storypaint | Sword (Syaoran gen)

Comm: 5_changes
Words: 752
Title: Sword
Author: rhap_chan
Fandom: Cardcaptor Sakura
Claim: What if Sakura had given up the Clow Cards; that is, what if Syaoran became the officical Cardcaptor?
Theme Set: D
Theme: 2. Simple things
Rating and Warnings: PG for bloodiness
Summary and Notes: When Syaoran captures the Sword Card, he learns how dangerous those cards could be.

It's the small, simple things that we remember, and those we regret. We replay the large events over and over in our mind, trying to see what could change, but we never notice the tiny instance that caused the big reaction.

Sasaki bought a broach. It was a small thing, a piece of jewelry, nothing. But it was that broach that made me wet my sword with her blood.

It was, I'm sure, a normal shopping day for those girls. The ex-Cardcaptor was trying to ignore my obvious superiority in the matter of the Clow Cards and invited Sasaki to shop with her, or so I gathered from the weepy girl.

I went out to get some things for dinner, a few fresh vegetables. Any other day or any other time, it was nothing. But Clow's books record his wisdom in saying that there is no chance, only hitsuzen, and he was right. I had gone out for vegetables, a simple thing, and found myself in the middle of a fight.

"You can't hurt her!" Kinomoto said even as I defended her from her sword-wielding classmate. That girl had way too much compassion for her own good. This card was not playing around. It had attacked Kinomoto because it still sensed the Clow Cards with her, but when it killed her it would then go after me. It was in my best interests to end the fight here.

I pushed Kinomoto away and began to spar with the Sword Card. That had to be what it was; Sasaki didn't take Kill by Sword in One Week classes and then decide to test them out on a random victim. She was much too skilled for that to be even remotely plausible. She was even giving me the run-around.

We had been fighting hotly for two or three minutes before Kinomoto decided to mention the brooch. I could see it glowing with the familiar Clow magic, now that she had mentioned it, but it was hard to concentrate on between strikes. I had to get that thing away from her before one of her strikes hit home. It might have been a fencing sword, but I would bleed all the same.

I slipped and tried to dodge two strikes in quick succession, but the second struck my shoulder and I could feel the blade biting into my skin, hungering for it. Clow had been a demented man, to create this dangerous cards that he professed to love.

The blood began to flow and Kinomoto gasped. Coolly I assessed the wound, continuing to parry her strokes. She'd struck me hard in a muscled area, and I wouldn't be able to go on for too much longer before my arm would be useless to the fight. I had to finish this quick.

When I saw the opening I took it quickly and drove my sword through the girl's shoulder. I'd never actually drawn anyone's blood before and I was frightened to see it spill out of her body. More proof that these Clow Cards were too dangerous for that girl. Kinomoto was hyperventilating.

But Sasaki didn't stop moving when I speared her and her struggles were making her bleed worse. My injury was starting to take its toll on me, so I quickly leaned forward and plucked the brooch from Sasaki's collar. When I threw it to the ground, the girl went limp and I was able to capture the card without any more trouble, unless you count the embarassment of having to use that stupid girly wand.

I could hear someone coming down the road, probably due to Kinomoto's commotion, and when I caught a glimpse of Yukito's gray hair I ran off in the other direction. I didn't want him to see me like this, with blood all over my school uniform. He might have gotten the wrong idea.

A few days later Sasaki returned to school, heavily bandaged. There was nerve damage, and her hand would probably never work correctly again, but I refused to feel guilt for something I hadn't intended to do. It was the fault of the Clow Card, which of course she didn't remember. Kinomoto gave me heavy glares and gave her a new pin, which thankfully was not bewitched.

I rested my hand on my own well-hidden injury and thought that the Clow Cards were a lot more dangerous than I had suspected. They hid in the simplest, most unsuspecting objects.

I couldn't let my guard down again.