___                           ___
<__<  BLOSSOMS IN THE SPRING  <__<

      A crossover Improfanfic
 started by The Eternal Lost Lurker
   This chapter by Brian Stricklin
   Street Fighter and all related
    trademarks belong to Capcom.
 Cardcaptor Sakura and all related
trademarks belong to CLAMP, Kodansha.
      Used without permission.

  ___                          
 <__<  Chapter Four:
         Sakura PUSHes back!   ___ 
                              <__<


          -----=====-----


     Despite an efficient police force and a society with a firm code of
conduct, there were areas of Tokyo - the docks, warehouse districts, and the
like - that just weren't very safe, particularly after dark.  From petty
hoodlums to other, more dangerous villains, life could be rough and
occasionally short for those who didn't belong.
                                 
     Nevertheless, down these mean streets two schoolgirls walked, unafraid. 
One of them was confident because she did this kind of thing often enough to
make it a mundane experience, while the other... just wasn't afraid.

     "So, you won't be fighting tonight, Sakura-chan?" she asked brightly,
stepping daintily over a sleeping wino.  "I thought you were looking forward
to going to another tournament."

     "Well, yeah," her companion replied, "but the tournament itself actually
started yesterday; they're running the second part of it today, and it'll
finish tomorrow.  Plus this one's solely for 'heavyweight' fighters, and I
wouldn't exactly fit in."

     "It seems pretty complicated."

     Sakura shrugged.  "There's always a ton of little tournaments like this
using the Street Fighter name, and they all have different rules and
requirements.  The only one with rules that're set in stone is the big
intercontinental tournament later on - everything else is just marking time
and hoping to get noticed."

     Tomoyo blinked.  "Noticed by whom?"

     "By..."  Sakura paused.  "Y'know... I'm not sure.  By whoever sponsors
the main tournament, I guess?"  She rubbed her neck, slightly embarrassed. 
"I'm still a bit hazy on the details.  Still, going to little tournaments like
this lets me keep an eye on the competition."

     Her companion beamed and hefted her ever-present camcorder.  "And it lets
me keep my eye on *you*!"

     "Uh... right."

     Tomoyo smiled broadly, then her brow suddenly creased with faint worry. 
"Demo... didn't Kero-chan want you to stay home and practice your spells? 
It's been a long time since you used the Clow Cards, after all."

     Sakura made a rude noise.  "There'll be time enough for that later. 
Anyway," she added, producing a pair of cardboard slips from her bookbag,
"it'd be a shame to waste these tickets I got, ne?  And I *did* invite him to
come along, but he said watching large and sweaty men slap each other around
wasn't his cup of tea."  She snickered.

     "Ara."  Tomoyo gave this due consideration.  "What do you think he meant
by that?"

     There was a hesitant pause.  "Uh... well... oh, look!  We're here!"

     The other girl looked up at a warehouse completely similar to the ones
around it.  "Are you sure, Sakura-chan?"

     "Trust me.  C'mon, the entrance is around the other side."

     "Hai!"  Tomoyo skipped forward to match pace with Sakura, then seized
the young fighter's arm and linked it with her own.  "And after this," she
enthused, "we can go to my place - I have a whole new selection of costumes
for you to try on!"

     Nonplused, Sakura scratched her forehead.  "Y'know... I've been meaning
to talk to you about this whole 'costume' thing..."

     "Oi, shoujo!"

     The two girls looked up to see what could only be a street gang - the
leather, knives, and surly expressions were a dead giveaway - lounging outside
the warehouse's entrance.  One of them, a lean young man with a scar along his
left cheek, had pushed away from the wall he'd been leaning against and was
advancing toward them, twirling a bike chain idly.  "What's a couple of pretty
girls like you doing out so late, huh?"

     "It's not late," Tomoyo replied innocently.  "It's just eight thirty."

     A small sweatdrop rolled down his temple.  "Never mind that!  What I
mean is, you could get in a lot of trouble in a place like this.  Understand?"

     "I'll handle this."  Sakura stepped forward, tightening her handguards
and grinning in anticipation.  "Shaking down people goin' to the tournament,
huh?  Not a good idea.  Okay, who's first?"

     The tough, however, suddenly looked surprised.  "Tournament?  You're
here for the tournament?"  The rest of the gang seemed to relax a bit.

     "...yyyyeahhh," she replied suspiciously.  "What's it to you?"

     "Hmph."  He looked her over critically.  "Well, you don't look like a
martial arts fan, apart from being a tomboy..."

     "WHAT?!"

     "...but it's no skin off my nose," he decided.  "You got your tickets?"

     "What if I do?" Sakura demanded, still fuming.

     He grinned and reached into his jacket;  Sakura took a step back,
suddenly nervous, but stopped when he produced a small hole punch.  "Well, I
can't let you in unless you do."

     Sakura paused, and slowly her fists unclenched.  "...you guys are
running *Security*?" she asked skeptically.

     "Hey, the money's good."  He took the tickets and punched them before
handing them back.  "The camera stays here, though.  Street Fighter
tournaments aren't exactly endorsed by law - we don't want any video evidence
floating around."

     "Daijobu!" Tomoyo chirped, lifting the camcorder and focusing it on her
companion.  "*She's* the only one I want to tape."

     "Don't worry about it, guys," Sakura said quickly, trying to hide her
embarrassment.  "I'm not your everyday fangirl; I'm a fighter myself."

     The tough frowned and looked her over again... then his mouth fell open. 
"Masaka... you can't be... Kasugano Sakura?!"

     The rest of the gang suddenly clustered around their leader, all talking
at once.  "Sakura?"  "Is it her?"  "I never expected..."  "Really?"  "Sakura!"

     She beamed - it was *so* nice when they recognized her.  "The one and
only!"  And then, always willing to please her audience, she went into one of
her victory poses - two high kicks followed by a martial arts kiai.  "Hya! 
Hya!  HAAAAAH!"

     The gang made assorted noises of surprised approval.  "It *is* her! 
That flair!"

     "Those moves!"

     "Those PANTIES!"

     The entire gang, some of them crying manly tears, shouted in unison:
"SAKURA-CHAN NO PANTSU!"

     Sakura, whose head had begun to expand to match her growing ego,
suddenly stumbled.  "Eh?!"

     The gang leader nodded solemnly.  "Sou yo... Sakura's panties, red like
the blood that surges through the heart of a true man.  They symbolize hope
and determination, and the vigor of youth!"

     One of the thugs surged forward toward her, grasping a handful of bills. 
"I'll give you ten thousand yen for them!"

     Before Sakura could react he was pulled back by his cohorts.  "Fool!"
one of them raged.  "You can't buy the vigor of youth!"

     "That's right," another agreed.  "It must be quested after, and admired
from afar!"

     "I got a tattoo made special," a third admitted shyly, and rolled up his
sleeve to display it.

     Tomoyo leaned forward to peer at the thug's meaty arm, then smiled. 
"It's an impressive likeness," she said approvingly.

     He blushed.  "Domo."

     By this point, Sakura had clutched her hands to her ears in a vain
attempt to stop hearing these things, and her eyes were wild with panic. 
"I... I really... really... *really*... *really*... *REALLY* DID NOT NEED TO
KNOW ABOUT THIS!"

                    -----=====-----

     "There you go!  Hit him!  HIT HIM!" *THUD*  "Ooooo... that looked
painful!"

     Once inside the warehouse and watching the tournament, Sakura's mood had
seemed to improve, though the fact that she'd whipped the tar out of the gang
outside might have helped.  On the other hand, they had seemed to enjoy the
pounding a bit too much, which kind of spoiled it.

     In any case, she had perked up once the tournament started, and was
cheering just as loud as anyone else in the stands.  For her part, Tomoyo was
content to keep her camcorder trained on Sakura, saving these magic moments
for posterity.

     And then... disaster struck!

     "Mou..."  Tomoyo fiddled with the power switch on her recorder, then
pouted.  "I thought I put new batteries in..."  She shrugged and turned her
attention to the arena below.  "Who's winning, Sakura-chan?"

     "Huh?"  Sakura tore her eyes from the fight.  "Haven't you been
watching... oh.  Right.  Forget I asked."  A loud cheer erupted around her,
and she quickly looked back at the arena.  "Rats!  I missed the finishing
blow."

     "Gomen..."

     "Anyway, tonight's matches are almost over; all that's left is the
semifinal match.  Whoever wins that gets to fight *last* night's winner in the
final round tomorrow."

     "Oh."  Though clearly not getting it, Tomoyo pushed onward.  "So who do
you think will win?"

     Sakura considered, looking down at the large and muscular man currently
getting his wind back in preparation for the next fight - he'd been using a
combination of boxing and savate, as best she could tell, and the orange ki
blasts had been rather impressive.  "Well, this guy's got some moves," she
admitted, "but my money's still on his opponent."

     "Why's that?"

     Instead of answering right away, the other girl scanned the arena,
watching for something.  There was silence for a moment - well, apart from the
noise of the crowd - then Sakura grinned and pointed at a large figure
approaching the ring.  "Because *that's* his opponent!"

     The man was huge - easily over three hundred pounds - and while his body
shape was one normally associated with the term 'fat', there was a definite
suggestion of muscles beneath the surface, and he moved with surprising
agility.  His black hair was tied into a topknot, and red paint had been
applied around his eyes in a simple pattern.  As he advanced toward the
makeshift ring, wearing the traditional sumo mawashi (known to the uninitiated
at the 'giant diaper'), a pair of similarly-garbed men fell into step behind
him; both were rather intimidating in their size and demeanor, but were
nothing compared to the man in the lead.

     "Honda!"  Sakura whooped and hollered along with the rest of the
audience.  "Woo!  Kick his butt!"

     E. Honda, focused on the upcoming match, ignored the roar of the crowd
as he stepped into the ring.  His opponent took one last gulp of his sports
drink before hopping to his feet, grinning confidently; most Street Fighters
worthy of the name had an uncanny ability to recover their stamina after a
fight.  Raising his fists close to his chest, he began to bob lightly from one
foot to the other, never taking his eyes off his opponent.  For his part,
Honda ceremoniously scattered a handful of salt before him, then dropped into
a half-crouch and waited.  The tension mounted... then a bell rang, and the
fight began.

     The boxer, as Sakura had pointed out, was quite skilled, and managed to
land several good punches and kicks on the hulking sumo.  He was unusually
fast for his size as well, and managed to dodge back before Honda could land
his counterattack.  Nevertheless, Honda was one of the world's premiere Street
Fighters, and it didn't take long for him to adapt to his opponent's skills. 
He waited, assuming a defensive posture... then, when the boxer overextended
himself with a wide kick, Honda immediately attacked with a Hundred-Hand Slap,
delivering a series of open-palm strikes moving faster than the eye could see.

     In just a few more seconds, the match was over, Honda's great strength
and skill allowing him to push home his advantage.  As one final overhand chop
struck home, the boxer fell heavily to the ring; he lay unmoving for several
seconds, long enough for the referee to declare Honda the winner.

     "Yeah!  That's the way to do it!  I *told* ya!"

     Tomoyo smiled.  "I take it you know him, Sakura-chan?"

     "Oh, yeah," her companion replied.  "I fought him at a mini-tournament
last year."  She rubbed the back of her neck in slight embarrassment.  "Kicked
my butt pretty good, too.  Still, even though he looks scary and all, he
turned out to be a pretty cool guy; he congratulated me on a good match, and
even gave me some pointers.  Sent me the tickets for tonight's match, too."

     "And here I thought you liked that Ryu person," Tomoyo commented with a
giggle.

     "Hey, now..."

     A sound rippled through the crowd, one of mixed confusion and
excitement, and Sakura quickly looked down at the ring.  "What the... who the
heck is that?"

     Another sumo had appeared, stepping out from the backstage area and
approaching the ring.  Almost as large and imposing as Honda himself, this man
clearly didn't subscribe to sumo traditions; while he did wear the mawashi,
his hair was free of a topknot, and was instead styled short and loose.  It
was also a shocking shade of orange - given his Japanese features, this was
almost certainly a dye job.

     Honda's expression darkened as he watched the newcomer saunter toward
the ring; the two sumo with him both seemed agitated as well.  The crowd had
fallen silent by this point, allowing Honda's words to carry throughout the
warehouse.  "Fujiyama."

     The orange-haired sumo sneered at him.  "Honda."

     "Why are you here?" Honda demanded.  "Our match will not be until
tomorrow."

     *Must be last night's winner,* Sakura decided.

     Fujiyama merely grinned and cracked his knuckles.  "I merely wanted to
give you a taste of what you'll be getting later on... sensei."

     Malice and sarcasm dripped from the final word, and Honda's eyes
narrowed.  "I have no intention of-"

     "Enough talk!"  Fujiyama pulled his arms back, suddenly glowing with a
purple aura.  As he thrust his palms toward Honda, the energy flowed across
his skin, instantly collecting in his hands.  "DOSUKOI!"

     The two had been over fifty feet apart, but Honda was suddenly sent
flying backwards into the stands, propelled by an invisible force.  There was
a sudden scramble among the audience to get out of the way, then the massive
sumo crashed into the cheap wooden bleachers, breaking through to land in a
heap underneath.

     Sakura's jaw hung open, and Tomoyo looked at her in concern.  "What was
that, Sakura-chan?"

     "That... that was impossible!  I've *never* seen anyone deliver that
kind of power with a ranged attack!"  In the ring, Fujiyama had left while
laughing cruelly; the two sumo that had accompanied Honda were carefully
extracting him from the wreckage and carting him backstage.  "C'mon," Sakura
announced, standing up quickly.  "I have *got* to get to the bottom of this."

            -----=====-----

     After inviting herself backstage, Sakura was relieved to find Honda up
and about, though wincing slightly.  His two companions - students, as it
turned out, at his dojo - bore expressions of combined worry and outrage.

     Once Sakura had introduced Tomoyo, and Honda had done the same for his
students - the brash young Nokoma and the rather more mature Hawaiian named
Klein - she pulled up a chair and sat down, trying not to feel dwarfed.  "So,"
she began, "this Fujiyama is your student?"

     "Hah!"  Nokoma crossed his arms.  "That ronin... he has no right to call
himself a pupil of Honda-sensei!"

     Honda sighed, rubbing his shoulder tenderly.  "Fujiyama *was* my
student," he admitted.  "But he decided that I wasn't teaching him quickly
enough, so he left several months ago."

     "Stealing half of the dojo's funds in the process!"

     "That was never proven," Klein pointed out calmly.  Nokoma simply made a
displeased noise before falling silent.

     "Sounds like a real charmer," Sakura decided.

     "He *was* quite skilled, however," Honda replied.  "He could have
replaced me as leader of the dojo some day, but he was too arrogant and
impatient... though not as bad as he was tonight, I must admit."

     "Man, I hate people like that."  Behind her, Tomoyo decided not to
comment.  "What about that move, though?  That was just too bizarre!"

     Honda crossed his arms thoughtfully.  "It's true; he's progressed much
further than I expected.  I've been training in the ways of sumo my entire
life, yet I've never managed that degree of power."

     "Perhaps," a new voice suggested, "you simply don't have what it takes
to draw on the full strength of a sumo."

     "Fujiyama!"  Honda quickly stood up, his pupils falling in behind him.

     "Bastard!"  Only Klein's restraining hand on his chest kept Nokoma from
charging forward.  "What the hell are you doing here?!"

     The orange-haired sumo merely chuckled.  "Calm down, gnat - I just
wanted to see how my 'honored sensei' was doing."

     Honda locked gazes with his former student.  "You have grown strong," he
admitted, "but sumo is not purely about brute strength."

     "Hah!  Just what I would have expected from a weakling like you."

     "Okay, that's just about enough."  Sakura stepped in front of Fujiyama,
her hands on her hips.  "If you wanna pick a fight," she told him, "do it with
me.  I want Honda to be in top form when he smacks you across the ring
tomorrow."

     He frowned at her, slightly perplexed, as a wolf might regard a rather
belligerent sheep.  "And you are...?"

     "Kasugano Sakura desu!"  She smirked.  "You may have heard of me."

     There was a long pause.  "No, I don't think... oh.  The panty-girl."

     She rolled her eyes.  "Yeah, yeah.  Get over it.  So are you gonna talk,
or are you gonna fight?"

     Fujiyama snorted derisively.  "Fighting him out of the ring would be a
waste of time.  You, however, annoy me."  He lifted one arm toward her. 
"Dosukoi!"

     She quickly braced herself, preparing for the attack, but it did little
good - Sakura was thrown backwards by the mysterious impact, colliding with
the sumo behind her.

     As she picked herself up, trying to suppress a groan, Fujiyama sneered
at her.  "Next time," he said, "it'll be *both* hands.  Remember that before
you interfere with me again, little girl."  He turned to leave...

     ...and just for a fraction of a second, Sakura thought she saw a
considerably smaller figure, made up of purple light, superimposed over
Fujiyama's back.  It was gone quickly, and she didn't get a good look... but
its smug expression had been plainly obvious.

     She blinked, stunned.  "...masaka..."

              -----=====-----

     "Hmmmm..."  Cerberus paced across the desktop, rubbing his chin
thoughtfully.  "Judging from your description, I'd say that was *definitely* a
Clow Card.  The PUSH Card, by the sound of it."

     "The PUSH?" Tomoyo asked.

     The guardian beast nodded.  "It's powerful, but not exactly versatile. 
And it's always been something of a bully.  Sakura, you'll need to be careful
when you go after it."

     There was silence from the area of Sakura's bed.

     "Sakura!"

     A heartfelt groan erupted, and she sat up.  "Okay, okay!  Fine!  You
*do* realize I'm still not thrilled with this whole concept, don't you?"

     Tomoyo and Cerberus stared at her, a bit surprised by her outburst. 
After a moment, Sakura sighed and lay back down on the bed.  "But I guess we
need to make sure that creep doesn't have an unfair advantage in the fight
tomorrow, right?  So... let's go."

     Beaming happily, Tomoyo produced her cell phone.  "Hai!  And I know just
the costume for you - I'll have it waiting when we get there."

     This time, Sakura's sigh was considerably more intense.  "I suppose
there's no way out of that one..."

     "Nani?"

     "Nothing, nothing," Sakura said quickly, and stood up.  "Well, no time
like the present."  She headed for the door...

     ...when an annoyed voice made her turn around.  "Oi!  Aren't you
forgetting something?"

     Sakura matched Cerberus' scowl with one of her own.  "Like what,
stuffing-for-brains?"

     He pointed one stubby arm toward the ornately-bound book on her desk. 
"You may need the other Clow Cards to defeat the PUSH.  You'd better take them
with you."

     She rolled her eyes in exasperation.  "For the last time, Kero, I'm a
Street Fighter, NOT a maho shoujo!  I use my fists to win fights, not magic!"

     "Nobody's saying you can't fight," Cerberus insisted, "but sooner or
later you're bound to run into a situation where that won't do you any good. 
You won't always have the luxury of being able to pick and choose your
methods!"

     "He's right, Sakura-chan," Tomoyo interjected.  "It's not just that some
of them are too powerful to face head-on; there are Cards that are just too
subtle and vague to fight.  Sometimes the only way to defeat a Card is with
another Card."

     "Listen to her, Sakura.  She remembers what it was like before the
Judgement."

     "And after all, nobody's saying you *have* to use it, but it wouldn't
hurt to have that option open, ne?"

     Slowly, very slowly, Sakura counted to ten.  She didn't have a chance;
she never did when the two of them ganged up against her.  "All right, all
right."  Walking over to the Book of the Clow, she opened it and removed the
two Cards within: the FIGHT and the ILLUSION.  She considered them for a long
moment, then firmly placed the FIGHT card back in the Book.  "But only the
ILLUSION, understand?  *I* can take care of any fighting that needs to be
done."

     Cerberus nodded.  "Hai!"

                -----=====-----

     The Street Fighters attending the tournament had been given individual
rooms for the duration - they weren't exactly large or extravagant, even by
Japan's crowded standards, but they sufficed.

     E. Honda and his students were housed in one such room, and if any of
them minded the cramped conditions, they didn't complain.  At the moment,
Honda's students occupied the main room; every so often, Nokoma would glance
at the bedroom door, looking increasingly worried.

     Finally Klein set aside the book he'd been reading.  "Will you relax? 
You're making me nervous."

     "But he's been in there since that girl left," the other sumo
complained.  "He hasn't said so much as a word!"

     "He's meditating.  He's got a lot to think about, you know, not least of
which is how to beat Fujiyama."

     "Yeah, I know, I know."  Nokoma shook his head.  "It's unreal, though. 
I've never seen *anyone* push sensei around like that.  Not even that big ugly
Russian has that much power."

     Klein shrugged and returned to his book.  "He'll think of something," he
maintained.  "Have a little faith."

     Any reply Nokoma would have made was interrupted by the opening of the
bedroom door.  The two apprentice sumo stood up quickly as Honda stepped out,
not looking at either of them.  "Klein.  Nokoma."

     "Hai, sensei!"

     "Get dressed.  We're going out."

                  -----=====-----

     It was close to midnight before Cerberus flew back from his scouting
mission.  "Well, I found the guy with the orange hair," he announced, "and
he's definitely got a Card, but there was no sign of any other sumo-types."

     "Just as well," Sakura muttered, emerging from beneath the arena's
bleachers and setting her backpack of normal clothes aside.  "I'd hate to have
to explain to Honda what I'm doing dressed like this."

     Tomoyo's latest creation was, to Sakura's mind, probably inspired by one
too many cheesy fantasy movies.  It was a masterpiece of chainmail and
leather, the metal parts of which were apparently some sort of lightweight
modern alloy.  Though not the stereotypical 'chainmail bikini', there wasn't
terribly much to it; the costume consisted of shin-high leather boots, a pair
of leather-and-chain shorts that fit much too close to Sakura's skin for her
comfort, and a short chainmail tunic that only barely covered her midriff. 
The soft leather gloves were comfortable, but the collar Tomoyo had insisted
on was a bit embarrassing.

     "I'm not a dog, Tomoyo," she complained, tugging at it awkwardly.  "This
thing makes me look like a... well..."

     "Hai?"

     Rather that risk that line of discussion, she changed the subject.  "I'm
not too sure about the tunic, either," she continued weakly.

     Tomoyo blinked.  "What's wrong with it?"

     The garment was not only short, but tightly cut as well, with a small
hole below the neck ('For flexibility', Tomoyo had assured her) showing a bit
of cleavage.  That in itself wasn't too much of a problem... but the front of
the tunic had been made with extra padding and reinforcement, which served
to... that is to say...

     Cerberus peered closely.  "I don't see anything wrong with it."

     Sakura casually backhanded him.  "Tomoyo, don't you think this is just a
bit too... up front?"

     "Honto?  But I picked this one so you wouldn't have to worry about those
nasty PUSHes.  It's got triple-layered impact resistance and an inner lining
of modified kevlar; even a direct hit shouldn't hurt you.  After all, we can't
have our Cardcaptor get injured.  Why, you'd probably end up with a big bruise
across your chest, and I'd have to come over every day to inspect it and make
sure it was healing right, and..."  She trailed off and clasped her hands to
her cheeks, blushing happily.

     "Hmmm."  Cerberus prodded the area under question.  "It *is* well-made. 
You shouldn't have any problems with GLIK!"

     "YOU LITTLE PERVERT!  Keep your hands OFF!"  Sakura gave him another
crushing squeeze for emphasis.

     "D-demo!  With all that armor, you couldn't have felt anything!"

     She squeezed until his eyes bulged out.  "THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

     A clattering sound from a nearby hallway made her stop, and Cerberus
wriggled free.  "What was that?"

     "I dunno, but it came from that storage room.  Maybe it's the Card."

     "You'll need this, then," Tomoyo chirped, holding out a tiny key.

     Sakura regarded it for a moment, then made a face and accepted it.  "Oh,
well... here goes.

     "Key which hides
     the powers of the Dark...
     reveal your true form
     before me!
     I, Sakura,
     command you
     under our contract!
     RELEASE!"

     The light of the Key's transformation made pretty patterns as it
reflected off Sakura's shiny chainmail, then she grasped the newly-formed
staff and slid the bottom end through a leather hoop designed for just that
purpose.  She tested it briefly, then shrugged.  "A little wobbly, but it'll
do.  At least it won't get in my way this time."

     Tomoyo beamed.  "Just like you asked for, Sakura-chan!"

     There was another noise from the storage room, and Sakura began to creep
forward - thankfully, the outfit was a lot quieter than she thought it would
be.  "It sounds like it's right around the corner," she said quietly.  "I
wonder what Fujiyama's doing in there, though?  If it *is* him."

     "Maybe he sleepwalks," the other girl suggested in a whisper.

     Sakura shrugged.  "Well, if so, it'll make it a lot easier to get the
Card out of him."  She removed the staff from its holder and sidled up to the
doorway.  "This should be a piece of cake."

     Carefully she leaned around the corner... and gasped at what she saw.

                  -----=====-----

     In another section of Tokyo, a security guard was just settling into his
evening routine of tea, doughnuts, and manga reading while idly watching the
surveillance cameras.  He didn't take his job very seriously - if he did, the
following events might have happened differently.

     A tapping on the lobby door caught his attention.  He glanced up at the
external camera's monitor... and nearly choked on his tea.  There were three
massively large men, of the kind only seen in sumo competitions, waiting
patiently outside and wearing rather well-tailored business suits.  A more
cautious individual would have ignored them, but instead he unlocked the door
and opened it a fraction.  "Can I help you gentlemen?"

     One of them, the 'middle one' in terms of size, smiled at him.  "Hello. 
We would like to make use of your facilities.  May we come in?"

     The guard blinked at him.  "...you're joking, right?  This isn't a
public park or something, you know."

     Still smiling, the sumo gave him a fifty thousand yen note; the guard
took it, glanced at it, then suddenly stared at it in shock.  "Please.  It's
very important."

     "Wha... but... no, look, you can't just come in here, there's some-"

     Another bill was handed over.  "I assure you, we have no criminal
intent."

     "Well... okay, but... I mean, I have to get permission before-"

     Another one.  "You don't *really* have to, do you?"

     "Uh... well... I guess not, but... if anyone finds out..."

     Another one.  "Nobody will find out.  We will leave things just as we
found them."

     "I... guess that sounds okay... but..."

     Another one.  "But?"

     The guard gave in.  The whole situation had become too surreal for him,
and he couldn't hold out any longer.  "Oh... well... all right.  But at least
tell me what you want."

     They told him.

     "Really?"  His brow furrowed in confusion.  "What do you want to use
*that* for?"

     The middle sumo just smiled.  "Training."

                  -----=====-----

     The storage room was stacked high with long-forgotten boxes and crates,
filled with the unwanted rubbish and supplies left behind by the last company
to own the warehouse.  It had been completely ignored by those setting up the
Street Fighter tournament as being too much trouble to clear out.

     Yet *someone* was there.

     Dancing among the stacks, his feet rarely touching the ground, a slim
purple-tinged figure floated through the room.  As Sakura watched, he rose up
to the top of a stack of boxes and held out his hand - a moment later, the
topmost box was propelled away from him, falling to the ground and breaking
open in a cloud of corroded paper products.  The figure laughed, an unpleasant
and high-pitched sound.

     Sakura pulled her head back and leaned against the wall, thinking
furiously.  "Well?" Cerberus demanded.  "Was Fujiyama in there?"

     "Hey, Kero-chan..." she said finally.

     "That's CERBERUS!"

     "...I thought you said the Cards were possessing humans."

     "Huh?  They are."

     She picked him up - not too tightly - and pushed him through the
doorway.  "Then explain *that*."  Another crash and peal of laughter erupted,
and she brought Cerberus back into view.

     The Guardian Beast looked decidedly shaken.  "That shouldn't be
possible," he protested.

     "It's a Clow Card, isn't it?"

     "Yeah, that's the PUSH, all right.  But it can't act on its own! 
Unless..."

     She looked down at him.  "Unless what?"

     "I'm going to go check something," he announced, taking to the air. 
"You just go ahead and capture the PUSH."

     "What?  Get back here, you little-!"  But he was already gone.  "Che. 
Oh, well.  Getting the Card by itself is bound to be easier than extracting it
from Fujiyama."

     "Hai."  Tomoyo raised her camcorder and turned it on.  "And *this* time,
I've got brand new batteries!"

     "...good.  Good.  Okay, then..."

     The PUSH was apparently having the time of his life... if, in fact, he
could be said to be alive.  So many haphazardly-stacked boxes, just waiting to
be knocked over... he couldn't resist the temptation.  Not that he wanted to. 
He raised his hand for another magical push...

     "Hey, loser!"

     He stopped and whirled around, his eyes narrowing.  Sakura glared back
at him, the Key Staff parked on her shoulder.  They locked gazes for a long
moment, then she smirked.  "Yeah, you know me.  And you know what this is,"
she added, twirling the Staff briefly in her hand.  "*Don't* make this any
harder than it has to be, okay?"

     Needless to say, the PUSH wasn't about ready to come along quietly. 
With a scowl, he lifted his hand toward her, and it pulsed with purple energy.

     Sakura was ready for it, though, and quickly leapt over the line of
attack.  The invisible force lanced harmlessly through the air, striking the
corner of the doorway and making a hole in the brittle wood.

     Pushing the advantage, Sakura advanced on the PUSH, striking out with
punches and kicks.  The slender Card bobbed backwards, avoiding her attacks,
and finally launched itself upwards to disappear among the shadows.

     "Dammit!"  Sakura quickly put the Staff away and worked her way through
the stacks, eyes fixed upwards.  "Come out, come out, wherever you-"

     A sudden instinct made her leap forward, just in time to avoid the box
of old files that fell from above.

     *So... we're going to play that game, huh?*  She abruptly jumped forward
again, but this time the impulse came a bit too late, and a box landed heavily
against her back; fortunately, her heavily armored costume absorbed most of
the impact.  *I guess so...  Hmm.  Can't jump up there, those boxes won't
support me...*  She snapped her fingers.  *Yeah, that'll work!*

     She waiting, sidling carefully through the stacks and stepping over the
scattered debris, until she saw a flash of purple behind a nearby column of
boxes.  *There!*

     "HADOUKEN!"  Sakura launched the ki blast upwards, striking the topmost
box.  It flew away from her, then collided with something in midair - there
was a startled yelp, followed by a crash as two separate objects hit the
ground.

     Sakura grinned.  "Gotcha!"  She quickly jumped up and, with one midair
kick, toppled the rest of the boxes into the adjacent aisle.  When the noise
finally stopped, she sauntered around to the other side, unlimbering the Staff
as she went.

     When she reached the pile of boxes, she waited patiently until a purple-
tinged head worked its way out of the debris.  The PUSH struggled for a
moment,
then his eyes went wide as it saw her.

     "I win," she told him with a smile, then brought then Staff down toward
him.

     "Return to the guise
     that you were meant
     to be in!
     CLOW CARD!"

     A rectangle of energy appeared at the point of the Staff's beak, sending
tendrils of ensnaring light toward the PUSH.  They twined about him, and he
struggled to break free...

     ...and then he suddenly grinned... and vanished.

     No Card appeared in his place.

     "Wha... what?"  Sakura stared for long moments, then dropped to her
knees and started to dig through the clutter.  "Where is it?  I won!  It's got
to-"

     "Sakuraaaaa!"

     "Kero!"  She looked up at the Guardian Beast.  "I beat the PUSH, but the
Card didn't-"

     "Never mind that!" he barked.  "Hide, quick!"

     "What?"

     "Just DO it!"

     Rather than argue, she swiftly concealed herself among the rows of
boxes... and a few seconds later, a loud stomping noise heralded the arrival
of Fujiyama.  He glared about the room for a long moment, then chuckled.  "I
know you're here, Cardcaptor," he announced, and his voice sounded... odd, as
though someone was speaking through him.  "That was a nice try, but it won't
be so easy to enslave me again.  Just run along home, little girl."

     Then he said, in a more normal tone, "I don't know about this
'Cardcaptor' business... but I'm warning you; DON'T interfere with me again. 
I won't let you take this power away from me."

     Fujiyama stared into the shadows a bit longer, then left, leaving a
rather confused and frustrated Cardcaptor behind him.

                    -----=====-----

     It was about 4 AM before the building's door was unlocked again.  The
three sumo emerged, one of them wholly supported by the other two.  The guard
followed them out to their waiting van.  "Are you sure he's going to be okay? 
Should I call a doctor?"

     "He'll be fine," the middle sumo assured him.  "You've been most
helpful."

     "Sure, no problem.  Still, that was the damnedest thing I've ever seen! 
I never thought anyone would use a-"

     "*Thank* you," the sumo said firmly, loading his companion into the van.

     "Right.  Right.  Well, good luck."

     As the van drove off, Klein looked over his shoulder.  "How is he?"

     "Pretty battered," Nokoma admitted.  "That took a lot out of him.  Do
you think he'll be ready in time for the fight?"

     "I'm sure of it."

     "Good."  He grinned suddenly.  "I can't *wait* to see the expression on
Fujiyama's face..."

                  -----=====-----

     The final round of the tournament was due to start in a few minutes, and
Sakura paced impatiently outside of Honda's room.  After returning home and
finally getting some sleep, she'd come back to the warehouse as soon as she
could, to warn Honda about what he'd be facing... but his students refused to
let her see him, explaining only that their sensei was 'resting'.

     "How much rest could he possibly need?" she demanded of the world at
large.  "There hasn't even been any food delivered!"

     Tomoyo watched her uncertainly, clasping Cerberus in her lap.  "He
probably wants to be as ready as he can be for the match," she suggested.

     "I guess so..."  She looked down at the Guardian Beast.  "Have you
figured out yet why I couldn't capture the PUSH?"

     Cerberus rubbed his chin.  "Well, I went back to check on Fujiyama while
you tangled with the Card, and I found out that I could still sense the
PUSH... and that it was *inside* Fujiyama."

     "...at the same time I was fighting it?"

     "Un.  Then, about the same time you tried to capture it, I saw its image
appear and enter his body... and then he woke up."

     "Wait, hold up.  You mean... he was asleep during that whole time, until
I beat the PUSH?"

     "Exactly.  I figure we're dealing with a shared-essence manifestation
situation.  Summary: while Fujiyama was asleep, the PUSH was able to manifest
outside of his body while still, for all intents and purposes, remaining
inside him.  Therefore, the only way to capture it is to take it from him
directly."

     "Swell."  She considered this.  "Will the other Cards be like this?"

     "I don't know.  Possibly."

     She rubbed her temples.  "Oh, that's just perfect.  So much for doing it
the easy way..."

     The sound of an opening door caught her attention, and she whirled
around.  "Honda!  Great, it's about time!  Listen, Fujiyama is... is..."  She
trailed off as he stepped out into the corridor.

     He was wearing the mawashi and little else, so the state of his body was
plainly obvious.  His chest, arms, and legs seemed to be one large and
painful-looking abrasion, red and sore.

     "...what the hell have you been doing to yourself?!" Sakura asked
incredulously.

     Honda stepped past her, his face a careful mask.  "Training."

     "Oh."  She shook her head as if to clear it.  "Look, Fujiyama's been
possessed by... a spirit.  That's how he's gotten all this power.  I can
remove it, but-"

     "Daijobu."

     She blinked.  "What?"

     "Daijobu, Sakura-san.  I will face Fujiyama on his own terms - I can do
no less for my student."

     Sakura stared in disbelief as Honda walked toward the ring, eliciting a
huge cheer from the crowd.  "...he's gonna get creamed."

                 -----=====-----

     "By common consent of the competitors," the referee announced, "this
match will be fought under sumo rules.  If any part of a fighter's body
touched the ground outside the ring, his opponent wins!"

     "WHAT?!"  Sakura, seated alongside Klein and Nokoma, was stunned by this
revelation.  "How could Honda agree to a stipulation like that?!"

     "It's all right," the Hawaiian assured her.

     "*You* say it's all right, *he* says it's all right... am I the only
sane person HERE?!"

     "Just watch," Nokoma told her with a grin.  "Honda-sensei trained up
special for this match."  Still uncertain, Sakura sat back down on the
bleachers, worry written across her face...

     In the ring, Honda faced off against his former pupil.  "You have grown
strong, Fujiyama," he admitted.  "But you have lost sight of the true meaning
of sumo.  I cannot let you sully its honor any longer."

     "Heh!"  He smirked, dropping into a half-crouch to lower his center of
gravity.  "You'll be eating those words in a few seconds, 'sensei'."

     The bell rang, and Fujiyama wasted no time.  He quickly thrust his palms
toward Honda, the purple energy of the PUSH Card flashing.  "DOSUKOI!"  Honda
raised his arms defensively and braced himself; the magical force struck him,
driving him backwards...

     And then he stopped, having only moved a few feet.

     The crowd roared, and Sakura shot out of her chair.  "What the-?!"

     If she was surprised, Fujiyama was aghast.  "Im... impossible!"  He
lifted his arms again.  "DOSUKOI!"

     Again, Honda was forced back... and again he stopped, having travelled a
bit less far than he had before.  He managed a smile, and began to walk toward
his wayward student.  Again and again bolts of force slammed into him, but he
had their measure now, and they only slowed his constant advance.

     "He's... he's doing it."  A broad smile appeared on Sakura's face. 
"He's actually doing it!  But..."  She turned toward Klein and Nokoma. 
"...how?"

     They exchanged glances, then Klein grinned.  "We visited the Tokyo
branch of Transcontinental Aeronautics last night," he admitted.  "One of
their research divisions."

     "I don't get it."

     "They specialize in supersonic aircraft," he explained.  "And to test
their designs, they use one of the most powerful wind tunnels in the world."

     Her eyes widened.  "He practiced standing up to the PUSHes by training
in a *wind tunnel*?"

     "Yep."

     "Well, that explains why he was all scraped up, anyway..."

     Down in the ring, Honda was just a few scant feet away from Fujiyama. 
To Sakura's eye, he might have stood a decent chance if he stopped trying to
PUSH his teacher away and fought normally, but he seemed locked into that
mindset.  Finally, when Honda was right in front of his pupil, he drew his own
arms back; he glowed briefly, but rather than magical power this was caused by
pure ki energy.  His palms shot forward, striking Fujiyama's broad chest. 
"DOSUKOI!"

     It was a less impressive push than the one Fujiyama had delivered the
previous day, sending the orange-haired sumo back only about forty feet. 
However, this was more than enough to propel him out of the ring entirely. 
Stunned, he managed to sit up just in time to see the referee declare Honda
the winner.

     Meanwhile, in the stands, Sakura was struck by a kind of revelation, and
smacked her fist into her palm.  "That's it!"

     Tomoyo blinked up at her.  "What's it?"

     "I know how to defeat the PUSH!  Come on - it's not over yet!"

     "Wait!  Wait!  You need a costume!"

     "There's no time!" Sakura called with thinly-veiled relief, and jumped
down to ground level.

                    -----=====-----

     Honda raised his arms in victory, letting the cheers of the crowd whirl
around him...

     "I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU!"

     The audience fell silent, and Honda turned around to face Fujiyama. 
There was something different about him, not least of which was the purple
aura flowing around him.  "Do you think you can beat me that easily?!" he
raged.

     Honda frowned.  "I *have* beaten you.  It's over, Fujiyama."

     "It's not over until I SAY IT'S OVER!  Fight me!"

     "You-"

     "Ano ne."  He felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to face the
business end of the Key Staff.

     "Remember that spirit I mentioned?" Sakura asked.  "That's who's in
control now.  I'll take it from here, if you don't mind."

     He paused and looked at his former student, then nodded.  "If you can
help him," he said, "I would be most grateful."

     "It's in the bag," she assured him, and stepped forward.  "Hey, PUSH! 
Yeah, I'm talkin' to YOU!"

     Fujiyama/PUSH glared at her.  "What do *you* want, insect?"

     She tapped the Staff thoughtfully in her hand.  "You're nothing but a
bully, PUSH.  I should've seen it earlier - after all, I've dealt with people
like you all my life.  And I remember something my Mom told me once, that
Honda here reminded me of - sometimes the only way to deal with a bully... is
to stand up to them, and give them a taste of their own medicine!"

     His face twisted with anger.  "You little-"

     "So let's even the odds, ne?  One good Card deserves another, after
all."

     With a sudden movement, she tossed a rectangle of paper into the air and
swung the staff behind her, then brought it forward.  "Surround me with
images!  ILLUSION!"

     The beak of the Staff struck the Card, which suddenly glowed brightly,
shedding numerous points of light.  As each point struck the ground, they grew
in size, each one quickly resolving into an identical copy of Sakura.

     Fujiyama looked around in confusion as the multiple images surrounded
the ring... and then they began to laugh at him.  True to its nature, the
bullying PUSH Card couldn't stand being mocked, and struck out with a bolt of
telikinetic force.  The magic blast struck an image, which promptly
dissolved... then the others moved in to attack.

     Acting in blind rage, the PUSH lashed out wildly, dissolving images at
random but never managing to connect with the real Sakura.  The images
themselves couldn't hurt him, but Sakura was in there somewhere, and her kicks
and punches were proving to be quite painful.

     Finally, after a desperate series of blasts, there was only one Sakura
remaining.  Fujiyama/PUSH smirked and held out his hand.  "DOSUKOI!"  His
target was struck...

     ...and dissolved into a flash of light.

     Fujiyama stared, then cast about him.  Where did...

     "Return to the guise you were meant to be in!"

     He looked up to see Sakura descending from a high jump, the Staff poised
to strike.  Instinctively he raised his arms to block the attack.

     Unfortunately, this wasn't at all effective against a Capturing.

     "CLOW CARD!"  Sakura swung the Staff toward Fujiyama; the rectangle of
light appeared again, but this time it took hold.  The purple light around his
body writhed and boiled, then flowed out from him to stream into the card. 
With one final burst of light, the newly-restored Card drifted to the ground,
'THE PUSH' inscribed in bold letters below an intricate drawing.

     Fujiyama fell to the ground, literally drained, and the crowd went wild.

     Wiping her brow, Sakura picked up the Card and inspected it.  "Whew...
that was quite a workout."

     Moving up beside her, Honda looked down at his falled student.  "Thank
you, Sakura-san.  Will he be back the way he used to be now?"

     "I think so."  She remembered what Nokoma had said.  "I can't guarantee
that'll be an improvement, though."

     He shrugged.  "Students make mistakes.  That's why they are students,
and not masters."  He beckoned, and Klein and Nokoma lifted Fujiyama with
little difficulty.  "Perhaps he will honor me by allowing me to teach him the
true way."

     She considered.  "What *is* the True Way of the Sumo?"

     Honda thought about this.  "Food.  Food is good."  With a chuckle, he
led his pupils away, leaving a bemused Sakura behind, shaking her head.

     "Sakura-chaaaaaan!"

     She turned around as Tomoyo trotted up to her.  "Sakura-chan!  That was
sugooooooi!"

     Sakura made the traditional 'V' symbol with her fingers.  "Hey, nothing
to it."

     "Not bad," Cerberus admitted, peeking out from the crook of Tomoyo's
arm, "but you need a little work on..."

     "Work on what?"

     Tomoyo and Cerberus said, in unison: "On your spellcasting poses!"

     "Eh?!"

     "Sou yo!  Only with a proper pose can you attain the mindset required
for flawless Capturing!"

     "And you look so cute doing them!  Ne, ne, let's go over to my house and
we can practice them allllll night long!"

     "Sou NAAAAA!"



         -----======-----
      LEAVE IT TO KERO-CHAN!
         -----======-----

     Konya nyatchiwa!

     Well, Sakura and Tomoyo ran into some strange characters on their
date...

     (Not a date!  NOT!  A!  DATE!)

     Hai, hai... but at the end of it, Sakura managed to capture her third
Clow Card, and even used one for the first time in her new life!  So, in honor
of that fact, we'll be looking at the process of casting spells!

     It starts with throwing the Card she wants to use in front of her.  This
time she used an incantation to tell the ILLUSION what she needed, but that's
not always necessary.  Then she brings the Staff around and strikes the Card
on its face, which releases the magic.  I know what you're thinking, and
you're right - she's doing it pretty sloppily.  But she hasn't done it in a
while, and once Tomoyo and I get her to practice, she'll be back in top form.

     You'll also notice that the magic circle that appears beneath her feet
creates a kind of spiritual 'updraft' of wind.  This give us a perfect
opportunity for...

     KERO-CHAN CHECK!

     If we get in the right position behind her, we can see that...

     Er...

     Ano... that's not Sakura.  That's... a close-up of Fujiyama's mawashi...

     (*sound of Sakura-esque sniggering in the background*)

     ...

     Ara, ara!  It looks like we're all out of time for today!  Well, I'll
see you next time! *flees*