Hello again…after more than a year long hiatus I feel that I am ready once more to continue writing. It's been a tough year, but I'm dreadfully sorry for leaving everyone hanging. The truth is I have had this chapter started for the longest time, I just haven't gotten a chance to upload…but semester finals are coming and I need a little break from all that. I hope this is well worth the wait.
A Girl in Boys Armor
A fanfiction by Mars-Child
Chapter Title: Arukas VS. Nakoto
Chapter 6
It had been about three and a half weeks since Sakura had started to train with Tomoyo using hand to hand combat. At first it was very difficult because Sakura was so used to fighting using a wooden sword. Tomoyo however was a very patient teacher. As Sakura was walking through the courtyard she spotted her constant torturer Nakoto. She decided she had to get away before he could see her. Unfortunately as she was making her escape, Nakoto looked at where she was standing. His eyes lit up with the thought of causing her more pain.
"Hey, you. Little boy come over here." Nakoto yelled stopping, and intending for Sakura to walk over to him.
"I'm not a little boy, you ass. If you want me so bad than you can come over here." Sakura yelled back at him, preparing herself for what was going to come next.
"Why you…" Nakoto looked at her savagely and started to walk over to her.
At that precise moment Eriol and Aliano wandered in.
"Nakoto you wouldn't be planning on hurting Arukas in any way? Would you?" Aliano said raising his eyebrows.
They both went and stood in front of Sakura.
"Its sad little boy, that you need the prince's lackeys to protect you." Nakoto spat glaring at the trio.
"I wouldn't be talking that way, if I were you, you pig. We may be lackeys but we are still higher ranked than you." Eriol grinned, his glasses flashing.
"It's alright Eriol. His right I should start fighting my own battles. How about it Nakoto, you and me. No Eriol, no Aliano, no Syaoran. You in or are you afraid of a little boy like myself." Sakura stood as tall as she could, glaring at him the whole time.
"Afraid of you? I'm about as afraid of you as a mouse is afraid of cheese. Name the time and the place."
"Fine a month from today, same place, same time." Sakura looked at him defiantly.
"I hope you're prepared to get the beating of a lifetime." Nakoto had turned to walk away. "Oh and one more thing, little boy, when I win you have to leave and never come back."
Sakura didn't really want to leave, even if she lost, but she could not give Nakoto the satisfaction of knowing that. "You got it."
Eriol looked at the tiny Arukas, I hope he knows what he is doing, he thought.
"ALRIGHT! You go Arukas you tell that foolish pig-head exactly what's up." Hiroshi exclaimed walking up behind the trio.
"Thanks a lot, Hiroshi. I'm late though, see you guys later." Sakura turned and headed out the east entrance toward her next lesson.
"But do you really think that he can win? He is so much smaller than Nakoto." Aliano asked.
"Hell yea, I think he can win. You can definitely tell that he is hiding something. What it is yet, well we will just have to find out, won't we?" Hiroshi was confidant that Arukas could beat Nakoto.
Later that day
"Tomoyo, I challenged him and he accepted. Do you think I will be ready in time?" Arukas asked during a brief break.
"I wouldn't be teaching you if I though you didn't have a chance. He may have you beat in height and strength but you're much faster and smarter than Nakoto. Plus you have your friends who will step in, if he tries anything tricky."
"No way. It is specifically my fight, there is no way that I will let any of them step in to help." Sakura glared at Tomoyo for even having that thought.
"Calm down, I realize it's your fight, but you may not have a choice in the matter. If Nakoto really wants to kill you then, I highly doubt your friends will let that happen."
"But it's my fight. Can't you teach me anything that will defend against trickery?" Sakura insisted. It was her fight. She would do everything she could to win it!
"Well I can only teach you the basics, because we have very little time left." Tomoyo looked skeptical.
"It doesn't matter, anything will be helpful against him." Sakura really was determined.
"Okay now let's get started, only a month left you know, and I bet you don't want to be the one to leave the castle." Tomoyo stood up and flexed her arm.
"I don't remember telling you that."
"You forget who I am. Now stand up."
Two weeks later
"Arukas, wait up!"
Sakura turned around quickly, and stopped waiting for Syaoran.
"Arukas are you ready for the fight with Nakoto? Because you realize he will be trying hard to beat you also."
"Yea I know that. I've been doing some extra training though so I think that I have a fair enough chance."
"Okay then. I'm on my way to princely duties so wish me luck."
"Good luck." Sakura smiled, she really did like living here at the castle, training, and the boys she was meeting. She was really looking forward to fighting Nakoto because that would truly prove that this was what she was meant to do. That it was her and not Sohma that was supposed to be here.
The day of the Fight
It approached the time, when Nakoto and Arukas would fight and of course everyone knew about it thanks to Hiroshi.
Sakura was walking to breakfast, not really planning on eating because she was so nervous. When she got to the dining hall everyone was there already, and looking at her. She didn't see Nakoto, which was a good thing, because that wouldn't help her nerves at all. She saw her friends sitting at one of the tables and went over to them and sat down. Eriol passed her something to eat, but she just looked at it and passed it back.
"Nuh uh, you are eating that, no choice about it." Eriol passed it back to her, his glasses flashing.
"I'm really not that hungry."
"You need to eat. So do it please, or else Eriol will force you too and no one wants to see that." Aliano looked at Sakura and smiled.
"So Arukas today's the day huh? You are so going to kick his butt, cuz you know otherwise you'll have to leave the castle and all." Hiroshi came over and slung his arm around Sakura.
"Thank you for the reminder Hiroshi." Sakura gulped.
"Diplomatic as ever, huh Hiroshi." Syaoran looked at him and laughed.
"What, I have a lot of faith in Arukas, if anyone can beat that fool then it's him."
"Okay Arukas it's almost time, are you ready?"
"Yes, I am"
"Okay let's go."
Sakura got up and behind her walked her walked Eriol, Hiroshi, Aliano, and Syaoran. She was extremely nervous, but she hoped that with Tomoyo's teachings she would be able to beat Nakoto once and for all and send him away from the castle. They reached the courtyard and Nakoto was already there.
"I see you didn't chicken out, stupid little boy." Nakoto was already taunting her.
"It's a pain that you didn't either Nakoto, I really don't want to embarrass you." Sakura walked forward, showing confidence even though she felt none.
"You dare make fun of me. I'm so going to enjoy this." Nakoto also walked forward.
They met in the middle and Syaoran as monarch went to them. "Alright you two, this a clean fight. No tricks or cheating in anyway. Are you both ready?" Sakura clenched her jaw and nodded. Nakoto nodded once. "Alright then, BEGIN!"
Sakura took a step back as Nakoto swung at her. He came again and she dodged once more. She sidestepped him and aimed a punch right at his ribcage, but he blocked her.
"Come on little boy." Nakoto goaded her.
Sakura just glared at him. He kicked at her, but she ducked and came up with a quick uppercut, finally landing the first strike.
"You think that hurt, you wimp?" Nakoto wiped the spit that came from his mouth.
He came at her again, she was aware of her friends and a crowd forming, but she was deaf to what they were saying. He kicked and punched but every time Sakura would move out of the way. He was quickly tiring himself out and Sakura saw her chance. She started moving in a flurry of quick punches and low kicks, hoping to somehow get him to fall.
"GO ARUKAS!" She finally heard Hiroshi yell her name.
She looked at him and grinned, but didn't see Nakoto. He rushed at her and finally landed a blow to her face. She fell to the ground cursing herself for not paying attention. She stood up and wiped her bleeding nose, vowing that would be the last time he would ever touch her again. She ran at him, jumped and kicked him in the head. Nakoto fell to the ground and she stood over him and was ready to finish it when a dagger appeared in his left hand. She was waiting for the trickery, but didn't move fast enough. The dagger cut her shallowly on the thigh. She back peddled and ran forward again and knocked him out with a hard punch to the jaw.
"Arukas is the winner." Her friends ran to her, picked her up and set her on there shoulders.
"I will see to it that Nakoto packs his bags and leaves immediately. Once he wakes up." Syaoran grinned at her.
"Thanks Syaoran." Sakura grinned happily at her friends. Finally, she thought, I think I truly deserve to be here.
"Let me look at you leg Arukas, make sure it doesn't get infected or anything." The group set Sakura down and Eriol looked at the shallow cut. "Alright, it doesn't look that bad, I'll bandage it up and everything will be good."
The Duke walked over to Sakura and looked at her. "Arukas you know that fighting like this is against the laws. You will not be able to go to town for two months." He sounded strict, but when Sakura looked at him he winked. He leaned forward and said, "Nicely done. Its about time."
"Thank you sir." Sakura said and bowed.
So that was the big fight scene, there will be a lot more, but since this was my very first once I'm a little proud of it. I hope you all enjoy.
Eimi-chan