Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction / Gundam Wing Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction / Sailor Moon Fan Fiction ❯ Card Captor Sakura: The Next Quest ❯ Sakura's Vacation in Hong Kong ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter 10: Sakura's Vacation in Hong Kong

~~~~~Tokyo, Japan~~~~~

"Are you sure you want us to go to Hong Kong with you for the vacation?" Ami asked Syaoran. Syaoran sighed from his position of holding Ami in his arms from behind. "I'm sorry for asking so many times," said Ami quietly. "I guess I'm just scared of meeting your family."

Syaoran squeezed his arms a little tighter around the cute girl's waist. "Don't worry, Ami-chan," he said sweetly. "I'm sure my mom will love you. Also, she and the Elders all wanted to meet you and Aino-san to find out more about the Sailor Senshi."

"I just hope I make a good impression."

"Don't worry, Ami-chan," said Sakura from right next to her in her position in Heero's arms. "Syaoran-kun's mom is really nice. I've never met the Elders before though."

"Well, you'll get your chance this vacation. The Elders all want to meet you, Yuy, Ami-chan, and Aino-san. They've already met Hiiragizawa, but want to see him again too, plus my mother wants to see you and Tomoyo again. Meilin also says she can't wait to see you guys."

"So why exactly are we coming along too?" asked Duo.

"Well," answered Syaoran. "In Saotome's case, the Elders said they may have found something that can reverse the Jusenkyo spell, and I guess it just didn't seem right to not invite the rest of you. Plus my cousin, Meilin, says she wants to meet all of you too."

All ten of the college students were at the airport watching the planes land and takeoff from the terminal windows while they were waiting for their flight. It was officially the first day of Winter Vacation for the school, and they were all waiting for their plane to arrive to take them to Hong Kong. Syaoran's mother and the Elders of the Li Clan had invited all ten of them to come to Hong Kong and stay at the Li Clan Estate for the duration of the vacation. Both Syaoran's mother and the Elders were especially anxious to meet Heero, since Syaoran had told them about how he had created the new Clow Key and seemed to be the chosen master for the new Clow Cards that were popping up. The Elders were also looking forward to finally meeting Sakura as well as seeing Eriol again. They also wanted to meet Ami and Minako, since they were all surprised to find out that their future Clan leader was going to school with two of the Sailor Senshi. Syaoran's mom was looking forward to meeting Ami even more than Heero, since she had noticed the way that her son spoke about her whenever he called home. Syaoran had never said outright that they were dating or that their relationship would turn into anything really serious, but she knew her son well enough to know that something was going on between him and the Senshi.

"So what's our flight number, Li?" asked Ranma.

"The Clan chartered us a private jet," Syaoran answered. "It's supposed to leave in about half an hour. I believe it's that plane over there." Syaoran pointed towards a medium sized, very expensive looking passenger jet that was in the process of being loaded and fueled.

"Your family much be really wealthy to be able to afford a private jet just to fly us over to Hong Kong," said Ukyo. Syaoran just shrugged, since his family was one of the most wealthy families in all of China. A few more questions were asked about Syaoran's family and the extent of what being the future leader of the Li Clan entailed and before they knew it, they were all on their way to Hong Kong.

~~~~~Hong Kong, China~~~~~

After the flight had touched down in Hong Kong International Airport, the teens were met by two limousines sent by the Clan to pick them up and bring them to the Li Estate. When the first car arrived at the Li Residence, those who had not seen the magnificent place before thought to themselves that it really should be called the Li Palace, not the Li Estate. They gawked from inside the limo at the numerous buildings, all of a Chinese architecture style, and all very elegant in design. During the drive over, the front limousine had lost the following one somewhere in the Hong Kong traffic, and it had as of yet, not shown up at the estate. When Syaoran, Heero, Sakura, and Ami stepped out of the front limousine, they were greeted by a number of people who were standing on the steps to enter the giant main building of the estate. Syaoran, of course, recognized every one of the people waiting in front of the house. The majority of the people were servants or butlers of some type, who moved to take care of the luggage and any other small tasks that needed to be done.

After the servants left, the only ones standing on the stairs were Syaoran's mother and his four sisters with their husbands and children. As soon as they got the opportunity, all four of Syaoran's sisters all ran over to their younger brother and grabbed him into a group hug. "Xiao Lang!" they all exclaimed in unison, each saying how they missed their little brother and commenting on how cute he looked. Even though all four sisters were now married and the two eldest already each had a child of their own, they were still as hyper and youthful as ever when it came to their little brother. Once they were satisfied they had given their little brother a sufficient greeting, the four girls turned their attention to Sakura and Ami. Sakura giggled slightly, knowing what was coming next, since she had been back to Hong Kong a couple times since she first met Syaoran's family, and each time his sisters would always do that same thing. "Ying Fa!" the girls squealed as they pulled Sakura into a tight group hug. "It's great to see you again, Ying Fa."

"It's good to see you all again too," said Sakura politely. "This is Mizuno Ami."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Ami said courteously.

"Isn't she so cute?" Ami heard one of Syaoran's sisters say. She was then caught completely off guard as the girls all squashed her as they gave her hugs and commented on how cute she looked. "No wonder our little brother likes her so much," Ami managed to hear over all the other comments. Ami blushed slightly at the remark, but the girls were so distracted that they didn't notice.

The only one that Syaoran's sisters didn't bombard, and luckily so for their own sake, was Heero. Instead he just stood off to the side and watched as his other three companions disappeared into the flurry created by Syaoran's sisters. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that there was one other woman present besides Syaoran's sisters. She was obviously older than the others, but was a very elegant woman none the less. It was also clear by the way that the others around her were situated that she must be someone of power who demanded respect. As Heero studied her more closely, he noticed that she was looking at him out of the corner of her eye. It was a very subtle gesture, but if one looked close enough, it was clear that her attention was more focused on Heero than anywhere else. When she saw that Heero had noticed her looking at him, she gracefully made her way down the steps and stopped in front of him.

"I am Li Yelan, Syaoran's mother."

Now Heero understood why it looked like everyone around them looked up this woman. He knew Syaoran was the future leader of the Li Clan, so his mother must be a person of great importance in the Clan as well. "Heero Yuy," he stated as he bowed his head, respectfully. Heero may be a really serious and cold individual sometimes, but when it came to showing reverence to those who deserved it, he always showed his respect.

"You are the one my son was saying is the Master of the newest set of Clow Cards," she more stated than asked. Heero nodded his head. "Do you mind if I check your magic?"

"Not at all," Heero answered.

Syaoran's mother extended her hand and closed her eyes in an attempt to get a feel for how much and what kind of magic Heero possessed. As she was just starting to concentrate her own magic energy so that she could feel out Heero's, the other limousine pulled up and Eriol, Minako, Duo, Tomoyo, Ukyo, and Ranma stepped out. The first thing they noticed was Syaoran, Ami, and Sakura all talking, now in a civilized manner, with four girls who looked to be between five and ten years older then themselves. They also noticed Heero standing off to the side with a very elegant and refined woman, who looked to have her hand outstretched and her eyes closed. They were about to ask what was going on and to introduce themselves when all of a sudden Syaoran's mother's eyes shot open and her face faltered slightly. Syaoran noticed this and was extremely surprised. In all his life he had never seen his mother surprised and had never seen her loose even the slightest bit of her poise. She quickly regained herself, however, and took a step back from Heero. Syaoran wanted to ask his mother what happened, but knew she would say if and when it was appropriate to do so. Heero also was curious as to what Syaoran's mother had been so surprised about, but he too showed his respect of her judgment and didn't say anything.

Now that all the guests had arrived, Syaoran's mother invited everyone into the large living room of the house, leaving the servants to take care of all the luggage. "Welcome everyone," greeted Yelan once everyone was seated. "My name is Li Yelan. I am Syaoran's mother. These are my daughters," she said as she motioned for the four girls to introduce themselves and their husbands and children. "It's good to see you again, Tomoyo, Eriol, and Ying Fa."

"I'm sorry to interrupt," said Minako. "But who is Ying Fa?"

"My name in Chinese is Ying Fa," answered Sakura. "Everyone around here calls me by my Chinese name."

Now that Minako's question had been answered, Yelan continued. "The rest of you, whom I do not know, I hope you enjoy our hospitality. I have met Yuy-san already, but I am unsure of the rest of your names."

Minako felt that since she interrupted earlier, it was appropriate for her to introduce herself first. "I'm Aino Minako," she said sweetly.

"Duo Maxwell," said Duo from next to Minako. Duo was a little uncomfortable since he was not used to being in such an elegant and formal setting.

"Saotome Ranma."

"Kuonji Ukyo," said Ranma and Ukyo right after each other as they both bowed to their host.

The last to introduce herself was Ami. She stood up from her seat next to Syaoran and bowed very formally before introducing herself. "My name is Mizuno Ami. It is a pleasure to meet you and I thank you for inviting us to stay for vacation. You have a very lovely home."

Yelan could see that Ami was a little nervous, and inwardly smiled. The blue haired girl was quite beautiful and Yelan could tell she was very sweet and caring. She also knew she must be a very strong person as well, if she was a Sailor Senshi. Yelan walked to Ami, placed a hand on each of her shoulders, and looked deeply into her eyes. "I've been looking forward to meeting you, Mizuno-san. If it is okay with you, I would like to talk with you in private sometime." Ami wasn't quite sure if she should be nervous, happy, curious, or frightened, although something told her that she had nothing to fear from the elegant woman. "You luggage is being brought to the guest rooms," said Yelan as she let go of Ami's shoulders. "Xiao Lang will show you to the guest rooms later."

Yelan then sat down and allowed her daughters and their families to mingle with their guests. When everyone was engaged in conversation, Yelan stood back up and walked over to Heero. "Yuy-san. May I speak with you in private for a moment?"

Heero new that she wanted to talk about whatever she had felt when she was inspecting his magic earlier. "Of course, Li-sama."

Yelan led Heero into an adjoining room and closed the door, giving them complete privacy. Before Yelan could say anything, Heero spoke. "I know this has something to do with when you sensed my magic earlier."

"That's correct," Yelan said. "When I was sensing your aura, I discovered a magical marker on it."

"Magical marker?" Heero asked. Syaoran, Eriol, Sakura, and even Kero and Spinel Sun taught the others often about details in magic, but Heero had never heard the term magical marker before.

"A magical marker is a particular trait that is present in certain types of magic. Members of magically endowed families usually have a certain detectable similarity in all their auras. For example, I'm sure you can now tell the feeling of a Clow Card compared the feeling you get from a person, such as my son or one of the Senshi. The Clow Cards have a very obvious magical marker; family markers are usually much more subtle."

Heero nodded his head in understanding. It was now very easy for him to distinguish the feeling of a Clow Card compared to anything else that had a magical aura. "So you think I'm from a family that you have encountered enough to know what their magical auras feel like?" he asked.

"It's more than that," Yelan answered seriously. "You have the magical marker of a member of the Li Clan."

This time Heero was really surprised, and his face showed it. He now understood why this woman looked so astonished after feeling his magical aura. "The Li Clan? As in your Clan?"

"Correct," answered Yelan, who paused for a second to allow Heero to digest the information. "Tell me, is Heero Yuy really your real name?"

"No. I was trained since I was young, and the doctor who was responsible for my upbringing thought it prudent to give me a code name. He chose the name Heero Yuy. I haven't used my real name since I was about three years old."

"What is your real name?"

"Xiao Long," Heero stated. "I never knew my family name."

"Xiao… Long…?" Yelan stuttered. Heero was startled that the woman who had previously shown an immeasurable amount of poise was actually stuttering. Yelan gave up all hope of trying conceal her complete shock at Heero's statement. "Your name is really Xiao Long?" she managed to get out. Heero just nodded. He waited for the respected Li Clan member to say something else, but she just stared at him with wide eyes in complete silence. "Do you remember your real parents at all?" asked Yelan after finally regained enough of her wits.

"No," responded Heero in a neutral tone of voice. "Dr. J told me I just showed up their laboratory, but had no explanation on how I could have managed to get there."

"Do you know your real birthday?"

"Dr. J and his staff figured out through a genetic test that my birthday was March 31, seventeen years ago."

"Then you really are Li Xiao Long," Yelan said quietly. "The Clan searched for you for years, without any success."

"You knew me when I was just a baby?" Heero asked, now interested in the situation.

Yelan nodded her head. "You are the son of my brother and my late husband's sister. In the Clan, marriages are often arranged, and my family and the family of my husband, each had the most magic of any of the other members of the Li Clan. In an attempt to try to get a perfect heir to the Li Clan, I was engaged to Xiao Lang's father, and my older brother was engaged to my husband's younger sister."

"Where are they, may I ask?"

Yelan's mouth turned down into a frown at Heero's question. "They were killed almost fifteen years ago."

"So about the same time as I ended up at Dr. J's." Yelan nodded. "How were they killed?"

"They were killed defending the rest of our Clan," Yelan said somberly. "A demon called Charon arrived in Hong Kong and began to attack. He was extremely powerful and was wiping out anyone and everything that got in his way. He found his way to our estate, probably drawn by the combined magic power of all the people living here. A few of our fighters and magicians attempted to stop him, but were no match for Charon's overwhelming power. In the end, your parents gave their lives to trap Charon in a magical prison that would hold him for a minimum of ten years. As of yet, he has not found a way to escape, and we are hopeful that it will stay that way."

"So what happened to me then?"

"That is actually one of the greatest internal mysteries of our Clan. We don't know what happened to you. When your parents were fighting, you apparently made your way out to the battlefield. Even when their powers were combined together, you parents didn't have enough energy to imprison Charon. However, when you came onto the battlefield, you somehow generated an incredible amount of magical power and successfully gave your parents enough extra energy to trap the demon. Unfortunately, the spell that your parents used took up too much of their energy and caused them to pass away. You, somehow, just disappeared from the premises completely. We searched for some trace of you, but it seemed as if you had just vanished. We had feared that you might have been trapped along with the demon, Charon, in the magical prison, but thought it very unlikely. In the end, we assumed you too had passed away from overusing your magical powers and we had to live life with Xiao Lang as the only possible heir to the position of leader of the Li Clan."

Heero wasn't really sure what to make of the situation. Here he was in Hong Kong, supposedly on vacation from school, and the first thing he finds out is that he is really a member of the Li Clan, and not only that, but at one point in his life, was a possible choice for leader of the illustrious family. Suddenly, something else occurred to him. "So that makes you my aunt and Li is my cousin." Yelan nodded her head in affirmation. "Did my parents have any other children?"

This time Yelan shook her head slowly from side to side. "Unfortunately, no. You were their first and only child. It saddened all of us greatly when they were killed and you disappeared."

Heero would have thought that he would have a lot more questions to ask about such a situation that he found himself in, but nothing really came to mind. "So what do I do now?" he finally asked.

"I have to tell the Elders about this," responded Yelan. "But I'll leave it up to you when it comes to telling my son and the rest of your friends. In terms of your position in the Clan, that is up to the Elders and yourself. For the meantime, enjoy yourself as a guest, just as you had originally planned."

"I understand, but I must warn you of one thing. It is very unlikely that I am the person you or the rest of the Clan envisioned I would become all those years ago." With that said, Heero stood up and left the room, not rudely, but somewhat hastily, leaving Yelan still sitting and wondering about why he would have said something like that.

When Heero walked back into the living room he found that Syaoran's sisters had all disappeared somewhere, leaving only his fellow classmates sitting and talking. "Finally back," stated Duo when he saw Heero walk into the room. Heero was still a little preoccupied thinking about what Yelan had told him, so he didn't pay much attention to Duo and didn't even bother giving him the usual death stare.

"Is everything alright, Heero-kun?" asked Sakura quietly as Heero took the seat next to her.

"Hai," said Heero in a voice that made Sakura question if he was telling the truth. She chose not to ask anything else for the moment, and wait until she could be alone with Heero to find out what was wrong with him.

"Li-kun was just about to give us a tour of the estate," said Minako. "Now that Yuy-kun is back, should we go?"

"What happened to my mother?" Syaoran asked Heero.

"She said she had to talk with the Elders about something," Heero stated. He didn't know how to tell everyone, especially Syaoran and Sakura, that he was actually a member of the Li Clan, and Syaoran's direct cousin. He wasn't even sure if Syaoran had ever been told about him at all.

"Very well then," said Syaoran. "Let's get going."

Everyone stood up and followed Syaoran outside. They would be looking at all the other buildings on the estate before getting the guided tour of the main house. Sakura lagged back a little from the rest of the group when she noticed that Heero was walking slowly and obviously a little preoccupied with something. Sakura had never seen Heero look so spaced out before, and was really starting to wonder what he and Syaoran's mother could have possibly talked about to make him act this way. "I know that something is bothering you, Heero-kun," said Sakura caringly as she took up stride with her boyfriend.

Heero looked down at the sweet girl who had turned his life upside down the moment he laid his eyes upon her. He had yet to figure out what he could have possibly done in his life that made him worthy of such an angel, and yet here she was. In these short months since they had met, Sakura had learned to read him better than anyone else he had ever known. "It's just something that Li-sama told me. I'm not sure if it will make much difference to you or most everyone else, but I'm not sure how to tell Li about it."

"What is it, Heero-kun? It sounds important."

"Hai. It is a pretty big deal." Sakura waited patiently for Heero to continue his explanation. "You remember how I told you I was trained since I was young to become capable of piloting ZERO?" Sakura nodded her head, but was confused as to why Heero was brining up his Gundam and his training at this moment. "Well, what I didn't tell you was that I had no idea of where I was from before I ended up with Dr. J. That is, until now."

"I don't understand, Heero-kun," said Sakura when Heero paused in his explanation.

"Do you remember this morning when Li-sama was feeling my magic presence?" Again, Sakura nodded, but was now more confused than ever. "Well, she told me that when she was doing that, she found a magical marker on my aura."

"What's a magical marker?" asked Sakura.

"I had to ask the same question. Apparently, the auras of members of a family that have magic have a certain feeling to them. It is subtle, but Li-sama says they are definitely there."

"So she knows what family you are from?"

"Hai," answered Heero.

Sakura waited for him to continue, but for some reason he didn't do so. "Heero-kun?"

"This will probably be a little hard to believe, but according to Li-sama, the magical marker I have belongs to that of the Li Clan."

"The Li Clan?" Sakura asked, completely shocked.

"Hai. There is more. My real name is not Heero Yuy. That was the name I was given by Dr. J and is the name I have used ever since I was very young. My real name is Xiao Long. Li Xiao Long."

"Little Dragon?" questioned Sakura, who had learned enough Chinese in the past few years to figure it out.

Heero nodded. "According to Li-sama, I am the only son of her elder brother and Li's father's younger sister. Apparently when I was born, it was undecided if Li was to become the future leader of the Li Clan, or if I was."

"So you are Syaoran's cousin?" asked Sakura in an attempt to clarify the situation. It was just too much information to take in and process all at once.

"Hai. Apparently my parents gave their lives defending this estate from a powerful demon and I somehow got caught up in the situation and disappeared. The Clan was never able to find me and so assumed I was dead."

"That's terrible," Sakura said quietly. "So what are you supposed to do now?"

"I don't really know. Li-sama is talking with the Li Clan Elders about it right now, but she said it was up to me whether or not to tell the rest of you."

"You really should tell Syaoran-kun though," said Sakura thoughtfully. "I think he deserves to know."

"I know. I'm just not quite sure how." All of a sudden, Sakura broke out into a fit of giggles. This confused Heero who couldn't find anything funny about the situation. "What are you laughing at?"

"I was just thinking about how you and Syaoran-kun look alike, act alike, and usually dress alike. I mean even now you two are dressed almost identical. Me and Ami-chan always thought it was cute and funny, and now I guess it all makes sense as to why you guys might do that."

Heero just stared at Sakura for a moment. It amazed him that this angel could be so innocent and cute as to think of something like that at a time like this. In the end all he could manage to do was smile and pull Sakura into a hug. "Should we go catch up to the others? I'm curious as to what this place has to offer."

"Hai!" Sakura and Heero quickly ran to catch up with Syaoran and the others, finding them at the Li Clan training dojo.

"This is our indoor training facility, so Saotome, if you or Yuy want to train sometime during the days or the mornings, there is usually either someone here or at the outdoor training area." Syaoran then led them to the edge of a cliff next to the training facility and pointed down toward an open sandy beach. "Down there is where we train outdoors. It looks like Meilin is training right now, although I don't recognize the guy she's fighting."

"Hey Heero," said Duo. "Isn't that…"

"Hai. That's Wu-Fei."

"Wu-Fei?" questioned Sakura. "Your friend who pilots another one of those Gundam things?" Heero nodded.

"Well, Meilin did say that some new guy showed up at the Estate looking for a place to train," said Syaoran. "She also wants to see all of you, so we might as well go down there and say hi."

The gang followed a twisting path down the side of the cliff until they ended up on the beach, and then made their way to the sandy area where Meilin and Wu-Fei were sparring. It wasn't until they arrived at the edge of the training ring, that Meilin noticed the visitors. "Xiao Lang!" she cried as she stopped her training and ran over to hug her favorite cousin.

"It's good to see you too Meilin," said Syaoran.

"Sakura-chan! Tomoyo-chan!" exclaimed Meilin as she let go of Syaoran and grabbed Sakura and Tomoyo. "How are you!?"

"We're good," answered Tomoyo. "It's good to see you again, Meilin-chan."

"Oh, everybody," said Meilin. "This is…"

"Chang Wu-Fei," Duo finished for her. "It's good to see you Wu-Fei."

Wu-Fei looked up when he heard the mention of his name. "Duo? What are you doing here?"

"Li is Heero and my roommate. He invited all of us here for Winter Vacation."

"Li?" questioned Wu-Fei. "As in Meilin's cousin and the future leader of the Clan?"

"Same one. Small world huh?"

"Umm," interrupted Meilin. "What's going on here?"

"Meilin," said Syaoran. "This is Duo Maxwell and Heero Yuy. We are roommates at school. Apparently they know your friend from before he showed up at the Estate. Also this is Mizuno Ami, Aino Minako, Kuonji Ukyo, and Saotome Ranma."

"Everybody, this is Chang Wu-Fei," said Meilin for those who didn't already know Wu-Fei. "And Wu-Fei, this is my cousin, Li Syaoran, and my friends Kinomoto Sakura, Daidouji Tomoyo, and Hiiragizawa Eriol. Now I think everybody knows each other, right?"

Everyone, except Syaoran, Heero, and Wu-Fei laughed at Meilin's little joke and people shook hands as they introduced themselves to people they didn't know. "So how have things been down here?" Syaoran asked Meilin once everyone had gotten to know each other a little better.

"Well, when you left I didn't have anyone skilled enough to train with," answered Meilin. "That is until Wu-Fei showed up. You should see him fight, Syaoran-kun. He's the only person here that can fight as well as the two of us."

"I don't doubt it," answered Syaoran. "If he was in the same `business' as Yuy, I'm sure he's a good fighter. You should see Yuy fight. It's quite impressive."

When Wu-Fei heard Syaoran's comment about being in the same `business' as Heero, he pulled Heero aside to talk with him privately. "Is he referring to what I think he's referring to?" Wu-Fei asked Heero.

Heero nodded his head. "They all know about the Gundams. Did you tell any of the members of the Li Clan?"

"I didn't tell anyone, but Meilin did find out about Nataku," answered Wu-Fei.

Heero was a little surprised at the news since Wu-Fei, just like all the other pilots, was usually good at keeping the Gundam a secret. "How did that happen?"

"I was going to check on Nataku to make sure nobody found it. Meilin was following me, and I didn't notice until it was too late. I don't believe she told any of the other Clan members, but she forced me to put another chair in the cockpit so she could go for a ride."

Duo, who had walked up to the two Gundam pilots just in time to hear Wu-Fei's last comment, laughed. "That's a really weird coincidence, because Heero had us install a passenger seat in our Gundams as well, and have each taken one of the girls for a ride." Wu-Fei gave Heero a very odd expression. Heero, of all people, would have been the last person Wu-Fei would have expected to let someone else ride in his Gundam with him. Especially in Wing ZERO with the ZERO System.

Just at that moment, Sakura chose to run up and jump up on Heero's back and interrupt the guys conversation. "Heero-kun," she said happily. "What are you guys talking about?"

Seeing this made Wu-Fei extremely surprised. Heero was always the most unapproachable of all the pilots. He was even less approachable than himself, and yet this giggling girl had just jumped onto his back and Heero didn't seem angry at all. In fact, it almost looked as if he was enjoying himself. "Wu-Fei," said Duo, interrupting Wu-Fei's thoughts. "I almost forgot to tell you. In these past few months, Heero has become a human." This statement resulted in a death stare from Heero being sent in Duo's direction. This time the stare didn't faze Duo, since he knew Heero wouldn't do anything in front of Sakura. "He even got himself a girlfriend." Wu-Fei looked at Sakura, who was still on Heero's back, and saw the cute auburn haired girl blush slightly from being called Heero's girlfriend.

"This will definitely make the Princess happy," said Wu-Fei with a laugh. Duo started laughing along with Wu-Fei at the thought of how Princess Relena would react to the situation.

"What's so funny?" asked Sakura, who was extremely confused at the situation.

"Princess Relena has been trying to get Heero to act normal for a long time," answered Duo. "She even tried to convince him to go out on dates with some of the girls in her Kingdom, but he always refused. I just can't wait to see her face when she finds out about you two." Heero decided at that moment to save himself from further ridicule, and walked over to where the rest of the group was talking, giving a happily giggling Sakura a piggyback ride over in the process.

"So where is Auntie Yelan?" Heero and Sakura heard Meilin ask when they arrived back at the other conversation. "She sounded like she had a lot to talk to all of you about."

"Mother was talking alone with Heero and then said she needed to speak with the Elders," answered Syaoran.

Meilin looked at Heero with a curious expression. "You're Heero, right?" Heero nodded his head an affirmative. "So what were you talking with Auntie Yelan about?"

"It's complicated," answered Heero, who still didn't want to tell everyone about being a Li until Yelan had finished her meeting with the Elders. "It was basically about my magic power."

"That's strange," commented Meilin. "She seemed so interested in finding out about all of your magic powers. Why didn't she do a check of everyone before going to see the Elders?" Obviously, both Heero and Sakura knew the answer to the question, but Heero had no intention of telling everyone yet, and Sakura felt it wasn't her place to mention it. "Well, anyway, Heero-kun. Tomoyo-chan tells me that you have been spending quite a lot of time with our little Sakura," said Meilin with a grin and a wink. Heero made no noticeable gesture and no verbal comment to Meilin, but it was easy to see Sakura trying to hide her blush as she hid her head in the back of Heero's neck. "We always thought Sakura-chan would end up with Xiao Lang, but it sounds like she's happy with you. But make sure not to mistreat her, or you'll have me to answer to."

Heero wasn't sure if he should respond to the comment made by Syaoran's cousin, since he knew he would never mistreat the angel who was presently attached to his back, but didn't particularly feel like expressing his feelings in front of everyone present. Luckily for him, Yelan picked that moment to walk up the beach towards the group.

"Hello mother," greeted Syaoran.

"Hi Auntie Yelan," added Meilin.

"Xiao Lang, Meilin, everybody" said Yelan. Everybody saw Yelan raise an eyebrow ever so slightly when she noticed the position Heero and Sakura were in at the moment. "Xiao Lang, Ying Fa, Yuy-san, and Mizuno-san. The Elders would like to speak with you." Without even waiting for an answer, Yelan turned around and began walking back up the path towards the main area of the Estate. Not wanted to disrespect Syaoran's mother or the Elders, Syaoran, Ami, Sakura, and Heero all followed behind Yelan on the journey up the cliff to go see the Li Clan Elders.

The four teens followed Yelan until they reached the temple on the estate which held the chambers of the Li Clan Elders. Before entering the sacred building, Yelan stopped and said she had to speak with Heero alone again. Heero followed Yelan into the temple and waited for her to begin. "Xiao Long," Yelan began, which caused a slight raise in one of Heero's eyebrows at being called his real name. "I know I told you that it would be up to you if and when you told Xiao Lang and the others about your true history, but a decision made by the Elders is forcing you to tell them right now. In reality, Mizuno-san and Ying Fa don't need to know, but it is essential that you tell Xiao Lang."

"I have already told Sakura-san about being a Li," answered Heero. "May I ask why I must tell Li and the others about this now?"

"I am not at liberty to say, but when you meet with the Elders, they will explain it to you."

Heero looked at his newly found aunt for a moment before nodding his head. "I understand. I will tell them when you beckon them into the temple."

Heero waited for a second as Yelan exited the temple and told Syaoran, Sakura, and Ami to enter. Once inside, Yelan also informed them that Heero had something he needed to share. "I'm sure you all are wondering why Li-sama needed to talk to me alone on these couple occasions since we arrived here in Hong Kong," began Heero. Syaoran and Ami each nodded their heads, and Sakura just looked on, curious as to why Heero was telling Syaoran and Ami about his secret right now. "Well, the reason is because she found what is called a magical marker on my aura when she examined it this morning."

"A magical marker?" asked Ami.

"A magical marker is a signature of a family's magical presence on a family member's aura. They are usually very subtle and it takes a lot of magical focus to detect one," answered Syaoran. "What family's marker do you possess?"

"That is what I needed to tell you. The magical maker on my aura belongs to the Li Clan."

"The Li Clan?" questioned Syaoran in a mix of shock and disbelief.

"Hai. That is not all, however. After piecing together a number of events, we have determined the exact way I am involved with the Li Clan. My real name is not Heero Yuy. That was a code name I was given when I was young, and is the name I have used ever since. My real name is Xiao Long. Li Xiao Long. I am the son of Li-sama's brother, and Li's father's sister. The end result is that I am a direct cousin of Li, and at one point in my life was also a candidate for future leader of the Li Clan."

"You mean my Aunt and Uncle that you said died all those years ago were married and had a son?" Syaoran asked his mother.

"Correct," answered Yelan. "Their son was named Li Xiao Long, and was almost a year younger than yourself. You were never told about your cousin after he disappeared in order to make sure you would focus completely on your training for future leader of the Clan. The Elders are waiting. We must go."

The teens all followed Yelan into a large elegant chamber. The interior walls were ordained with many beautiful gold carvings and the large columns in the room were decorated with artwork made from ivory, gold, and marble. At one end of the chamber sat five elderly men. Each one had a certain poise and demeanor about them that demanded respect from all those who encountered them.

"Elders," said Yelan as she bowed to the older men. "May I introduce Kinomoto Ying Fa, Mizuno Ami, Li Xiao Long, and you know my son, Xiao Lang."

"Greetings," said the Elder sitting on the far right. He then motioned to the eldest of the Elders, who was sitting in the center. "This is Li Qian Louh. On the left is Li Dong Zhou and Li Huang Da, and this is Li Xing Hua. You may call me Li Fan Fu."

"It is an honor to meet you," said Ami as she, Heero, and Sakura all bowed politely.

"You are the Senshi whom we are told has been engaged in romantic relations with Xiao Lang, correct?"

Ami was a little surprised at the forwardness of the Elders and glanced over to Syaoran to see him nod, indicating to tell the truth. "Hai," she answered slightly nervously.

"She is unacceptable," stated Dong Zhou angrily. He was sitting to the left of Qian Louh; the seat for the second most powerful of the Elders. When Sakura and Ami had entered the chambers of the Elders, their first impressions of Dong Zhou was that he seemed to be the most critical looking of all the Elders. Fan Fu, who had introduced everyone, had been wearing a slight smile on his thin lips and Qian Louh, Huang Da, and Xing Hua each had an emotionless face. However, when they entered the room, Dong Zhou had already had a frown across his weathered face. "The future leader of our Clan must marry another from within the Clan to make sure the bloodline stays pure." What Ami didn't know, but the other Elders did, was that Dong Zhou's own daughter was the prime candidate for a match with Syaoran from within the Clan. The marriage between the future leader and his own daughter would even further improve his status within the Clan.

"Master Dong Zhou," said Fan Fu calmly. "Please don't be rude to our guests. First of all, we have never mentioned anything about marriage between these two, and even if we had, she is a Sailor Senshi, which would bring a new magical power to the Li Clan."

"The girl is too frail to be the wife of our Clan leader," continued Dong Zhou, still sounding as angry as before. "The wife of our leader must be trained as such, and should come from our own Clan."

Fan Fu wanted to stand up for Ami, but his position as the lowest ranking of the Elders wouldn't allow him to challenge Dong Zhou in any way that might seem disrespectful. As such, there was nothing he could do when he noticed Dong Zhou preparing to say more belittling comments about the Senshi. However, Fan Fu's worries didn't come to pass, as Qian Louh interrupted before Dong Zhou could say anything more. "That is enough," he stated firmly. "Please come here child," Qian Louh said kindly to Ami. "I will not harm you; I only wish to feel your magic aura."

Ami, who almost felt like running from the room to escape the badgering by Dong Zhou, walked very slowly up to where Qian Louh was sitting. When she was close enough, Qian Louh held his arm out straight and began to feel Ami's magical aura. The others all watched as a small smile formed on the lips of the Eldest member of the Clan. When Qian Louh opened his eyes once again, the smile faded from his face, but it was clear in his eyes that something had pleased the old man. "You have a strong aura," he said as Ami walked backwards to stand by Syaoran again. Being the leader of the Elders, Qian Louh usually knew what the other Elders opinions were and usually spoke for the group as a whole. He knew Dong Zhou still didn't accept this girl because she was an outsider and she may also jeopardize his chances of arranging a marriage between Syaoran and his daughter, but the other three Elders all seemed to like Ami, and he himself was intrigued by the fact that even though she possessed such a great amount of magical energy, her personality was still that of a shy young girl. "It is the decision of the Clan that we have no objections to the relationship between Li Xiao Lang and Mizuno Ami, and we wish you both the best of luck in the future."

Ami was extremely happy to hear that the Elders accepted her. She knew that Dong Zhou still didn't accept her, but even that didn't disappoint her, because she knew Fan Fu liked her, and it seemed as if Qian Louh liked her as well. Ami made sure to bow and say thank you to all the Elders, even Dong Zhou, before retaking her place by Syaoran's side.

Syaoran was happy, just like Ami, but he was more surprised than anything else. He knew the tradition was for him to marry a member of the Clan that had been trained to serve as the wife of the future leader and also to keep the bloodline of the Clan as pure as possible. He also knew Dong Zhou's daughter would have been one of the possible girls he would have been forced to marry, even though on the few occasions that he met her, he had not been impressed. He hadn't been expecting the Elders to say outright that they accepted Ami as a possible future partner, and especially had not expected them to wish them luck, as if they were wanting them to end up together. But he knew better than to voice his opinion on such matters, so instead he took Ami's hand gently into his own and smiled down at the beautiful Senshi, who's eyes shone with both joy and relief.

"Kinomoto Ying Fa," said Qian Louh, breaking Sakura out of her trance of being happy for Ami and Syaoran.

"H-hai!" she stuttered in response to beckoning of the Elder as she stepped forward a couple steps.

"You are the Mistress of the Clow Cards, correct?"

"Hai!"

"I have been looking forward to meeting you for some time now," Qian Louh continued. "We have no questions of you for the moment, but it is an honor to finally meet you."

"Arigato, Master Qian Louh," responded Sakura with a bow, before stepping back to where she was standing before.

"Li Xiao Long," said Qian Louh as all five Elders looked directly at Heero. Heero didn't respond to the Elder, except by bowing his head slightly as a sign of respect. "I wanted to meet you even before knowing your true identity so I could determine myself what magic you possess to make you the Master of the new Clow Cards I hear are appearing in Japan. However, now that we have discovered who you really are, there is a new issue in which you need to be made aware of. As you know, when you were born you were in a position to become a likely choice as leader of the Li Clan. After you disappeared, that responsibility was shifted solely to Xiao Lang. Now that you have returned, it has been decided by this Clan that if you prove yourself more capable and worthy than Xiao Lang to be the leader, then you will be chosen to lead the Li Clan."

"No," answered Heero in his usual serious tone of voice. This answer surprised the Elders, and it showed. Nobody ever questioned the Elders and certainly nobody ever told them no.

"No?" asked Fan Fu.

"I will do my duties as a member of the Li Clan; however, the burden of being the next Clan leader is not mine to carry. It has been and still is the responsibility of Li Xiao Lang."

"That is not your decision to make," stated Dong Zhou.

"Yes it is," countered Heero. "I was not raised as a Li. I was not trained to become the Li Clan leader. I am not a crucial part of this Clan, and I am not going to be the leader of it under any circumstances."

All the Elders were frowning at Heero's obvious disregard of their authority in this situation, except Qian Louh. Qian Louh actually had a slight smile on his face. "Good," he said to Heero. This time it was Heero's turn to be surprised as the eldest of the Elders completely caught him off guard with his comment. "You have shown loyalty to yourself, your friends, and your Clan. You have also shown that you have no intentions of taking advantage of your birthright. The others all believe you should have your chance at becoming leader of the Clan, but I do not believe it is in the best interests of the Clan for you to become the leader."

Heero paused for a moment before nodding to Qian Louh. He was just beginning to understand just how much wisdom this Elder really possessed, and it gave Heero a new respect for the judgment of the old man.

"However," continued Qian Louh. "I do expect you to show respect to your heritage and traditions and also show loyalty to your Clan and its future leader."

"Of course, Master Qian Louh," answered Heero as he bowed formally to the Elder.

"On a different, yet related subject," said Qian Louh, again surprising Heero who thought the conversation with the Elder had come to a close. "I also hear that the Master and Mistress of the Clow Cards have been romantically involved for some time now." This statement caused Sakura to blush a deep shade of red, because of her embarrassment that even the Elders of the Li Clan knew she and Heero had been dating. "I would like to wish you two luck in your relationship as well."

"A-arigato," managed to stutter Sakura, despite her extreme embarrassment at the situation. Qian Louh started laughing heartily at the sight before him before excusing everyone and telling Sakura, Heero, and Ami that he may wish to talk with them at a later time, but for now to enjoy their stay at the Estate. Once Yelan and the four teens had exited the temple, Dong Zhou immediately rose from his seat and stormed out of the temple to his own private chambers, saying he needed to think alone. After he left, the other four elders sat around and discussed with each other just how powerful the possible offspring from either one of the teen couples could become.

~~~~~Hong Kong, China Couple Days Later~~~~~

"And that's the whole story," finished Heero. It had taken Heero a couple days to come to a conclusion, but he finally decided that there was no reason not to tell the others about his relation to Li and the rest of the Li Clan.

All the others, especially Eriol, just sat still with their mouths hanging open, completely shocked at the news. "So you and Li are related?" asked Ranma for a bit of clarification.

"We are cousins related on both our mother and father's sides."

"I knew Heero Yuy wasn't your real name, but I would have never guessed you were a possible leader of the Li Clan," said Duo.

"This is so cool," squealed Tomoyo. "We knew Li-kun and Yuy-kun were so similar, but who would have guessed they were directly related."

"It looks like I've got myself another dear descendant," chuckled Eriol.

"So that means you are related to me too?" asked Meilin.

"Heero's relations on both sides of the family are exactly the same as mine," answered Syaoran. "Since you are my cousin on my mother's side, you are also his cousin, but on his father's side."

"Kero-chan is going to flip when he finds out Yuy-kun is related to Li-kun," laughed Tomoyo. Everyone else, except Wu-Fei, since he had never met Kero, Heero, and Syaoran, started laughing along with Tomoyo, just imagining how the cute magical creature would react to knowing the boyfriend of his mistress was related to his `worst enemy'.

"Excuse me everyone."

"Hello, Li-sama," greeted Sakura when the elegant woman interrupted their conversation.

"Excuse the interruption, but I am here to inform you that tonight there is a banquet in honor of both Xiao Lang and Xiao Long. I would have informed you about it sooner but I had to wait for my nephew to inform you of the complete situation."

"Arigato, Li-sama," said Heero. "Are there any details about the dinner we should be aware of?"

"The majority of you should plan to arrive around six thirty, but for introductory purposes, Xiao Long and your escort, whom I assume will be Ying Fa, are to arrive later than everyone else. You will be summoned when it is time for you to make your entrance. The proper attire for the banquet for all of you should be in your rooms by now, otherwise they will be there shortly."

"Li-sama," said a low ranking member of the Clan in an urgent voice as he ran into the room where they were all situated. "The two sons of Li Dong Zhou are outside demanding to speak with you."

"What could they want?" Syaoran asked nobody in particular. Syaoran never did like Dong Zhou or the majority of his immediate family. He knew that after him, one Dong Zhou's offspring had a chance of becoming the leader of the Clan, and therefore both of Dong Zhou's sons always disrespected him as much as they openly could.

All twelve teens followed Yelan out the pair of large doors and into the spacious entry area of the Li Mansion. Standing in the center of the black dragon emblem that adorned the red circular rug in the middle of the entry area were two men dressed in traditional Chinese fighting outfits. Both looked to be in their mid to late twenties and stood with an aura of superiority about them. "I am Li Meng Ping. This is Li Meng Guo. We are the sons of Li Dong Zhou, and we are here to officially challenge Li Xiao Lang and Li Xiao Long for the position of leader of the Li Clan."

This surprised everyone present, except Yelan. She had been expecting Dong Zhou to do something like this, since his position of gaining more power was in jeopardy. She knew that Dong Zhou thought his daughter, Li Jiang Qing, was the top candidate for an arranged marriage with Syaoran. However, now that Qian Louh had officially declared that Ami was suitable to marry their future leader, as well as the appearance of Heero, Dong Zhou's plans were quickly going up in smoke. Such a public challenge hadn't been seen in quite some time, so it did surprise Yelan just the slightest bit that they had been so direct in their attempt to dethrone her son.

"You've got to be kidding," said Meilin with a face of disgust. "You two idiots couldn't even beat me and Wu-Fei in a fight. How do you expect to defeat Xiao Lang?" Meilin and Wu-Fei had fought with Dong Zhou's two sons a number of times before Heero, Syaoran, and the others had arrived in Hong Kong. They didn't live on the Estate, but they often came by to train. She would admit they weren't too bad at fighting, since they could defeat most of the other people who trained at the Estate, but every time they tried to fight Meilin or Wu-Fei they were quickly and easily beaten. Meilin had also gotten a chance to watch Heero and Syaoran fight together and had been very impressed. Syaoran had always been a little better than herself, but it appeared that he had recently improved even farther, and Heero was up to the exact same skill level as Syaoran. They didn't fight the same at all, but neither one ever looked to have an advantage over one another.

Neither of Dong Zhou's sons had a response to Meilin's mocking, since they both knew she was right. Neither one liked Syaoran since they both knew he was the only one standing in their way of gaining more power, but previously their father had told them not to ever officially challenge Syaoran since he was working on getting their sister to marry the future leader. However, something had changed the situation and their father had ordered his sons to challenge both Li Xiao Lang and Li Xiao Long to a fight. Neither of them knew who Li Xiao Long was, since Heero wasn't supposed to be introduced to the rest of the Clan until the banquet that night, but they didn't dare go against their father's orders. "Do you accept the challenge?" repeated Meng Ping.

Syaoran knew he had to accept, but looked to Heero to make sure he was willing to uphold his own duties to his Clan. Heero noticed Syaoran glancing at him, and nodded his head slightly, informing his cousin that he would fight for the respect he deserved within the Clan. "Your challenge is accepted," Syaoran stated. "What will be the fight rules?"

"Full weapons, full magic," answered Meng Ping. Both he and his brother had been practicing their magic but knew they didn't possess the same amount of raw magical potential that Syaoran had. Unfortunately, for them to be recognized as superior they had to allow magic in the fight. "The first to knock both opponents to unconsciousness or submission is the victor. There is no killing."

"Very well," answered Syaoran. "Where and when?"

"Tomorrow. Noon. The outdoor training ring."

"Accepted," declared Syaoran. "I leave it up to you to make sure the Elders are present so that they may officially declare the victor." Meng Ping and Meng Guo both nodded and turned on their heels and left the large building without another word.

After the two brothers left, Heero turned to Yelan. "How did they know about me? I was under the impression the Elders weren't going to tell anyone."

"Dong Zhou has been looking for a way to get his own family to the top rankings of the Clan for many years now," answered Yelan. "Until now I'm sure he believed his daughter was going to be wed to Xiao Lang, thus bringing his family to the top of the Clan rankings. If you noticed, neither of his sons looked directly at you, so I believe he only mentioned your name when he ordered them to challenge you and my son, but didn't tell them who exactly you were."

"Is this fight going to be dangerous?" asked Sakura, who was worried about both Heero and Syaoran.

"There is a risk of someone getting seriously injured, but as the rules stated, there is to be no killing," responded Yelan.

"Don't worry, Sakura-chan," said Meilin confidently. "I've seen Yuy-kun fight, and along with Xiao Lang, there is no way they can possibly loose to those two."

"They said magic was going to be permitted, correct?" asked Ami.

"Hai," answered Syaoran. "All magic and any weapon you can carry will be allowed in the fight."

"Do those two know much in terms of attack and defense magic?"

"They have had some training," answered Yelan. "Nobody in Li Dong Zhou's family has as much magic potential as either Xiao Lang or Xiao Long, and neither of his sons has had as much mastery of their power as Xiao Lang. Plus, Xiao Long has a few powerful Clow Cards changed if I'm not mistaken, so there should be no worries when it comes to the magical aspect of the battle."

"From the sound of it," commented Duo. "It doesn't sound like either one of them has a chance in this fight. Why would they still challenge?"

"Master Dong Zhou is getting desperate," answered Eriol. "He knows his grasp at a higher position within the Clan is slipping through his fingers, so this is a last ditch attempt at gaining some leverage back. I assume that he doesn't know the extent of Yuy's battle or magic abilities, and is hoping his sons can disgrace him enough that he will be seen as unworthy of a position in the Clan. He probably also thinks he will be a handicap to my dear descendant, thus allowing Meng Ping and Meng Guo to win the fight."

"That man has no honor," stated Wu-Fei in a voice of disgust. "How did such a person become an Elder in an honorable Clan such as this?"

"He never used to pursue such self-centered endeavors until relatively recently," said Yelan. "It wasn't until a number of people from my and my husband's immediate families passed on. When that happened he must have seen that it was quite possible for him to get his family to the top positions in the Clan."

"So how exactly does this fight work?" Ranma asked. "Do they fight two one-on-one fights or is it a two-on-two?"

"It is a two-on-two fight," answered Syaoran.

"Then the two of them do have a small advantage," said Ranma thoughtfully. Everyone looked at him in curiosity. "Well, think about it. I'm sure the two of them have fought together many times before, but the two of you have never fought with each other. You have fought against each other, but never together. Plus, they may have some combined power magic attacks."

"Saotome's got a good point," said Eriol. "You two better be watchful of something like that."

"What are you two going to wear to the fight?" asked Tomoyo innocently. Everyone looked at the dark haired girl and gave her an odd expression, trying to figure out why she would think of something like that when Heero and Syaoran could possibly be seriously injured in the fight.

"Tomoyo has a point," said Yelan, gaining everyone's attention. "This is a traditional challenge, so naturally it is expected the fighters wear traditional fighting outfits."

"But Heero-kun doesn't have a traditional Li Clan fighting outfit," said Sakura.

"We would have to have one made," said Yelan. "But there isn't enough time to make it before the fight. It won't do to have him wear an old outfit. It has to be a personally made traditional style outfit."

"I'll be right back!" exclaimed Tomoyo as she ran up the stairs towards the guest rooms. Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as Tomoyo disappeared around a corner. A minute later Tomoyo came barreling back around the corner and down the stairs, stopping right in front of Heero and Yelan. "Will this do?" she asked as she held up the outfit she was carrying.

"Where did you get this?" asked Yelan as she inspected the material Tomoyo handed to her.

"I made it a while ago," she answered. "I made it based on Li-kun's fighting outfit. Not sure what made me bring it with me when we came down here, but the design is almost identical to Li-kun's, I think."

"Indeed it is," praised Yelan. "This will definitely suffice for the challenge." Yelan handed the outfit to Heero for him to inspect. Heero held it up in front of him and admired the detailed work Tomoyo had put into it. He had seen Syaoran's traditional fighting outfit a few times, and from what he could tell, it was almost the same. The most obvious difference was that Heero's outfit was white, trimmed with red, while Syaoran's was green, trimmed with yellow. He assumed Tomoyo had done that based on his aura and Clow Card colors. The second difference was the emblem on Heero's outfit was different. Instead of the same emblem that adorned Syaoran's outfit, Heero's had a black circle with a red dragon in the center. The fact that Tomoyo had chosen a dragon as the emblem for Heero's outfit was very ironic, based on his real name, and made Heero wonder if Tomoyo was some type of unconscious psychic.

"Try it on, Yuy-kun," said Tomoyo. "I need to see if it needs any adjustments." Heero nodded and walked into an adjoining room to change into the traditional attire. He emerged from the room a couple minutes later, completely dressed. For some reason he couldn't explain, the traditional outfit felt very comfortable to Heero. Not only because of Tomoyo's expert designing skills, but it just felt like he belonged in this type of clothing.

"It looks good Heero-kun," said Sakura as she walked up to her boyfriend started playing with parts of the outfit.

"How does it fit?" asked Tomoyo.

"Feels perfect," answered Heero. "How did you know what sizes to make everything?"

"Tomoyo-chan is really good at designing stuff to fit the people she wants to wear it," answered Sakura. "They almost never need any adjustments."

"It is an impressive outfit," commented Yelan. Tomoyo bowed in thanks to Yelan for the praise of her work.

At that moment, the head butler of the Li Clan Estate walked through the set of large double doors and into the room. "Master Xiao Long. Mistress Ying Fa. If you would please follow me, there are a few formalities I must inform you of before the banquet."

"Of course, Wei-san," answered Sakura with a smile. Sakura had met Wei back when she and Syaoran were still in elementary school, and was pleasantly surprised to find that he had become the head butler of the Estate. Sakura and Heero both followed Wei to find out what formalities were required of them before and at the banquet. After Heero and Sakura left, the others all dispersed to find something to keep them occupied until the banquet.

Later that evening, Heero and Sakura entered the vast, luxurious, and elegantly designed and decorated Li family main dining hall. Along each side of the room were five long tables which had what looked like at least fifty people, almost all members of the Li Clan, sitting on each side. At the end of the room was another three tables that were situated perpendicular to all the others. In the center of the head tables sat all five Li Clan Elders. In the middle was Qian Louh, and he was flanked on the left by Dong Zhou and on the right by Xing Hua. Next to them sat Huang Da and Fan Fu. To the right of the Elders sat a number of men and women that neither Heero nor Sakura had ever met. Some of them looked to be about the age of Syaoran's mother or older, and a couple were about as young as themselves. To the left of the Elders sat Yelan. Yelan sat in such a powerful position because not only was she the mother of the Clan's future leader, but she was also one of the wisest and most powerful magicians in the Clan. Because of these two facts, most members of the Li Clan treated her with as much respect as the Elders, and figured that if it wasn't for ancient tradition, she would be an Elder herself. Next to Yelan was Syaoran and Ami, followed by two empty seats, then Eriol and Ukyo. At the end of one of the side tables sat Tomoyo and Ranma, Duo and Minako, and Meilin and Wu-Fei, along with each of Syaoran's sisters and their husbands. The children of Syaoran's two eldest sisters did not seem to be present.

"May I present Li Xiao Long and Kinomoto Ying Fa," came a booming voice from somewhere to the side of them. As they had been instructed, Sakura and Heero bowed respectfully to all the people present in the spacious chamber when they were introduced. They both noticed the surprised looks on the faces of the adults in the room, and confused looks on the faces of the younger people present. It was apparent that the Elders had not informed the rest of the Clan about the purpose of the banquet. After their introduction, Heero and Sakura walked up to present themselves to the Elders, as per the instructions they had been given beforehand. They each bowed respectfully to the Elders and were greeted with a warm welcome by each Elder, except Dong Zhou who was scowling at them, but he showed no obvious signs on his thoughts about tomorrow's impending fight between Heero and Syaoran and his two sons. After greeting the Elders, Heero and Sakura bowed respectfully to Yelan, and then stepped to the left to introduce themselves to the remainder of the members at the head table. All the people were high ranking members of the Clan, one of which was Li Jiang Qing, Dong Zhou's daughter, who, according to Sakura, had a very disconcerting look in her eyes as she introduced herself to Heero. After that was done, Heero and Sakura made their way around the room, introducing themselves to everyone present. All the Clan members who were old enough to know about Heero's existence, expressed their joy at the fact that he was alive, and almost everyone articulated their delight at finally meeting Sakura, the renowned Card Mistress.

After making the exhausting journey around the crowded room, Heero and Sakura were finally able to collapse into their seats and relax. "You look very pretty, Sakura-chan," commented Tomoyo from where she was sitting a few seats away.

"I'd have to agree with Daidouji-san," Heero sent to Sakura telepathically. "That dress looks like it was made for you."

Sakura blushed at Tomoyo's public and Heero's private praise of her appearance. "Arigato, Tomoyo-chan. All of you look beautiful as well," she said to all of her friends.

Each girl was dressed in a form fitting silk dress that went down to just above the floor. The sleek material that each dress was made of was a different color for each girl, and had a different pattern decorating each. Sakura's dress was a very light pink color, with bright red cherry blossom patters covering its entirety. Tomoyo, Ukyo, and Meilin each had dresses that were of a single flat color, with no pattern ornamenting it. Tomoyo's dress was of a beautiful shimmering blue, Ukyo's was a dark purple that actually matched Eriol's hair quite closely, and Meilin's was a vivid red color that sparkled brightly in the well lit room. Minako's dress was similar style to Sakura's, but with different colors. The dress was of a radiant yellow color with orange flower petals embellishing the entirety of the dress. Finally, Ami was wearing a light blue dress with sparkles of a shiny slightly darker blue adorning its length.

The guys were all dressed in clothing of a style that matched each of the girls. The silken material that made up the shirts was shiny just like that of the girl's dresses, and each was a different color. Heero was wearing an outfit made of white, which glistened silver when light reflected off of it. Syaoran's outfit was the customary green he always wore, and it was a nice contrast to the light blue of Ami's dress. Eriol was wearing a blue outfit, very similar to the color of Tomoyo's dress. Ranma was the only guy who was not wearing a single color. The shirt of Ranma's outfit was a glossy red color, but his pants were black. The outfit looked normal on Ranma who still wore Chinese style clothing often while in Japan. Wu-Fei and Duo were each wearing an outfit that was dark in color. Wu-Fei's was a very dark blue, and Duo was wearing jet black.

After a few more introductions and speeches by the Elders and other important members of the Clan, the main dishes of the banquet were served. The intense aroma and the artistic arrangement of the exotic foods was a breathtaking sight for the guests. Ranma, Duo, and Sakura all especially enjoyed the look, smell, and taste of the various dishes filled with seafood, meats, and vegetables. The experience was like nothing they had ever encountered before. Such elegant and extravagant cuisine was not something they were used to and enjoyed every distinct flavor in every morsel of food that touched their lips.

The banquet dragged on for quite some time, since it was a large and important event within the Clan. However, it did eventually come to a close and most of the older people present left to go back home, while the younger people stayed and began dancing with each other to the music playing in the background. The music had changed from soothing classical music to fast paced dance music once it was only the younger members of the Clan present. All the girls had gone to the dance floor and were dancing in a small circle along with Ranma, Duo, and Eriol. Wu-Fei was talking with a member of the Clan who looked to be a little older than him, and was apparently one of Wu-Fei's frequent sparring partners. That left Syaoran and Heero as the only two people still sitting at the head table.

"I don't think the other members of the Clan understood when you said you wanted to be just a normal member of the Clan," said Syaoran to Heero as they both watched their girlfriends, along with their other friends, dancing to the up-tempo beat of the music.

"What do you mean by that?" asked Heero.

"When they introduced you tonight," answered Syaoran. "You were not introduced as just another member of the Clan. You were introduced as a leader. Don't forget, you are also sitting at the head table. Only the people who are high ranking members of the Clan ever sit up here."

"I was afraid of that," sighed Heero. "I suppose my true fate in the Li Clan is unavoidable."

"I also wanted to tell you that it means a lot to me that you aren't trying to fight for my position as the Clan leader," said Syaoran seriously. "If you had really wanted it, you probably would have gotten it. You know you have more magical power than I do, plus you are the Master of the Clow Cards. Our fighting skills are equal as well, and you have that unusual ability to heal yourself quite quickly. The only real advantages I have over you are that I was raised in the traditional Li Clan way and I am older."

"Don't worry about it. You are better for the job as leader. I may have more magical energy than you do, but you still know more about controlling it. Plus, I am not a leader. I am a soldier. When it comes to leading troops in battle, I can do that, but I am not the right person to lead an illustrious Clan such as this."

"Even still," said Syaoran as he finally turned to look at his cousin. "I am glad to have someone as capable and trustworthy as you to assist me in the responsibilities that come with our family line." After his speech, Syaoran held his hand out right between himself and his cousin. Heero looked at the member of the family he never knew he had before taking Syaoran's outstretched hand. They both shared a look of understanding that their futures would be linked, and as the two cousins shook hands they both decided that they couldn't have asked for a better person to share their future responsibilities with.

"What are you two doing?" asked Meilin, startling both Heero and Syaoran as she jumped and sat on the table in front of both of them. "Come on out on the dance floor with everyone. You two are being so boring." Meilin looked at the stare both Syaoran and Heero were giving her. "You really must be Xiao Lang's cousin," she joked. "You two are exactly the same." Meilin laughed again as she jumped down from her position of sitting on the table and grabbed Syaoran and Heero's hands and dragged the two onto the dance floor. Neither really wanted to go out and dance, since that really wasn't their thing, but Meilin really didn't leave them much choice. "Sakura-chan, Mizuno-san," Meilin said when she reached the group of friends. "Look what I found."

Sakura and Ami both giggled when Meilin shoved each Li Clan leader into the arms of their respective girlfriends. "You two weren't trying to escape, now were you?" asked Sakura in mock seductive tone of voice. "You know there is no escape from me, my Little Dragon." Heero gave Sakura a peculiar look at the pet name she had just telepathically used for him. Sakura noticed Heero's curious expression and answered him before he could even ask his question. "I just think it sounds cute."

"As you wish, Sakura-san," responded Heero in his mind. "As long as you remain my beautiful Cherry Blossom." Sakura blushed when Heero used the new pet name he had apparently given her. Heero saw her blush and inwardly chuckled to himself before capturing her lips in a short, sweet kiss.

When the music changed from the fast paced beats to a slower, more romantic song, a number of the teenagers in the room began to pair up to dance together. Only Syaoran and Meilin knew that the elder people of the Clan often used formal banquets as opportunities to set up their children with other acceptable people of the Li Clan in an attempt to arrange a marriage. Because of this fact, Syaoran had never before enjoyed one of the after parties that followed the formal banquets. Other members of the Clan were always trying to set up their daughters with him, and he had never come across one that had interested him. This time, however, was going to be different. This time he was with a girl he had brought of is own choosing. A girl who was not only accepted by the Elders and was intelligent, kind hearted, interesting, and beautiful, but also seemed to feel for him the same way he felt for her. "Would you care to dance with me?" Syaoran asked Ami when the music started playing.

Ami smiled at what she thought was the cuteness of her boyfriend. "I'd love to," she answered as she took his hand and the two held each other close and started dancing. She also noticed that Tomoyo and Ranma were dancing together, as were Duo and Minako, Eriol and Ukyo, and Sakura and Heero.

While she was dancing with Heero, Sakura noticed out of the corner of her eye that Meilin and Wu-Fei were dancing together near the side of the room. It surprised Sakura a bit that they were dancing together, because in all the time they had been spending at the Estate, it didn't seem like Meilin and Wu-Fei were anything more than training partners. It had seemed strange how comfortable the two seemed to be while they were dancing together, but what shocked Sakura even more was when she saw Meilin casually look around the room to make sure nobody was looking at her, and then see her stand up on her tip-toes and kiss Wu-Fei solidly on the lips. The surprise was so great to Sakura that she almost tripped while dancing with Heero. Luckily for her, Heero caught her before she could fall, but he easily noticed the surprised look on her face.

"What's wrong?" Heero asked quietly.

"Nothing's wrong," answered Sakura who was still in a little bit of awe. "It's just that I saw Meilin-chan and Chang-kun kissing and it surprised me a little."

Heero's eyebrow raised at Sakura's remark and the Gundam pilot turned to look at his new cousin and his old comrade. He saw them dancing together, but by that time they had stopped kissing. "They are a couple?"

"I guess so," answered Sakura. "I wonder if Syaoran knows."

"I don't know," said Heero. "But it isn't our place to tell anyone, so we should probably just keep it quiet for now."

"I know." Sakura then turned away from Meilin and Wu-Fei and began dancing with her own boyfriend again. While they were dancing, Sakura started a conversation inside her head. "It's funny to think that one of my best friends since I was little is a Li Clan leader, and my boyfriend is also a Li Clan leader. It's like I have some connection to the Clan and don't even know it."

Heero laughed inside his head at Sakura's statement. "Well, Li-sama said that magic always attracts magic. Since you are the most powerful sorceress in the world, it makes sense that you would be drawn to others with magic. The Li family is supposedly one of the strongest magic families on the planet."

"I guess that makes sense," thought Sakura. She was about to ask Heero if he knew if there were any specific duties he was going to have to perform as a member of the Li Clan, when the song came to an end and the couples all parted. She was about to start dancing with Heero again as a new song came on, but another girl walked between them.

"May I have this dance, Li Xiao Long?" asked Jiang Qing.

"I would prefer not to," answered Heero seriously.

"But you must," Jiang Qing insisted. "It is Li Clan honor that you must uphold such an innocent request from a female." Heero didn't have a response to that. He had given his word that he would follow the correct traditions of being a Li Clan member, and from what he had learned so far, Jiang Qing's point seemed as if it was most likely a valid one.

"Actually he doesn't," stated Syaoran as he walked up to his cousin and the daughter of the Elder he liked the least. "Because we have been officially challenged by your brothers, this would no longer be considered a harmless request."

"You were challenged by my brothers?" Jiang Qing asked in surprise.

"You didn't know?" asked Meilin who, along with everyone else had also come to join the conversation.

"No. When is the fight?"

"Tomorrow at noon," answered Syaoran. "They challenged Xiao Long and myself to a fight for our title as leaders of the Clan."

"Probably because your father knows he doesn't have a chance at getting you together with either Xiao Lang or Xiao Long," stated Meilin coldly. She really didn't like Jiang Qing because of how she always seemed to be plotting ways to get Syaoran for herself. "Both Sakura-chan and Mizuno-san have been accepted by the Elders, and you have nothing to compare to them."

Jiang Qing stared cruelly at Meilin in response to her insult. "Very well then," she finally said. "I will see you at the fight tomorrow then." With that said, Jiang Qing turned on her heels and left.

"I really hate her," stated Meilin as she watched Jiang Qing walk away.

"Don't worry about her," said Eriol. "After his sons loose the fight tomorrow, Dong Zhou will have no power left to attempt to wed his daughter to either of my dear descendents." Eriol's nickname for Heero and Syaoran was not appreciated, and instead of the customary single death stare being sent his way, he received a pair of them. Everyone else laughed as Eriol cringed slightly at the two pairs of eyes staring coldly at him. Ukyo then pulled Eriol away, for his own safety, to dance again, and Sakura and Ami did the same with Heero and Syaoran. The rest of the night was spent dancing, talking, and having fun. Eventually the night did end, and everyone went to their rooms to get a good nights sleep so they would be rested for the big day they had ahead of them tomorrow.

~~~~~Hong Kong, China Next Day~~~~~

"Do you understand and accept the terms and conditions of this official challenge."

"Hai, Master Qian Louh," answered all four fighters simultaneously.

"Then let the fight begin."

It was noon on the day following the banquet honoring the introduction of Li Xiao Long to the rest of the Li Clan. All five Elders, along with Yelan, Heero, Syaoran, Sakura, Ami, and the others and the three children of Dong Zhou, were standing around the large circle that was the outdoor training ring in the sand of the beach behind the Li Clan Estate. A number of other Li Clan members who had heard about the fight were also present to witness the rare event. Heero and Syaoran were each dressed in their Li Clan ceremonial fighting outfits. Syaoran was wearing his usual green, trimmed in yellow, outfit with white pants and black shoes, and Heero was wearing his new white, trimmed in red, outfit with a pair of black pants and white shoes. Opposite from Heero and Syaoran were Dong Zhou's two sons; Meng Ping and Meng Guo. Each one was dressed in a similar outfit to Heero and Syaoran, but with a few differences. The styles were slightly altered, since Heero and Syaoran were part of a different immediate family, and the colors were different. Instead of the loose fitting robes that Syaoran and Heero were wearing, Meng Ping and Meng Guo had outfits that were tighter against their bodies. The pants were the same, but the tops of the uniforms were sleeveless and not quite as long as Heero's or Syaoran's. Both Meng Ping and Meng Guo's fighting outfits were black in color, with yellow designs on the front and back. Standing next to each other in the exact same outfit, the brothers looked very much alike. Outside the circle, behind her two brothers stood Li Jiang Qing. She was dressed in an extremely short skirt and a low cut top that was made of a thin, silky material. Jiang Qing had a very nice body, and it appeared she had chosen her outfit to accentuate each one of its curves. The majority of the random Li Clan members who were witnessing the fight were also standing behind Meng Ping and Meng Guo since Heero and Syaoran's side of the ring was already pretty much filled. Outside the circle on Heero and Syaoran's side, stood Sakura, Ami, Tomoyo, Ranma, Duo, Minako, Eriol, Ukyo, Meilin, Wu-Fei, and Yelan. Everyone except for Ami and Sakura seemed to have calm looks on their faces, for they knew how skilled both Heero and Syaoran were at fighting and so they weren't worried about them too much. Sakura and Ami on the other hand were quite worried. They both had faith in their boyfriends' fighting abilities, but they cared for them even deeper than they knew, and so they couldn't shake the feelings of worry no matter how hard they tried.

"Be careful, Heero-kun," Sakura told her boyfriend via their telepathic link.

"Always," he replied as he turned his head slightly to give Sakura a reassuring smile. Sakura smiled back weakly as she tried to hide the look of worry on her face, although she failed miserably. Heero knew that Sakura was worried about him, just as Ami was worried about Syaoran, but the two of them had to concentrate on the fight in front of them for the time being. Syaoran and Heero looked at each other and nodded their heads, indicating to one another they were ready to proceed. Syaoran then closed his eyes momentarily and concentrated his magical power to release his sword from its confines. As Syaoran was releasing his sword, Heero did the same. "Key that Hides the Power of Space. Show Your True Self to Me. I, Heero Command You Under Contract. Release!"

At the same moment, both Heero's and Syaoran's pendants began to glow, and in a flash of light both items each transformed into a mystical sword and Heero and Syaoran each got into a fighting stance in preparation for the first wave of attacks from their opponents. Syaoran and Heero had discussed with each other earlier that morning, their strategy for winning this fight. Syaoran had informed Heero that it would serve them best if they could find a way to defeat their opponents while expending as little effort as possible. That way it would be clear who was dominant, and would leave no room for future challenges to arise. This meant that if they could manage it, they should refrain from using their magic in the fight, even if Dong Zhou's sons began to rely heavily on their own magical skills. They had also decided to take a defensive stance at first and wait to see how the two challengers would choose to attack. Since Heero and Syaoran had never fought with each other before, they were at a slight disadvantage when attacking together. They knew each other's fighting styles and mentalities well enough to get by, but thought it was best to coordinate their plans based on how the two brothers intended to fight the match.

While Syaoran and Heero did not have the need to bring any weapons to the match, since they both possessed magical weapons of their own, Meng Ping and Meng Guo each brought an entire arsenal of different weapons. They had swords, nunchakus, staffs, spears, and a countless number of other weapons. They both knew Syaoran possessed a magical sword, but had been surprised to find out that Heero had one as well. They had brought so many different weapons because they knew it was likely that their own weapons would break during the fight since the weapon of their opponent was magically protected. Before the fight, Meng Ping and Meng Guo had decided to try and gain the upper-hand early by using only their martial arts skills. They didn't know anything about Heero's magical powers, but they knew that Syaoran was in a completely different class altogether. If they relied on magic in the fight, Syaoran would surely be able to defeat them. Therefore, their strategy was to try to gain some leverage in the martial arts part of the fight, and force their opponents to use magic to defeat them. If they did that at the very least, then they wouldn't be seen as completely unfit to lead the Clan. They chose to fight the cousins in two one-on-one fights to begin the match. Meng Ping was going to attack Heero, and Meng Guo would try and handle Syaoran. They both knew Syaoran was probably the best martial artist in the Clan, but they didn't know how well Heero could fight. Since neither Meng Ping or Meng Guo would be able to defeat Syaoran in a one-on-one fight, they decided to at least have Meng Ping, who was a better fighter than Meng Guo, fight Heero in an attempt to win half of the match.

Meng Ping grabbed a pair of Chinese broad swords from his stash of weapons, swinging them in tight circles next to his body in an attempt to warm up his muscles and get a feel for his weapons. His brother opted for two Japanese kodachis. Even though the Li Clan was a Chinese Clan, they were well trained in the weapons of other cultures, as well as the traditional Chinese ones. The reason Meng Guo choose the kodachis was simple. He knew he was outclasses by Syaoran in terms of martial arts skills, so he opted for the pair of Japanese short swords in an attempt to increase his defensive capabilities, allowing his brother a little extra time to fight Heero one-on-one. Once they had their weapons picked, the two brothers mimicked Syaoran and Heero and got into fighting stances of their own. The four fighters stood completely still for a number of minutes, sizing each other up; trying to determine if there was any nervousness in their opponents, thus giving them a slight advantage. When it became abundantly clear that Syaoran and Heero were not going to strike first, the two brothers made eye contact out of the corner of their eyes and simultaneously let out a loud battle cry and attacked their opponents.

Seeing their opponents finally charging at them, Syaoran and Heero each lowered their defensive stances a fraction to ready themselves for the incoming blows. The first to strike was Meng Guo. He slashed downward with one of his short swords and across with the other. The attack was well timed, and perfectly executed, but Syaoran's reaction time was lightning fast. The moment Syaoran saw the two simultaneous strikes directed his way, he side stepped from the downward thrust, and maneuvered his sword to block the cross strike. The two swords clanged together loudly as the first blows of the match were underway. As soon as his sword made contact with the kodachi of his opponent, Syaoran took the opportunity to strike back. The downward strike by Meng Guo had left him unprotected from a quick blow, so Syaoran shifted his weight, and delivered a quick strike directly to the throat of his opponent with his free hand. The strike caused Meng Guo to take a couple steps backward as he fought to regain his breath. Having not fought Syaoran for a number of years, Meng Guo was a little surprised at how much faster and stronger the teenager had become. When Syaoran had left Hong Kong, he was already the best, and now that he was back, it was clear that he had become even better.

A few feet away from Meng Guo and Syaoran, Meng Ping was busily attacking Heero. Meng Ping had chosen to attack with a flurry of two sword attacks. His quick arm movements were causing his two swords to rotate in a spiraling frenzy of blades aimed at his opponent. Heero saw the attack style and knew that if it was executed flawlessly, that there would be no way to block the attack with only one sword. To account for this, Heero had to take steps backwards to keep from being cut by the gleaming blades. When Meng Ping saw Heero stepping backwards, he made his first mistake of the match; he believed Heero was a weak fighter and that he had the upper-hand. While he didn't stop his assault with his pair of swords, Meng Ping stopped paying as close attention, and the moves were beginning to get just the slightest bit sloppy. This was the opportunity Heero had been waiting for, and as soon as he saw an opening, he struck. Meng Ping's two blades fell just the slightest bit out of rhythm with each other, and allowed Heero just enough time to make his move. Heero stopped backtracking and thrust forward with his sword, making contact with one of the two blades swinging in front of him. This caused the one sword to stop the attack, but the other was still headed in a downward motion, aimed directly at Heero. If Meng Ping had been executing his attack with flawless precision, then Heero would not have had time to dodge the second blade. However, since Meng Ping's rhythm was just a bit off, it allowed Heero just enough time to dodge the falling blade by doing a spin on his planted left foot, causing his head to almost hit the ground, and his right leg to fly up in the air. This was not unintentional, as Heero's right foot landed squarely on the jaw of Meng Ping with so much power, that it literally lifted Meng Ping off his feet and sent him falling onto the ground, flat on his back. After delivering his kick, Heero did a back flip and landed at Syaoran's side, as the two cousins stood back to back at a slight angle in defensive postures and awaited the next round of attacks.

Meng Ping slowly stood up from the ground after Heero's kick, and was joined by his brother to discuss their new battle plan. "Xiao Lang is even better than he was before he left," said Meng Guo to his brother as he rubbed his neck to try to remove the last bit of soreness he felt.

"So is this new guy, Xiao Long," responded Meng Ping. "His fighting style is like nothing I have ever seen before, but he is fast, and he is strong."

"What do we do, brother?"

"We have no chance to defeat them using only martial arts. We have to use our magic, and try to defeat them in a coordinated fight."

"Do we use elemental magic?" Meng Guo asked his older brother.

"No. Our elemental magic is nothing compared to Xiao Lang's. We have to use the spells to increase out fighting capabilities."

Meng Guo nodded at his brother and then left to get a different weapon for each of them. Since both brothers had been training together since they were young, they knew how to fight together as a team. Meng Guo came back with a spear for each of them. The first weapon they had been trained to use, and the one they were most comfortable with, was the staff. The spear was merely a more dangerous version of a staff. Once he was back, Meng Guo handed one of the spears to his brother and then both Meng Ping and Meng Guo closed their eyes and concentrated their magical energy. They had a good amount of power compared to many people of the Li Clan, but it was nothing compared to Heero and Syaoran. However, they had learned a few spells that would increase their strength, stamina, speed, and fighting abilities and that was what they were using now.

Syaoran noticed Meng Ping and Meng Guo channeling their energy and could easily guess what type of magic they were using. "Yuy," said Syaoran. "I'm sure you can feel Meng Ping and Meng Guo channeling their magical energies. I wanted to warn you that they are using spells to increase their fighting capabilities."

"In what way?" Heero asked as he concentrated his own magical energies in an attempt to determine how powerful the two brothers were.

"They will probably increase their strength, speed, flexibility, and stamina. Be on guard."

Heero nodded to his cousin as he continued to watch as both Meng Ping and Meng Guo begin to have a faint red glow surrounding them. As soon as the two brothers opened their eyes again, they both charged in unison. Their first attack was a thrust which Heero and Syaoran managed to sidestep, followed immediately by a sweeping of the staff horizontal to the ground. Meng Ping and Meng Guo had made sure to thrust slightly towards the outside half of the bodies of both Syaoran and Heero, causing them to sidestep towards each other to dodge the blow. This meant that Syaoran and Heero were now both between the two sweeping staffs, not allowing them enough room to simply jump or step out of the way of the strikes. Without any other options available to them, both Heero and Syaoran blocked the incoming staffs with their swords. However, because of the increased strength of the two brothers, Syaoran and Heero were knocked backwards slightly until they bumped into each other and were standing back to back with the two staffs pushing at them from each side. The added power of the two brothers was too much for Heero and Syaoran to simply push away, so when Meng Ping and Meng Guo each came with a kick to the sides of Heero and Syaoran, there was no way for them to block the blows. Syaoran and Heero were each hit simultaneously on the side by the kicks from Meng Ping and Meng Guo, causing them to take a few steps backwards to keep their balance. With the extended reach of the spears, Meng Ping and Meng Guo again thrust at Heero and Syaoran. To make sure they didn't get caught in the same attack as last time, both Syaoran and Heero did two back flips to gain a little distance between themselves and the attacking brothers. Seeing their opponents backing up, Meng Ping and Meng Guo took two steps towards them and planted the heads of their spears in the ground and used them as leverage to do a flying sidekick at Heero and Syaoran. This attack move however, did have one weak point. The only force keeping the two attackers balanced was the spears that were wedged into the ground. Heero saw this and exploited it to its full extent. In a move that was even faster than Meng Ping and Meng Guo with their enhanced abilities, Heero did a sweeping kick that shattered the bases of both spears that were planted in the ground, causing the two brothers to loose their balance and form in their kicks. Syaoran took this opportunity and with all his might did a back flip, allowing each foot to solidly connect with one of the heads of his flying opponents. If it wasn't for their increased stamina, both Meng Ping and Meng Guo would have definitely been knocked unconscious by the attack from Syaoran, but since they had increased abilities, they were only stunned for a short period of time. It was long enough for Heero and Syaoran to regroup and decide how to proceed in the battle.

"This is a pointless fight," stated Heero to his cousin. "Even with enhanced abilities they stand no chance against us."

"You're right," agreed Syaoran. "Let's finish this quick."

"I have a plan that will definitely finish this fight quickly, and will make it clear that they are no match for us," said Heero as he pulled out two Clow Cards. "Plus I get to try the spell your mother has been teaching me." Syaoran looked at the two Clow Cards Heero had pulled out, remembered what spell his mother had taught Heero in the past few days, and quickly ascertained what Heero's plan was going to be. Syaoran nodded to Heero, indicating that he knew what Heero was thinking and that he was ready for Heero to proceed.

"Grant both myself and Li the power of flight," chanted Heero as he threw one of the Clow Cards into the air. "Wing!" As Heero struck the Wing Card with his sword, it released a bright light and a pair of glowing white wings appeared on both Heero and Syaoran. With their new ability, both Syaoran and Heero took to the air and settled in a hover about thirty feet above where Meng Ping and Meng Guo were standing. "Replicate!" shouted Heero as he released his second Clow Card. The Replicate Card released from its confines and proceeded to make two copies of each Heero and Syaoran. Now, hovering in the air, were a total of six fighter; three Heeros and three Syaorans.

"It's time to end this," said all three Syaorans in unison.

"God of Wind, Come Forth!" chanted both Heero and Syaoran together. Yelan had taught Heero how to call on the element of wind a few days ago as the beginning of his training as a member of her family. Heero had not had much chance to try out the new ability to much, so he hoped he could keep pace with Syaoran so he wouldn't embarrass himself. A gust of wind sprang out from all three Heeros and all three Syaorans and came together to create a large tornado of wind energy that spiraled downwards directly on top of Meng Ping and Meng Guo. The two brothers never had a chance to get out of the way of the spiraling wind force, leaving them only the option of trying to redirect the attacks with elemental attacks of their own. Both Meng Ping and Meng Guo let loose their own wind attacks, but because of their much lower power levels, their attacks were effortlessly brushed aside and the two brothers were hit straight on by the squall created by Heero and Syaoran. The initial blow did not cause either of them to loose consciousness, but the tornado was sucking all the oxygen out of the area, and the two brothers found themselves unable to breathe. Syaoran and Heero both knew the brothers couldn't breathe and were just waiting for them to motion that they concede before stopping their wind attack. This came moments later, when Meng Ping and Meng Guo decided there was no way out of the wind attack, so their only choices were to either concede or wait to black out from lack of air. After looking at each other, both brothers raised one hand in defeat, and then fell to the ground gasping for air when Heero and Syaoran stopped their wind attack. Both Syaoran and Heero flew down to the ground in front of the Elders and Heero recalled the Wing and Replicate Cards and both Heero and Syaoran returned their swords to their pendant forms and replaced them around their necks. Afterwards they both bowed to the Elders and turned and bowed respectfully to their opponents. Without a word, both Heero and Syaoran walked over to their friends and family and were greeted by tight hugs from Sakura and Ami. Both girls were overwhelmingly relieved that the fight was finished, and ecstatic that their boyfriends had won.

The gang spent of the rest of their time in Hong Kong the way it was meant to be spent; on vacation. Meilin was forced to tell Syaoran about herself and Wu-Fei when Syaoran accidentally walked in on the two of them kissing in the practice dojo. Syaoran was happy for his cousin, but didn't understand why Meilin didn't just tell him about herself and Wu-Fei earlier, but Meilin didn't have any problems with not explaining herself to Syaoran, and instead just left him to wonder. They all made trips into the city of Hong Kong to do shopping and sightseeing, which was much enjoyed by everybody. Heero had to do a little bit of training and talking with Yelan and the Elders, but most of the time they allowed him to do what he pleased, which was usually spend time with Sakura. Heero had also learned that Dong Zhou was spending a lot of time in isolation as he tried to get over the humiliation and disgrace he received from the battle between Heero and Syaoran and his two sons. There were no other challenges or disturbances at the Estate for the remainder of the vacation, causing time to fly by since everyone was having so much fun. Before they knew it, Heero, Sakura, Syaoran, Ami, Tomoyo, Ranma, Eriol, Ukyo, Duo, and Minako were all saying goodbye to Meilin, Wu-Fei, and Yelan at the gate to their private jet that was to take them back to Tokyo.

"It was an honor meeting you," said Ami to Yelan with a bow.

"As was meeting you, child," answered Yelan sweetly as she cupped Ami's chin with her hand and placed a gently kiss on the girl's cheek. "Make sure and take good care of my son."

Ami could only blush and nod to the kind woman as Syaoran said goodbye to his mother before gently taking Ami into his arms from behind.

"It was great seeing you again, Li-sama," said Sakura to Yelan from her place in Heero's arms.

"It's always a pleasure to see you, Ying Fa," answered Yelan. "You are welcome back anytime." Yelan then tilted her head up to look at Heero. "As are you, Xiao Long. You are a member of the Clan now. Don't ever forget that."

"Never, Li-sama," answered Heero. "And I thank you for informing me about my past. I am forever grateful and will make sure to uphold the traditions of the Li Clan."

"You have grown into a good man, my nephew. Your parents would be proud."

The gang all finished up their goodbyes, with all the girls joining in a big group hug with Meilin as they sadly parted again. "I'll come visit you guys in Tokyo sometime!" shouted Meilin as everyone was walking through the gateway to the plane.

"We'll be looking forward to it!" came Sakura's voice as they all turned the corner and were out of sight. Meilin, Wu-Fei, and Yelan watched as the plane took off on its journey back to Tokyo, and Yelan silently prayed that they would all be able to handle the problems that she had foreseen being sent their way. In her meditations, she had seen many paths all converging at the same point. A number of those paths had been paths of evil, and she knew that her son and nephew, and all their friends were going to be in for the fight of a lifetime.

~~~~~Somewhere in the Spiritual Realm~~~~~

"Do we have an agreement?"

"If you release me, I will make sure to finish off those in question."

"Very well then." Had it been possible for anyone to physically be present in the spiritual realm, they would have seen the red and orange energy chains binding a lone figure start to glow momentarily before shattering into nothingness.

"Free at last!" shouted the newly freed figure. He bellowed a mighty roar before unfolding a large pair of jet black wings from around his muscular dark brown body. Momentarily closing a pair of eyes which burned with the flames of hatred in dark red pupils, the giant figure called forth his own magical powers and summoned his weapon of choice; a massive double sided hammer with a long, sharp spike attached on the end. "Li Xiao Lang, Li Xiao Long. Prepare to meet the wrath of Charon." A devious and malicious smile crossed the blood stained lips of the mighty demon as he called forth more power to transport himself back to the physical plane in order to destroy his newly acquired enemies.