth time, thrusting out her palms. Nothing. Brow furrowed, she brought her hands back to try again. "Gomen, Sakura-chan.." Tomoyo stood on the back lawn a few feet away from where her friend was fruitlessly drilling. "But maybe because you don't have the card anymore.." She hesitated, wary of her friend's irritation. "It's not that," Sakura fretted, "I've done this move hundreds of times. I've practically got it down to a reflex! I bet I'm just nervous, that's it." She thrust out her hands. "Ha-do-ken!" Nothing. "But you've been trying so long.." "I can still do my other moves just fine! My kicks and punches are still strong, I can do my Shunpukyaku and Sho-oh-ken.. it's just this darn Hadoken that's resisting me!" Tomoyo twiddled her thumbs in agitation. "What if it's the big moves that go away first, before the rest start fading? I'm really sorry for saying this, Sakura-chan, but it might be true, and you should be thinking about what to do after the FIGHT's influence is gone.." "Oh, you know how it works when the cards possess people, do you? No, of course you don't. It's new for both you and Kero, isn't it?" Tomoyo winced, taken aback, and Sakura frowned to herself. She slowly and carefully brought back her hands one more time. "I.. said.." She pushed out her hands furiously. "HA-DO-KEN!" Still nothing. Frustrated, Sakura bent down and rested her hands on her knees. "It's not *fair*!" Sakura wailed. "Come on, I learned how to do this all by myself, right? And I practiced it for months until it was big enough to fight with, right? That means it's mine! You can't take it away just because I don't have some stupid card inside me anymore!" "Sakura-chan.." Tomoyo murmured. "Sakura!" Ms. Kusagano called from inside. "There's some news about your friend Karin-chan on the radio!" "Eh..?" She lifted her head. "And it doesn't sound like very good news! Maybe you should come hear!" Sakura shrugged, and she and Tomoyo headed indoors for the kitchen. "Ano.. isn't it the business news hour? You must mean about Kanzuki Industries." "No, no - take a listen." #In the midst of negotiations with Kanzuki Industries, Mr. Ken Masters of the American congolomerate Masters Industry has just lost his temper and is currently conducting a one-man riot inside the mansion of the Kanzuki family. Kanzuki Industries has refused police involvement, preferring to keep the matter internal, despite the fact that Mr. Masters, a talented martial artist, has already incapacitated fourteen bodyguards in the last ten minutes. Our reporters are on the scene and will give you further updates as they happen.# The voice on the radio paused. #As a partial result, the Nikkei index has dropped 360 points in afternoon trading. Kanzuki Industries in particular, down 250..# "Oh," said Tomoyo. "That is bad news for Karin-san." "And, it's still business news, too." observed Sakura. "But that's weird. I mean.." Sakura took Tomoyo aside to the next room. "Sure, Karin can be annoying sometimes, but not to someone like Ken.. and Ken just doesn't have a temper like that. He gets caught up in fights sometimes, but he doesn't go on rampages." "How do you know so much about Mr. Masters?" "Hey," Sakura said, "Everybody in the underground circuit knows about Ken Masters. He's just as famous down there for his fighting as he's famous for his business in the regular world!" "Do you think that maybe, he's been possessed by one of the Clow cards, and it's influencing his behaviour?" "Aw, come on, Tomoyo-chan, that's pretty unlikely. I mean, there are so many people in the world, and so many reasons that he could be acting like this. It'd be awfully coincidental, wouldn't you think?" "You're probably right." Tomoyo said. "Yeah." "..." "..." "..." "..." "Should we check on it anyway?" Tomoyo asked. "Yeah, I guess so. Let's go get Kero." "Okay!" "Wow. You know, if he does have a Clow card in him, this is going to be my first mission." Sakura said. "Well, you know what I think you should do?" replied Tomoyo. "You should focus on the task at hand, instead of trying to figure out what it all means. Me and Kero-chan are trying to figure out exactly what's happening to you and the Clow, too, so leave it up to us! It's not 'your first mission'.. it's 'go see what's wrong with Mr. Masters.' Okay?" "Thanks, Tomoyo-chan. Let's get going!" * * * * * Karin sniffed. She had been sequestered up in her upstairs bedroom soon after Ken's rioting began, spirited away by a small crowd of black-suited guards, and she was not at all pleased. "I don't see what anyone could have seen in that ruffian." Karin said. "Yes, ma'am." agreed the guard at the door. "I mean, really. Obviously he's doing this to try and intimidate me into agreeing more closely to his terms - as if I couldn't have seen through that tactic immediately! This must be an example of those 'aggressive business practices' I've read about. And why am I here in my room? I'm probably the single person most capable of getting him under control!" "It's for your safety, ma'am." Sounds of struggle, mixed with female screaming, floated in from the outdoors through the bedroom window. "Oh, look. The fight's gotten outside into the garden and he's frightening the house maids. I should go see." She got up off the bed to do just that. "Be careful of stray Hadokens, ma'am." "Yes, yes." she said, peering outside. A short distance away, Sakura and her two assistants were facing a tall, thick hedge lining the sidewalk. "Well, this is the place." Sakura said. "So, I wonder how we can investigate while getting in the least amount of trouble? I figure we'll rack up at least one charge of illegal entry here, but maybe we can get in and out without anybody seeing us. Assuming we're wrong about the Clow card influence in the first place." "Sakura-chan, do you think you could take this a little bit more seriously?" complained Cerberus. "Sorry.. but somehow, when I hear about Ken randomly trashing Karin's house and bodyguards in a crazed frenzy, it just seems vaguely amusing to me. But, to be serious - how much looking *would* it take to find Ken?" "Aaaaaagh - OOF!" said a bodyguard, sailing over the top of the hedge and leading in a dazed heap on the sidewalk. "Not much." Cerberus said. Tomoyo looked up at the hedge. "This is awfully high. Kero-chan could get over, but we couldn't.. maybe if we had the Jump card, we could get over easy, but.." "Hup!" Sakura crouched and leapt upwards, clearing the distance to the top of the hedge easily. Sinking slightly in the brush, she reached down for Tomoyo's hands. "At least a move like that's not going away anytime soon. Want a lift?" "Wow! You're so strong, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, as Sakura took her hands in hers. "Thanks!" Sakura beamed, and helped Tomoyo down the other side. The act of crossing over the hedge didn't go unnoticed in Karin's bedroom. "I don't believe it!" the blonde girl gasped. "If I haven't had enough today, I'm being invaded by that little prole Sakura and her friends!" Karin spun around and marched for the door. "Out of my way! I intend to go down there and tell her directly to leave this minute!" "I'm sorry, ma'am, but I have orders.." One elbow strike to the gut and a double kick later, Karin Kanzuki sniffed, and was out the door and on her way. * * * * * Ken Masters ignored the gardeners as they ran away from him - they were obviously not strong enough to be worth his time, and he was more interested in where his true foe had been taken away to. None of the bodyguards he had met so far were satisfying fights, and none of them gave any clues as where to find Karin Kanzuki. Choosing to rest on the brim of a nearby fountain, he sat and scanned the garden around him with a dark, grim gaze. It came to rest on a new trio - two girls, and one tiny flying creature. "There he is!" Sakura said. "Gee, he looks.." Her eyes locked with the steely eyes of the young man. They flashed, and it seemed to Sakura as if something brewed behind them - alien in nature, but somewhat familiar to her experience.. "I.. I know that look!" Sakura said, and her brow furrowed. "Hey, Kero! He *is* possessed by a Clow card, isn't he?" "Stop calling me - oh, forget it." Cerberus peered closely at Ken, who swayed in place as he seemed to try to gauge the strength of those standing in front of him. "Congratulations, Sakura-chan! You've sussed it out! He is!" Sakura gritted her teeth and stared hatefully. "It's THE FIGHT." "Really?!" Cerberus shouted. "But that would mean.. that it shot out of you and then fell right into *him*!" said Tomoyo. "Sakura-chan, are you sure..?" "It's just.. that look." Sakura slumped. "It looks so much like fighting spirit." She glowered and dug around inside her fighting glove, sliding out a small key. "This card's caused more than enough trouble. I'm taking care of it, here and now!" "Key which hides the powers of the Dark.. reveal your true form before me! I, Sakura, command you under our contract! RELEASE!" In a storm of lights, the small key grew in length, because the full beaked rod of the Clow. As the lights cleared, Sakura lightly swung it upwards and parked in on her shoulder. Then she frowned. "You know, something seems out of place here.." Tomoyo gasped. "Oh no! I forgot! Sakura-chan, I didn't make you a costume yet!" "Ah! Of course, that must have been it." Sakura said, then snapped her fingers. "Wait! I'm remembering something about my old life!" "Really?" said Tomoyo. "What is it, Sakura-chan?" asked Cerberus. Sakura turned to face Tomoyo. "You had me wearing some of the goofiest outfits I ever saw in my life, you know that?" "They were..?" Tomoyo whined, looking crushed. "But I spent so much time sewing them!" "Sakura-chan, you should apologize!" said Cerberus. "Tomoyo-chan put her heart and soul into making those outfits for you!" "Oh! Right!" Sakura said, suddenly feeling terribly heelish. "I.. uh.. didn't remember *that* part yet. I'm.. sure the love you put in those outfits made all the difference in how they looked, Tomoyo-chan!" "Really? Thank you, Sakura-chan!" Tomoyo said, cheering up. "It's you!" shouted Ken Masters. "Huh?" Sakura turned. "So, now *you* know something about me I don't, is that it?" "You're the one who captured all of the Clow cards so many years ago!" The FIGHT card growled. "That makes you the *ultimate* opponent! Let's fight each other!" "Sakura-chan!" Cerberus warned. "Remember, aim for his heart and finish the incantation right at the same time!" "Here, Tomoyo-chan. Hold the Rod." Sakura lightly tossed the rod into the girl's surprised arms. "But, Sakura-chan!" "Sorry, Tomoyo-chan, but we have to. He's not going to hold still for us, you know. We've got to wear him down before we exorcise the card, and this is the best way I know." Sakura gave the other girl a shaky smile. "Don't sweat it - this is my specialty, right? I'll do okay." Sakura flexed her hands and walked up to Ken, who had taken up his traditional fighting stance and was bouncing up and down on his heels. "But, Sakura-chan! If you don't have the FIGHT card in you anymore, and he *does*, then-" "I know!" She snapped. "I'll just do what I can." Sakura took up position a few paces away from her opponent. Ken punches the air; straight ahead, then high, before snapping into a beckoning gesture that waved his fingers at her in a mocking manner. "Oh yeah?" She returned. "Get ready for the thrashing of your life!" She lunged forward, dashing at a full run with her fist cocked and ready. "Sho-OH-" Ken caught the fist, pushed it to the side, and then followed up with a barrage of punches to her gut. As she buckled forward, Ken caught her and began driving a series of knees into her stomach, before pitching himself backwards and tossing Sakura over his head to land roughly on her back. "Sakura-chan!" exclaimed Tomoyo. Sakura grimaced. "Damn it." she said, and pulled herself to her feet. "I can't afford to make stupid mistakes like that.." "Sakura-chan, please use the Rod!" Tomoyo wailed. "It's safer that way!" "I.. can't.." Sakura said. "I've got to give it one more try.." Sakura reared back and whipped out a fast roundhouse kick- -which Ken neatly rolled under, coming back up with an uppercut to the jaw that sent Sakura reeling, followed by a hook punch, a kick to the thigh, and then a launch into his hurricane kick technique, a rapidly spinning helicoper-like kick that struck Sakura six times before it finally let her collapse to the ground. "Ahhhhh, this isn't working!" Cerberus moaned. "She's getting creamed out there!" "But Sakura-chan always pulls through!" Tomoyo said. "What could be going wrong?" Tomoyo watched, deep in worried thought as Sakura's efforts continued to be cleanly outmatched and comboed by the FIGHT-card-possessed Ken. Tomoyo then gasped in realization. "Oh no. I know what's wrong!" "What? What?!" Cerberus shouted, waving his arms in a panic as he watched Sakura continue to get pummeled. "Sakura-chan has been down in the dumps ever since we set out." Tomoyo said. "Kero-chan, that's not really like her! She's doubting herself." "What do you mean? Over what?" Cerberus asked. "Kero-chan.. we can't have the old Sakura back! Not any more. We have to accept that.. but we've been telling her to accept that *she* can't have the *new* Sakura. And the old Sakura inside her is feeling hurt that we're not supporting her! And that's why she's not winning!" "Um, Tomoyo-chan? I'm not really following.." "SAKURA-CHAAAAN!" Tomoyo-chan called out. Sakura slowly picked herself up, and glanced over to where the other girl was calling out her name. "Sakura-chan, dodge backwards instead of to the side! When you punch, punch through the target instead of to it!" Tomoyo nudged Cerberus. "Kero-chan, do you know any martial arts advice?" "Uh.." Cerberus said. "Wax on, wax off!" "That's okay, never mind. Sakura-chan, watch the hips for kicks and the shoulders for punches! Stay grounded and don't jump when you evade! You probably know this better than me; don't forget anything you learned!" "Tomoyo-chan.." Sakura said. "*My* Sakura-chan's the greatest martial artist in the universe! My Sakura-chan never gives up after taking a few hits! Come on, buck up and get in there and *win*!" Tomoyo cheered, merrily waving her arms and jumping and down. Sakura's expression flickered through something unreadable for a moment, and then snapped into one of confidence. "I got ya!" she said, and reared back, kipping herself back into an upright position. "All right, FIGHT card!" Sakura said, cracking her knuckles and facing down the possessed young man. "Let's see how long you can keep up with me!" She dashed forward, crouched briefly, and lept into a rapid spin kick. "Shun-PU.." Ken ax kicked her in midair, knocking her back to the ground, and followed up with a combo of a stomach punch, a knee to the chest, and jumped to start a hurricane kick- "A-aagh!" Sakura grunted, suddenly lunging forward to shoulder Ken and push him backward, preventing him from completing the move. She then pivoted, and managed to plant a kick into his chest, staggering him backward. Rushing forward to follow up, she- -ran into Ken's elbow, and then retreated with her guards up as Ken pressed the attack with knee strikes and front kicks. The two travelled about ten feet before Sakura managed to block solidly enough to shove it away and throw Ken to the side- "Hooray! Now she's putting up a fight!" Tomoyo said. Cerberus shook his head. "But she's still not doing well enough to defeat the FIGHT card. Especially when it's possessing an experienced Shotokan fighter like Mr. Masters." The two combatants took a step back to recuperate and slowly circle each other. Sakura was by far the worse off, visibly winded, with multiple bruises up and down her body. Ken's eyes seemed to glow with satisfaction and arrogance as he watched his half-beaten opponent. Sakura scoffed under her breath, and scratched at one of her marks with her glove. "You think you're hot stuff, don't you? Well, you're just a *card*." She picked up speed, starting to jog around the possessed fighter as he stood his ground. "So what if you've got so much skill? You only have it because you're some magical thing! You never *earned* any of it! Maybe you faked my dreams and made a mess of me ever being a real Street Fighter - but I'm going to make sure Ken Masters can follow that dream fair and square!" Sakura turned sharply from her arc, and ran directly at Ken, fist extended. "Sakura PUNCH-" Ken met the attack with a roundhouse kick - and Sakura stopped short the attack, ducking instead. He quickly followed up with a straight punch, followed by a side kick with the left leg, then the right - Sakura stepped back, and shifted to either side to avoid the blow. He threw half a dozen more blows of all kinds, but Sakura continued to dodge and duck, maintaining a token guard but staying light on her feet as she danced around his attacks. "What's she doing?" Tomoyo asked, confused and worried. "Isn't she going to-" Ken's eyes flashed with anger, and he crouched low to the ground. Chi energy gathered and focused on his clenched fist, and it burst into flame the moment he rose up, moving into.. "SHO-RYUUUU-KEN!" Sakura hastily dove backwards, landing right on her startled behind as the flaming fist missed her by inches. Ken rose high into the air, silouetting himself against the sun as he reached his peak. "That's good enough for me!" Sakura shouted, and scrambled to her feet as Ken began his downward arc. She brought her hands to her side, in a motion she had practiced for months on and, and focused as hard as she could. "SHINKUU.." Bright chi energy crackled in the space between her hands, coloring the garden around her in a light blue hue. "HADOKEN!" A ball of spirit energy shot out as she thrusted her palms, aimed directly at her descending opponent. It caught him broadside, knocking him out of his fall and hurling him some twenty feet away, where he landed in the middle of some priceless rose bushes. Sakura dusted her hands off, and dashed over to Tomoyo and Cerberus. "Tomoyo-chan! Rod, please?" "W..." she stammered. "W.. w.. Wow!" "Never mind, I'll just help myself!" Sakura grinned, and snatched the rod out of the other girl's slack hands. Running over to the stunned young man, she grasped the rod's end, lifting it over her head and aiming carefully. "Return to the guise that you were meant to be in! CLOW CARD!!" Sakura drove the beak of the rod into Ken's chest. A shrill whistling noise filled the garden, and a beam of light erupted from the striking point. The rod shuddered in Sakura's hands, and she gripped it tightly as the beam of light began to reshape itself, shrinking and squaring itself, until with a soft pop, a plain paper card appeared and floated down to land on Ken's jacket. She picked it up and looked at it. On the card was the image of a diminutive figure with mean eyes, elegantly bordered with two words on the bottom: THE FIGHT. "Looks like we guessed right. Is this it?" she asked Cerberus, who rode on Tomoyo's shoulder as the two of than ran up. "Yes, that's it." Tomoyo nodded. "Good work, Sakura-chan! How did you get the fight to turn around like that? It's like you suddenly because ten times better when you started dodging!" "Heh." Sakura scratched the back of his head, embarassed. "Nah, I didn't get any better. I just realized - the FIGHT card was so cocky about his skills, he couldn't just do one move - he had to show off by chaining six or seven moves in a row. So, when he went all offense, I went all defense and waited for an opening." She shrugged. "Didn't expect he'd get annoyed and give me an opening as big as that, though." "But, Sakura-chan, didn't you realize what you *did* with that opening? It was that *fireball* move! The one you thought you couldn't do this afternoon!" Sakura stared at her in surprise. "You can always be a fighter if you really want to, Sakura-chan! Even if there was a Clow Card in you making you do it to begin with, as long as you still want to now, that's all that matters!" Sakura blinked a few times. "You think so?" "I know so." She smiled gratefully. "Tomoyo-chan.. thanks." Tomoyo nodded and beamed. "Hey, Kero!" Sakura continued. "Now that we've got the card, where do we put it?" She waited for an answer, but the little creature continued to sit still on Tomoyo's shoulder. "Hell-o? What do I do with it? Do we have the book to put it back in, or what?" She poked his stomach softly, looking for a reaction. "Oh, Kero-chan is doing the doll act right now, because.. well." Tomoyo motioned around her. During the fight, a number of house maids, bodyguards, and a few journalists had gathered to watch, and they now practically surrounded the area. Sakura's stomach sank. "Aw, nuts." The 'doll' sweatdropped. One of the bodyguards walked up. "Wow, that was great! I haven't had the chance to see a really good martial arts fight in a long time. And that finishing move of yours was really spectacular! What's it called?" "My- my finishing move?" Sakura blinked. "Er - oh right! My finishing move! That stick thing. It's called.. uh.." She stalled for a moment, twiddling her thumbs and mentally running through some name possibilities. "-the Key Staff Smasher!" Tomoyo helpfully added. "-the Sakura Spirit Release!" Sakura finally spat out. The two of them looked at each other. "It's.. it's.. the Sakura Key Staff Spirit Release Smasher!" Sakura said, sweatdropping heavily. "Cool." said the bodyguard. Ken groaned, and stirred. He sat up, and blinked blearily around. The bodygaurd snapped into a wary defensive stance as he rose to his feet. "Huh? What happened?" Ken looked at the bodyguard. "Oh. Uh.. I'm very sorry if I was causing any trouble. I'm feeling much better now, thank you." "Are you quite sure, sir?" Ken raised his palms. "Hey, scout's honor. If I caused any damages in the house, I'll pay for them. And I guess I can negotiate a settlement with Miss Kanzuki if there's any other complaints she wants to lay." The bodyguard nodded, and returned to the house, motioning for the other guards to disperse and return to position. Ken looked around, and rested his gaze on Sakura, who stood, Key Staff and card in hands. "You." Ken said. "You were the one who.." "Oh, *me*?" Sakura said, grinning and smiling. "Yeah, I guess I showed up out of nowhere, but I was passing by and it looked like you were acting a little crazy, so I thought, hey, I'm a martial artist too and maybe I could.." Ken locked Sakura's eyes with an even gaze. "I was possessed by a spirit that made me want to fight people, and you tracked me down and exorcised it into that playing card using your magical rod." he said quietly. "..Yeah." Ken sighed, and sat down on the ground, folding his hands under his chin. "I should have been more careful. When that spirit came to me two months ago, I should have just turned him away.. but the promises he made sounded too good to turn down." Sakura hissed, a sharp intake of breath. "How long?" "Eh?" "How long did you say the card was possessing you!" She leaned forward into the young man's face. "Did you say two months? Did you?" "Yes.. I did. Is that important?" Sakura breathed out again; her body sagged and her head drooped for a moment. When it rose again, a smile was on her face and her eyes crinkled happily. "Yeah. Yeah, it is important. Really important." "Sakura-chan!" The fighter staggered forward as she was suddenly tackled from behind by a hug that wrapped tightly around the shoulders. "You didn't lose your spirit!" "Heh heh heh.." Sakura chortled. "I'm legit after all! But hey.. even if it was THE FIGHT all along, I could just rely on you to give me spirit, right?" "Um!" Tomoyo nodded happily, and then got a strange look as she started wiggling her shoulder. "Hey, where did.." Tomoyo broke the hug and started glancing about. "Oh no! Kero-chan fell off!" She knelt down and retrieved the irritated-looking plush toy from the ground. Ken sat slumped on the edge of the garden fountain, ruffling his hand through his hair. "It was weak of me to accept-" "No, you weren't weak, Mr. Masters!" Tomoyo interjected, brushing off what looked like a grass stain from Cerberus's back. "If the FIGHT card decided to possess you, that means you had a strong heart." "But, but, I should have known better. But he talked about.. him. He compared me to him, and that was my weak spot-" "Who's 'him'?" asked Sakura. "The guy I trained with. He was always one step ahead of me during training, and just about always won when we sparred. His name's Ryu Hoshi." Sakura's eyebrows shot straight up. "It said that it could teach me more about fighting, so that I could get up to more his level. Instead when it possessed me, it took over my life. I couldn't so much as think about fighting without getting these urges to.." "RYU-SAMA?!" Sakura shouted, unable to contain herself any longer. "HE'S MY ABSOLUTE HERO!" "Uh..?" "I want to be just like him! I've been practicing the moves just like he does them and I've even got his headband and I've been trying to find the *true meaning of the fight* just like he does and-" Sakura stopped, sheepish. "Oh. Sorry. You just mentioned you were kinda jealous of him, didn't you?" Ken laughed, and patted Sakura on the shoulder. "Actually, not any more. Being taken advantage of by that card you're holding taught me to get over it. So, you like Ryu, do you?" "Absolutely! Do you know if I could meet him sometime?!" Ken frowned. "Well.. that's kind of a problem. I'm a friend of his, but even *I* can't get into contact with him most of the time. I remember the last time I offered him a cell phone, but he was all, 'Cell phones mean nothing. The fight is all.' He's disappeared completely these last three months, actually." Sakura's face fell in disappointment. "Oh." "Tell you what, though." Ken smiled. "I owe at least a favor or two for what you did. If there's ever anything you need, you can go ahead and call me up." Ken reached into his jacket pocket and took out a business card. "Here, take my card. I'm rich you know. You can get a *lot* of mileage from someone like me." "Wow. Thanks a lot!" "Sakura!" Karin exclaimed into the air, as she finally exited through the front door of her mansion, after having finally navigated from her third floor bedroom through the mazelike halls. "How dare you break into my property and interfere with my business? Ah, but of course! Obviously my little missive this morning could not help but inflame your short fuse and send you here! How easy you are to bait, dear Sakura - O HO HO HO - eh?" The reporter who interrupted her laugh asked the question again. "Ms. Kanzuki, what is your opinion of what transpired here - this brave schoolgirl coming in to defeat the rioting Mr. Masters who had been putting you in such danger?" "Eh... s-she defeated him?" "I suppose it is a relief that you're safe once again, thanks to her." Karin stared at the NHK reporter, before her good sense took over. She assumed an air of perfect graciousness and politeness (though the observant could probably spot her eyebrow twitching madly.) "Well, of *course* I'm thankful.. of such help. Though of course I could have handled the situation myself given time to organize my guards.." "Mr. Masters!" The reporter said. "Are you feeling better? What happened?" "It was.. uh.. jetlag. Yeah." Ken lied, approaching the two of them at the front doors. "I gotta say, that girl - she said her name was Sakura, by the way - what a talented fighter! There's probably not a single girl her age in all of Japan who can fight just as well as her. Don't you agree, Ms. Kanzuki?" Karin's smile froze in place, as her eyebrow's twitching increased in magnitude. Oh, that girl would pay. Yes, she would. Well in the back, unseen by the crowd, Tomoyo cocked her head to the side, and whispered to her small companion. "Kero-chan, if Sakura-chan wasn't carrying THE FIGHT inside her.. do you have any idea which card it was instead?" She reached over and tapped the little bear on the head. It rocked back and forth twice, then stopped. "You don't? But it's still the card that set off her memories, right?" She tapped him again, causing him to rock once. "And if it flew off.. where do you think it could be now? What was it doing inside her in the first place? Kero-chan?" She reached over and tapped him a third time. Cerberus didn't move. "Ano?" She tapped him again. "Hello? Kero-chan? Do you know?" she continued, poking the little bear repeatedly. "Stop that!" Cerberus exploded, lifting off Tomoyo's shoulder and flapping a safe distance away. "I don't know! And it's not a yes or no question, Tomoyo-chan!" "Oh.. that's right! Sorry." * * * * * "Isn't it amazing how everyone just forgave Mr. Masters? Nobody even seemed that angry with him!" Tomoyo asked, as the three of them walked home. She once again was holding the Key Staff for Sakura, shrunk back into its smaller form. "I guess the Masters and Kanzuki financial empires still needed each other, so they didn't press any charges." Sakura nodded, trailing behind. "But still - the Clow cards could cause a lot of trouble for the people they possess - even if what they do isn't really their fault." "At least we have a super strong Sakura-chan who can keep the Clow cards in line when they misbehave!" Cerberus said. "And think, the next time you have to exorcise a Clow card, you can make use of the FIGHT card to get even-" "No." Sakura shook her head. "No?" Both Cerberus and Tomoyo said, at the same time. "No. Absolutely not." Sakura flipped the card idly in her fingers, smiling to herself. "It's the Street Fighter code, right? All my strength has to come from me." She tucked THE FIGHT into her blouse pocket. "This card can just stay right where it is." "Oh.. you're right, Sakura-chan! You don't need it, do you?" She nodded in agreement, then turned around and clapped her hands. "I feel like we're starting a whole fresh new adventure! I've going to head home right away and start making a new costume for you to wear!" "Huh? Oh hey.. Tomoyo-chan.. thanks, but that's okay. I mean, what I've got on now did me just fine back there.." "Oh, but you've got to look as pretty as possible, Sakura-chan, so everyone will know what a great Card Captor you are! Hmm.." she looked up and down Sakura's body with a professional gaze. "Your measurements are different! I've got to bring some measuring tape with me the next time I visit, Sakura-chan, so we can.." The other girl blushed. "No, no, Tomoyo-chan, I can just tell you what they are! Really, you.. don't need to go through the trouble!" ("Aww, darn..") "What'd you just say, bear?" ("...") "Lemme think...hmm...well, I've got this nice black leotard, and I could add some purple tights and some boots, and maybe a little headpiece with cute little bat wings.." "Ahh.. I don't know, Tomoyo-chan, I mean, it sounds a little embarassing. I'm not a little kid anymore.." "Hey," Cerberus said, "It sounds like a great costume for a grown-up lady too, if you ask me!" "You are *so* transparent, Kero." "Cerberus. Cer-ber-us.." * * * * * -----======----- LEAVE IT TO KERO-CHAN! -----======----- Konya nyatchiwa! Today, we're going to learn a move or two from Sakura-chan's very own fighting style! (It's not really *my* fighting style..) Hey, come on! I thought we cleared that up already this episode! (No, what I *mean* is, I'm imitating Ryu-sama! It's Shotokan karate!) Yeah, like I said! Sakura-chan's *very own* fighting style! (...) The first move we're going to look at is the Hadoken! This is a really advanced move where Sakura shoots out a ball of chi energy! What she does first is put both her hands to one side, and make a gesture like she's cupping something! (Like this!) Right! Then she concentrates really hard, builds up her chi, and then *thrusts* out her palms, shooting forth the built-up energy! (Ha-do-ken!) See? Look, she shot it out 10 feet! <--------- 10 FEET ----------> (Ryu-sama can make it go 30 or 40 feet, but I'll keep practicing!) Sakura-chan also has a few variations of her Hadoken where she builds up her energy for a longer period.. (...) (HA-DO-KEN!) <----- 5 FEET -----> (...) (...) (HA-DO-KEN!) <-- 3 FEET --> See? It's a bigger fireball, but it goes a shorter distance! Now, finally. Sometimes, when she does this, something clicks inside, and she just knows she's going to perform an extra-special move! (SHINKUU..) Do it, Sakura-chan! (HA-DO-KEN!) <------------------------------------------------------------------------ See? Look at that range! It's still going, and it's big, isn't it! Still going.. *still* going.. hey.. wait. Wait, stop! * WHA BOOM * (Oops! Gomen!) ....anyway *cough* I'll see you next time... -----======----- NEXT EPISODE PREVIEW If I didn't have the FIGHT card inside me, what card was it? Tomoyo-chan and Kero-chan try to be nice, but this whole second life thing is really beginning to bug me! Am I really me or not? I still want to be a Street Fighter, but it's not healthy to hold on to illusions. And me and some other poor girl are about to find out exactly why it's not healthy! Join use next time for, "The deluding ILLUSION card." RELEASE!! * * * * * Author's Notes: Thanks go out to Yonjunni, Ardweden, and Twoflower for their patience and understanding in helping me get this chapter out. Having skipped parts before, I pushed myself hard to defeat my procrastination block, and it would have been disappointing if it was like I had skipped just the same. Lurker helped with the part too, and thanks go to him for that, even if we had some arguments along the way. -Sean Givan