Card Captor Sakura Fan Fiction ❯ Syaoran's Quest ❯ The Switch ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Disclaimer: All characters belong to CLAMP/Nelvana.

<...> are thoughts.

Note: My first CC fic with Tenchi & DBZ references. I have no idea what the girls would like as far as movies go, but I just used my imagination. The Life Card is purely original.

Summary: Sakura attempts to restore Syaoran to his old body, and Meiling finally learns the whole truth about Akira.

Syaoran's Quest 3: The Switch


Sakura was still in a state of disbelief. She'd invited Li Meiling, of all people, to a sleepover at her house. Even more surprising, Meiling had actually accepted and shown up early. Then came the really strange part: they'd actually been having fun! Never in her wildest dreams had Sakura thought any of it possible.

But there was Meiling, sitting on her bed and staring at her expectantly. Sakura wasn't exactly sure why, though...until she realized that she was probably doing the same thing herself. "So what should we do now?"

Meiling shrugged. "Your room, your rules."

"Well, how about a movie?"

"Fine with me. I'll go get some popcorn."

Sakura was then faced with the decision of which movie to watch. She wanted to pick something Meiling wouldn't fall asleep with, but something that didn't make her look like a total wimp. She finally decided on the new Tenchi Muyo movie that she hadn't seen yet.

Meiling returned a few minutes later with a huge bowl of popcorn. "I tried to tell your father we didn't need this much, but he insisted."

Sakura grinned. "Probably just trying to make a good impression on you. Don't worry, Kero-chan will eat the rest...if he ever wakes up, anyway."

"I still don't see how the Guardian Beast can sleep all day."

"Just be glad you don't have to watch him eat." Sakura put the tape in the VCR.

"What'd you decide on?"

"Tenchi Forever."

Meiling made a face. "Why?!"

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you have any DBZ?"

"What's that?" Sakura asked with a puzzled expression.

"You've never heard of Dragonball Z?!" Meiling asked in shock.

"Oh, you mean that show Touya always watches. He's got some movies in his room. I still don't see what's wrong with Tenchi."

"Well, nothing. But DBZ is the best! Besides, you might learn something about fighting."

"What's THAT supposed to mean?"

Meiling smirked. "C'mon, Kinomoto. You may have the magic, but I've got the moves."

"I can fight!" Sakura protested.

"Oh, really? Then let's go, right now."

Sakura turned red. "Okay, so you're better than me."

"And you'd be better, if you watched some DBZ."

"Fine! But you have to convince Touya to let us borrow it."

Meiling smiled. "No problem." She scrambled out of the room, and returned two minutes later with ten videos. "I would've gotten the rest, but he was watching some of them."

Sakura gave her a blank look. "What'd you say to him?"

"I just told him that I was showing you the finer points of defending yourself."

"And he believed you?"

"Not really. But when I knocked him down, he said to take as many as I wanted."

Sakura was barely able to keep from laughing. "You beat up Touya?"

"No, I just softened him up," Meiling replied. "Besides, he's kinda cute when he's all disoriented like that." She picked up the video on top. "Since you're a rookie, I'll start you off with 'The Dead Zone'."

"That doesn't sound like they do much fighting..."

Meiling rolled her eyes. "Just watch and learn, Kinomoto."

* * * * *

Syaoran was beginning to doubt the wisdom of giving The Guard to Tomoyo. It was still in the experimental stage, and he hadn't been able to test it. After all, the only other person he could trust was Sakura, but since she was already a CardCaptor, there was no real way to test The Guard on her. It had to be a normal human.

He'd considered Meiling for a moment, but eventually decided against it. She was happy now, and there was no need to drag her back into something she never belonged in, anyway.

Aside from that, Tomoyo actually seemed to enjoy being a CardCaptor. Now that she'd been using The Guard for a while, she was starting to retain some memory of her adventures. That was good, because Syaoran still had no idea where she'd hidden his old body, and neither did she. Of course, as soon as she did remember, she would tell him.

That was how one Friday night, Syaoran had found himself inside an abandoned warehouse, staring at the remains of his old body.

"I'm sorry it took so long," Tomoyo said. Now that she was used to The Guard, she could retain more of her own personality, instead of the silent sentry attitude that had come with the Card.

"It shouldn't matter," Syaoran said. "I was dead when he took the body. He can be dead when I take it back. I hope."

"Does that mean he'll stay dead when you take it back?"

"We can only hope, Tomoyo." Syaoran poked the body with his toe. "Well, now all we need is The Change."

"Sakura has it," Tomoyo pointed out.

"I know. I'll go and-"

"She's with Meiling."

Syaoran paused and frowned. "What? Why?"

"Believe it or not, they've actually become...friends."

"Really? You're serious?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Sorry I didn't think to tell you earlier. Sakura said they were having a sleepover at her house. I would've gone, too, but I suddenly remembered that your old body was here." She noticed the look on his face. "Anyway, if you don't want to, I'll go."

"Yes. It would be less confusing that way. I guess." Syaoran shrugged helplessly. "I guess I'll watch the body."

Tomoyo smiled and patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, Syaoran. Pretty soon, everything will go back to normal. You'll see."

Syaoran sighed after she was gone. "Yeah. Normal. And I'll go back to having to choose between Sakura and Meiling. I can't wait."

* * * * *

Sakura woke up in the middle of 'The Garlic Jr. Saga.' She glanced over at Meiling, who had fallen asleep clutching a Gohan doll. Resisting the urge to fall asleep again, she turned off the VCR and TV before going back to bed. She'd only been there a few seconds when there was a quiet tapping at the window.

"Sakura!" a familiar voice hissed.

"Tomoyo?" Sakura crept over to the window. "What's up?"

"There's no time to explain. I need the Change Card."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Syaoran?"

Tomoyo nodded. "Just give me the Card, and-" She frowned when Sakura started pulling on a jacket over her pajamas. "What are you doing?"

"Going with you," Sakura replied. "I don't care what Syaoran told you, I'm going. I've waited too long for this."

"But what about Meiling?"

Sakura glanced at her friend. "She's still asleep. The sooner we leave, the sooner I get back."

"Fine. But if Syaoran asks, you made me do it."

"Of course." Sakura paused. "Since there's no trees outside my window, how are you standing there like that?"

Tomoyo grinned. "Flying's cool."

"Show-off."

"Hurry, Sakura! Syaoran's not sure how long we have to do this."

"Okay, okay!" Sakura closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them, she could feel the extra weight of wings on her back.

Tomoyo just watched in awe. "I'll never get used to that."

As the two CardCaptors flew away from the window, they failed to notice that one of Meiling's eyes was open and focused only on them.

* * * * *

Syaoran appeared to be asleep when Sakura & Tomoyo found him. Only he was hovering three feet in the air and was radiating with a soft blue light.

"Uh...Syaoran?" Sakura asked quietly.

His eyes shot open, and the glow faded. "Sakura? What are you doing here?"

Tomoyo mouthed the words, "I tried," and shrugged helplessly.

Sakura's gaze landed on the body. "Is it...?"

"Probably. Not that it should matter." Syaoran stepped down to the floor.

"What were you doing just then?" Tomoyo asked.

"Putting the finishing touches on a new Card. But that's not important right now."

Sakura pulled out The Change. "So how do we do this?"

"I have to be touching the body. I guess that's it."

"What if it doesn't work?" Tomoyo whispered.

"It will," Sakura replied confidently. "Ready, Syaoran?"

Syaoran pressed his hands to the body's chest. "Ready."

Sakura took a deep breath and raised the wand. "Change Card, release and dispel!"

* * * * *

Kero woke up when he heard a noise. He carefully peered out of the drawer that was his bed and gasped. Li Meiling, of all people, was standing in the middle of Sakura's room. Even worse, she was wearing her battle costume. And Sakura was nowhere to be found.

"HEY!" he shouted, flying around her in a circle. "What do you think you're doing in here, little girl?!"

Meiling stared at Kero for a moment, and then grabbed him. "Where did Sakura go?" she asked.

"I wouldn't tell you if I did know!"

Meiling squeezed harder. "Tell me. NOW!"

"OW! UNHAND ME!"

"No. Tell me first."

"I said I don't know!" Kero shouted.

"Maybe you don't. But you're the Guardian Beast. You know how to find her, don't you?"

Kero didn't say anything.

"That's what I thought. So take me to her before I rip out your stuffing."

* * * * *

"Why didn't it work?" Tomoyo asked after a few minutes of tense silence.

"I don't know," Sakura said, staring at The Change.

"Maybe it has to be exactly the same as last time," Syaoran suggested. "Remember? You had to gather energy first."

"But I was trying to revive you then, not Change you."

"Well, the body IS dead. Maybe it needs energy to make the transfer." Syaoran shrugged. "That's the only thing I can think of."

"Well, where did you get the energy last time?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura blinked. "I'd rather not do that again. It was too risky."

"But it has to come from somewhere."

Syaoran's eyes widened. "I've got it! Tomoyo, was it hard for you to defeat my old body?"

"Not really. If it had just stopped running, I could've beat it right away. Why?"

"Because I've been chasing it for months in this superhuman body. You took it down in two days. The Guard must be incredibly powerful. Stronger than I intended, anyway." Syaoran tapped his chin thoughtfully. "If it's that strong, we should only need a portion of The Guard's energy for the transfer."

"Me being a CardCaptor isn't that important, Syaoran," Tomoyo said. "If it'll help you get your body back, take it all." She handed over The Guard. Instantly, she was back in her normal clothes.

"Are you sure?" Sakura asked.

Tomoyo nodded. "It was fun while it lasted."

Syaoran slowly accepted The Guard. "Thank you, Tomoyo. I don't know what to say."

She smiled. "Just say you think it'll work this time."

* * * * *

"You'd better not be stalling, Kero."

Kero glared at her. "It's just harder to sense Sakura when someone's squeezing you!"

"Then adjust," Meiling replied. "Because I'm not letting go until we find her. The faster you do that, the faster this is over."

* * * * *

"Okay. Anymore ideas?" Sakura asked, a frown on her face.

"I guess we still need more power," Tomoyo muttered. "But where do we get it from?"

Strangely enough, Syaoran wasn't as upset as he should've been. "I've got another idea. It has to work. It HAS to."

"What?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran reached into his cloak and pulled out a Card. "Sakura, what was it like when you broke the Seal on the Book of Clow?"

Sakura stared at him. "Uh...strange and scary. Why?"

"Because we're going to recreate that scene...with some major differences."

"You're kidding, right?" Tomoyo asked.

Syaoran shook his head. "No."

"What Card is that, then?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran swallowed noisily. "I call it...The Life."

"What does it do?"

He only shook his head. "Words wouldn't do it justice. Just get your strongest Cards ready."

* * * * *

"Do you even know where you're going? It's almost been an hour."

Kero closed his eyes. "Look, kid. You're squeezing me to death and nagging me. NOT a good combo. So either let go or shut up if you want to find Sakura!"

Meiling suddenly spotted a blue column of light in the distance. "I think I just found them."

Kero nodded, his eyes wide. "I agree."

* * * * *

"Is it supposed to glow like that?" Tomoyo asked, staring at The Life as it hovered in midair.

Syaoran nodded. "Take this." He handed her The Guard. "If this is going to work, you'll need to be a CardCaptor."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes." Syaoran lowered his voice. "Sakura is strong, but she's not this strong. She'll need your help."

Meanwhile, Sakura was busy placing her stronger Cards around the body in a circle. So far, she'd put down the Windy, Firey, Watery, and Shot Cards. She hesitated for a moment, and then completed the circle with Power. "You've never let me down in the past, Power. I'm counting on you." Sakura stood up. "I'm done!"

Syaoran smiled. "Good. Tomoyo, you'd better change now."

"Right." Tomoyo closed her eyes and activated The Guard. "Done!" she said a few seconds later.

"Okay. I'm going to start. First, I'll activate The Life. Once that's done, you two will ask the Cards for their power, then activate The Change." Syaoran took a deep breath. "One more thing. After we've started, we can't stop, no matter what. This will only work once, so we have to get it right."

Sakura nodded. "We're ready."

Syaoran stepped into the circle of Cards and raised his arms. "Life Card, hear and obey your maker. Grant your powers to these Clow Cards, and let their powers work in service to us."

The Life Card spun rapidly in place, then seemed to explode.

The five Clow Cards began to shudder, even as the ground shook. One by one, they all flew into the air, spinning around Syaoran and his old body at incredible speeds.

Sakura instantly knew the Life Card's power, but before she could say anything, she heard Tomoyo gasp beside her. As she'd guessed, the five Cards had been restored to their physical forms. Windy, Firey, Watery flew overhead, while Power and Shot kneeled on the floor.

Syaoran lowered his arms and pressed his hands on his old body's chest.

Sakura gripped her wand tightly. "Power, Shot, Windy, Firey, and Watery, grant your powers to this wand!" She expected the Cards to just start glowing and send out streams of light. Instead, they all gathered around her and placed their hands on the wand. Sakura began to sweat from Firey's heat, but Watery and Windy quickly lowered the temperature. Shot came up on the left, while Power took the right. She gripped the wand with one hand, then wrapped her arm around Sakura's shoulders, giving her a reassuring smile.

Tomoyo raised The Change in her left hand. "Change Card, release and dispel!" She brought her ax down just as Sakura's wand struck the Card. The Change flew out of its prison and raced around the room.

Sakura was about to continue when she heard the door sliding open.

Syaoran sensed her hesitation. "Don't stop, Sakura! Finish it!"

Sakura closed her eyes. "Change Card, undo what has been done to Syaoran!"

The Change took a sharp turn and collided with Syaoran's chest. The impact threw him against the wall, and he crashed to the floor. The Change reappeared and returned to its Card.

Sakura dropped to her knees, panting for air. She glanced up to see Meiling standing at the door, looking shocked. Kero was hovering over her right shoulder, looking equally shocked.

Tomoyo took a deep breath. "Did it work?"

Syaoran's old body took on a white glow. When it faded, all of his bat features were gone. His brown hair was slightly longer, and he was an inch taller, but other than that, he was restored.

Meiling's eyes widened. "SYAORAN?!" she cried.

Syaoran slowly sat up and blinked. "Uh oh." Before he could say anything else, there was a grunt behind him.

Akira slowly rose from the floor, looking dazed, but otherwise fine.

"AKIRA?!" Meiling shrieked.

Tomoyo and Sakura looked at each other. "YOU tell her!" they both said at once.

* * * * *

Tomoyo hung up the phone. "My mother says I can stay here tonight." She sat down beside Sakura on the bed. "Any questions?"

"YES!" Meiling said.

Syaoran sighed. "Meiling, we've been through this three times."

"And it makes less sense each time!"

"I think she's still in shock," Akira suggested.

"You're one to talk," Sakura said. "We weren't exactly expecting you to still be here."

Akira shrugged. "It would appear that until Clow Reed calls me back, I'm here to stay."

"An added bonus," Meiling muttered, still looking confused. "But I get the feeling I was left out again."

Syaoran was about to give her the "You're NOT a CardCaptor" speech, but Sakura placed a hand over his. "Meiling, we're sorry we weren't honest with you, but we didn't think you'd believe us if we said that Syaoran was trapped in his ancestor's body. And you were upset enough about him as it was. We didn't want to ruin your happiness with Akira."

"So it was really you in there, Syaoran?" Meiling asked.

"Yes. I wanted to tell you, but..."

"...you couldn't destroy her fantasy," Akira finished.

"There's one thing I still don't get," Meiling said. "Who were all those weird people with you guys?"

"What people?" Tomoyo asked.

"They were floating and stuff! I saw them!"

"We don't know what you're talking about," Syaoran said, doing his best not to smile.

"Come on, guys! I know you saw them!"

"I think you're still in shock," Akira added. "Maybe you should lie down, dear."

"STOP THAT! I'M NOT CRAZY!" Meiling screamed.

There was a knock on the door.

Syaoran and Akira dove under the bed. Sakura ran to the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Touya. Open the door, squirt."

Sakura opened the door. "Hi, nii-chan! What's up?"

"Keep it down, will you? Some of us have to go to work tomorrow." He peered into the room. "Oh, hey, Tomoyo. Didn't know you were here." His eyes lingered on Meiling, but he didn't say anything else.

"Sorry! We'll keep it down, nii-chan," Sakura promised.

"Maybe," Meiling added, grinning at him.

Touya seemed to shudder. "One more thing. Tell your friends in the kitchen to clean up when they're done." He closed the door behind him.

Sakura returned to the bed, where she, Tomoyo, and Meiling traded looks. "Kitchen?!" They all tripped over each other and ran down the stairs.

Meiling reached the kitchen first. "I KNEW IT!" she shouted. "That's them! They're the people I saw!"

"I guess we forgot to put them away," Tomoyo said.

"Definitely," Sakura agreed.

Power was bent over the stove, cooking something in a large pot. Firey, of course, was providing the heat. Watery was floating nearby, in case her elemental opposite got too generous with the heat. Windy was busy blowing the black smoke from the pot out of the window, effectively keeping the kitchen aired out. Shot was preparing a bowl of popcorn as only she could.

"I guess we'll have to clean this up," Meiling muttered.

"At least we've got Watery to help," Tomoyo pointed out.

"The really bad thing is that none of them can speak," Sakura said.

"How's that bad?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura sighed. "Now we'll never know what's in that pot unless we taste it."

Continued in Part 4: Power In My Hands

When Sakura's friends leave unexpectedly, she gets happiness from a very surprising source.