Okey dokey everybody. What we have here is a Jackie Chan fic (I'm being Queen of the Obvious today), but it is also my first JCA fanfic. Yay me. Basically this is the prologue, mainly to introduce the story. I think this is a pretty original idea. It basically takes place in the second season, after all the demons have been released. If something's out of order or anything, don't hesitate to tell me. I've seen a lot of episodes, but not all of them. And with that little monologue out of the way (^^;), please enjoy the story!
The small town burned quickly, fiercely, savagely. Huge pillars of fire leapt into the sky, licking at the very foundations of heaven. A wall came crashing down in front of her, the fire streaming out like macabre banners. Yang moaned and dropped to the ground, arms feebly covering her head. The heat of the fire filled her consciousness; it spread all around her, licking at her ceremonial robes like savage beasts. At the very edges of her awareness she heard the foreign army at the walls, their thousands of voices shouting victoriously. Somewhere near her a baby screamed, and out of it all she heard something logical, something that made sense.
"Yang! Quickly, where are you?" A voice cried. Yang raised her head, desperate to get to the voice, but the flames enclosed her tighter, dancing and jumping, almost as if they were mocking her. A lump filled her throat, and a dry sob escaped her lips. She could never get out of here; she would never ever escape. Tears began to blur her eyes, and she grasped the earth with her hands, clutching it until her knuckles turned white. A house collapsed near her, enshrouded in flames. It missed her by mere inches, but it opened up a previously hidden route. Yang gulped and stood up, her knees shaking. She would make it; she wouldn't die here, not now. Tentatively she took one step, then another.
An eerie, blood-curling scream rent the air and Yang stopped mid-step. Everything became suddenly silent; it was almost as if the world had become silent. In her mind's eye she could see Shendu, the demon who had murdered their town. Shendu, the one who had enslaved them all. Her heart leapt with the thought that the dragon demon would be vanquished. She was drawn back to reality by another unearthly scream. Then the dragon spoke, and Yang was riveted by words that almost seemed to echo in her mind.
"Lo Pei," it hissed. "This cannot be. You cannot possibly match the strength of the talismans I have created, and yet you come to vanquish me in my own palace." An audible, eerie whine filled the air, and then the mind voice returned. "But now I see what I have done. The talismans by themselves are not enough; they are not enough without the power of-" A single gasp filled the air, and it seemed almost as if the earth opened up beneath the town. With a shuddering moan a wall of fire leapt from the bare earth to engulf the palace, and the demon Shendu cried in rage. Yang turned her eyes fearfully toward the palace in time to see a wall of green fire rushing at her. It hit her so hard the breath was knocked out of her, then engulfed her, embraced her. It caressed her, and a shock ran across every nerve in her body....
Anne gasped and sat up. Her chest was heaving as if she had just run a marathon and cold sweat covered her entire body. She struggled to sit up, but her sheets were entwined tightly around her body. For a moment she struggled to recognize her surroundings, her memory still burning with the images of the doomed town. She forced herself to close her eyes and breathe deeply. Presently she became aware of her own surroundings, of her bed, her paintings, the sound of her cousin typing in the next room. She collapsed back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. A car's headlights swept across the ceiling, and a moment later came the soft purr of its engine. Gradually, Anne began to regain her composure. She sighed and stood up, ignoring the feel of the cold wood floor against her feet.
These nightmares really bothered her. For several months she had been having them regularly, and it was always the same thing. They had started when she had been in the hospital with pneumonia, and had continued since then. Originally she had chalked them up to feverish hallucinations, but they kept coming back. She had no idea what was going on in the dreams. The name Yang was totally unfamiliar to her, and yet she answered to it in her dreams. Anne shook her head and headed for the kitchen. Usually dreams didn't bother her this much, but this one was so vivid. It also seemed vaguely familiar to her, almost like déjà vu.
She didn't turn on the light in the kitchen, but instead relied on the light in the fridge. For a moment she rummaged in the overstocked fridge, carefully avoiding some three week old God-knew-what, and emerged with a carton of milk. There was only a small bit of milk left in the bottom so she drank it straight out of the carton. From the other room came the tapping of a keyboard, and Anne curiously headed in there.
Lys bent over her keyboard, trying to get the report done. It was three in the Goddamn morning and she was stuck on transference of energy. She swore silently, berating herself for not starting it sooner. The computer screen glowed at her, and Lys could have almost sworn that it was mocking her. She was so absorbed in her work that she jumped nearly three feet in the air when Anne touched her shoulder. That was, Anne noted wryly, a new record.
Lys spun around, eyes wide, panting. Anne could almost swear that she could see the girl's heart beating, and she suppressed a smile. Recognition dawned on her and Lys began to breathe slower. A moment or two later she raised her hand to her forehead and sighed.
"Christ, Anne, why do you always do that? Waitaminute, what are you doing up so late...erm, early? And are you drinking out of the carton? You won't let me do it! That's no fair."
Anne smiled and took a last swig from the carton, tossing it neatly in a wastebasket. "My, you're up early. I was just having some trouble sleeping, and I noticed you so diligently working, so I thought I'd see what you were up to." A bit of sarcasm dripped its way into her voice, but Lys ignored it. She turned back to the computer and started typing. For a moment Anne allowed the familiar, almost melodic clicking carry her away. Just as Lys was reaching the part about gravitational energy, however, she sighed. Lys glanced up irritably.
"Lys, do you ever have...nightmares?" Images from her dream flashed before her eyes and she looked down at Lys. Their eyes met, and for one moment it was as if Anne could see Lys's thoughts. Abruptly Lys turned away and resumed her typing.
"No," she muttered, but Anne could tell by her tone of voice that she was lying. "Well, not since that one time my brother talked me into watching "The Blob" with him, but that must've been, what, ten years ago?" Lys shuddered at the memory. "I get so little sleep that I have no time to dream, nightmares or no." For a moment the apartment was silent, and then Lys resumed her typing. Anne shook herself away from the computer and moved toward the kitchen, where she splashed her face with water before heading to bed. She did not sleep anymore that night, though; the images were still too fresh in her mind. She was also weighted down with the feeling that something, something big was boiling just over the horizon.
Under the same sky, by the same bay, another being was awake. It used its host body to relentlessly pace across the floor of the abandoned fish warehouse they called home. It hated fish, it hated the warehouse, but most of all, it hated the human it had to share its body with.
"This operation was another failure, Valmont. You are lucky I cannot move from this wretched body, or...." Shendu hissed, letting the threat hang in the air. For a moment the body shook, and the glowing red eyes reverted to their more-or-less normal gray. Valmont massaged his forehead above the bridge of his nose and sighed miserably.
"Neither of us is happy about the situation, Shendu, and complaining about it will not make things any better. And it now appears that we are stuck with each other, as the saying goes, until the twelfth of never. Unless you have any bright ideas?" Valmont muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Shendu hissed, and Valmont's eyes glowed bright red. "All of my ideas, unfortunately, have to do with killing you, something that is obviously out of the question as it stands now!" With a small snort Shendu spat a stream of fire into the ground. "This is something I will relish, if I ever get the chance. Which, as it turns out, I probably won't, since you once again wrecked my chances of leaving this wretched body! You are no better than the drones you hired." Shendu finished contemptuously.
With a grimace Valmont returned. "Now, there's no need to be so vile about it, chap. Certainly we have not run out of options yet. And I do not understand how you can blame it on me when it was all the fault of that Chan fellow..."
Shendu hissed, and Valmont's eyes grew red. "Chhhaaaan...and accursed name. Every day he walks the streets is a curse to me. We would not have this problem had you exterminated him when you had the chance!"
Valmont sighed and rubbed his forehead again. He could feel a migraine coming on, and that wouldn't add anything to his day. "Look, we've been through all this before. Now why don't we call this a night. We can all go to bed, and it'll look that much better in the morning. That's what...."
Valmont stopped dead. He could feel Shendu stiffen inside of him. It always gave him a fright when the demon did that. His instincts told him to creep away now, while the demon was distracted, but that just wasn't possible. You can't creep from a spirit. Instead he stood still, listening, trying to get a glimpse of what Shendu was staring at so intently. As quickly as it had begun the connection was over, and Shendu hissed thoughtfully. He had felt the power of the talismans again, but that was odd. They were unimportant to him now. Unless....Shendu started. Of course it was, it must be. The vessels. He could sense their power, at least two of them. Possibly more. Victory once again seemed within his grasp.
"Valmont, I may have a way for you to redeem yourself after all." The demon muttered. "Find me the sheep, that I may free myself."
Valmont sighed, shaking his head. "Shendu," he said irritably, "the talismans are in Section 13. They are guarded by Chan and his men. My men refuse to go near that hideous man."
"No, you fool!" The dragon demon snapped. "Have you not been listening? The talismans are worthless! I am speaking of the power of the talismans."
Valmont rubbed his head and sighed. "Fine. Wonderful. Smashing. Now, how do you propose we get the power without the talismans?"
Shendu's eyes glowed red. "Listen to me closely, Valmont, and I will try to be sure to put it into words that even you can understand."
Valmont made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a growl, but Shendu ignored it.
"The talismans are of my own creation and were meant to harness the power of the animals of the zodiac. The powers are not complete as they are, and it has been a puzzlement to me why that is so. It has since become apparent to me that these powers are now in the hands of" Shendu paused significantly, "others, who do not realize what has been granted of them."
Shendu receded and Valmont puzzled this over for a moment before replying, "That's just peachy, Shendu, but what do you suggest we do about it?"
Shendu flared back to life, his eyes glowing red. "We find these mortals, you fool! Call your worthless enforcers and instruct them to hunt down these...people," the demon spat.
Down the hall, Ratso started out of his sleep. He looked around nervously, then called to another slumbering form.
"Hey, you guys, you hear something?" He asked nervously. From across the room came a muttered "Shaddap, why dontcha?" and from another direction a show flew his way. He quickly ducked under the covers and grasped his teddy bear tightly.
"Don't worry, Teddy," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Fin
Love it? Hate it? Asleep? You can send any questions or comments you have to ichiban_Cheshire_cat@yahoo.com. And any reviews you might have would be greatly appreciated ^_^ v.
The small town burned quickly, fiercely, savagely. Huge pillars of fire leapt into the sky, licking at the very foundations of heaven. A wall came crashing down in front of her, the fire streaming out like macabre banners. Yang moaned and dropped to the ground, arms feebly covering her head. The heat of the fire filled her consciousness; it spread all around her, licking at her ceremonial robes like savage beasts. At the very edges of her awareness she heard the foreign army at the walls, their thousands of voices shouting victoriously. Somewhere near her a baby screamed, and out of it all she heard something logical, something that made sense.
"Yang! Quickly, where are you?" A voice cried. Yang raised her head, desperate to get to the voice, but the flames enclosed her tighter, dancing and jumping, almost as if they were mocking her. A lump filled her throat, and a dry sob escaped her lips. She could never get out of here; she would never ever escape. Tears began to blur her eyes, and she grasped the earth with her hands, clutching it until her knuckles turned white. A house collapsed near her, enshrouded in flames. It missed her by mere inches, but it opened up a previously hidden route. Yang gulped and stood up, her knees shaking. She would make it; she wouldn't die here, not now. Tentatively she took one step, then another.
An eerie, blood-curling scream rent the air and Yang stopped mid-step. Everything became suddenly silent; it was almost as if the world had become silent. In her mind's eye she could see Shendu, the demon who had murdered their town. Shendu, the one who had enslaved them all. Her heart leapt with the thought that the dragon demon would be vanquished. She was drawn back to reality by another unearthly scream. Then the dragon spoke, and Yang was riveted by words that almost seemed to echo in her mind.
"Lo Pei," it hissed. "This cannot be. You cannot possibly match the strength of the talismans I have created, and yet you come to vanquish me in my own palace." An audible, eerie whine filled the air, and then the mind voice returned. "But now I see what I have done. The talismans by themselves are not enough; they are not enough without the power of-" A single gasp filled the air, and it seemed almost as if the earth opened up beneath the town. With a shuddering moan a wall of fire leapt from the bare earth to engulf the palace, and the demon Shendu cried in rage. Yang turned her eyes fearfully toward the palace in time to see a wall of green fire rushing at her. It hit her so hard the breath was knocked out of her, then engulfed her, embraced her. It caressed her, and a shock ran across every nerve in her body....
Anne gasped and sat up. Her chest was heaving as if she had just run a marathon and cold sweat covered her entire body. She struggled to sit up, but her sheets were entwined tightly around her body. For a moment she struggled to recognize her surroundings, her memory still burning with the images of the doomed town. She forced herself to close her eyes and breathe deeply. Presently she became aware of her own surroundings, of her bed, her paintings, the sound of her cousin typing in the next room. She collapsed back on her bed, staring at the ceiling. A car's headlights swept across the ceiling, and a moment later came the soft purr of its engine. Gradually, Anne began to regain her composure. She sighed and stood up, ignoring the feel of the cold wood floor against her feet.
These nightmares really bothered her. For several months she had been having them regularly, and it was always the same thing. They had started when she had been in the hospital with pneumonia, and had continued since then. Originally she had chalked them up to feverish hallucinations, but they kept coming back. She had no idea what was going on in the dreams. The name Yang was totally unfamiliar to her, and yet she answered to it in her dreams. Anne shook her head and headed for the kitchen. Usually dreams didn't bother her this much, but this one was so vivid. It also seemed vaguely familiar to her, almost like déjà vu.
She didn't turn on the light in the kitchen, but instead relied on the light in the fridge. For a moment she rummaged in the overstocked fridge, carefully avoiding some three week old God-knew-what, and emerged with a carton of milk. There was only a small bit of milk left in the bottom so she drank it straight out of the carton. From the other room came the tapping of a keyboard, and Anne curiously headed in there.
Lys bent over her keyboard, trying to get the report done. It was three in the Goddamn morning and she was stuck on transference of energy. She swore silently, berating herself for not starting it sooner. The computer screen glowed at her, and Lys could have almost sworn that it was mocking her. She was so absorbed in her work that she jumped nearly three feet in the air when Anne touched her shoulder. That was, Anne noted wryly, a new record.
Lys spun around, eyes wide, panting. Anne could almost swear that she could see the girl's heart beating, and she suppressed a smile. Recognition dawned on her and Lys began to breathe slower. A moment or two later she raised her hand to her forehead and sighed.
"Christ, Anne, why do you always do that? Waitaminute, what are you doing up so late...erm, early? And are you drinking out of the carton? You won't let me do it! That's no fair."
Anne smiled and took a last swig from the carton, tossing it neatly in a wastebasket. "My, you're up early. I was just having some trouble sleeping, and I noticed you so diligently working, so I thought I'd see what you were up to." A bit of sarcasm dripped its way into her voice, but Lys ignored it. She turned back to the computer and started typing. For a moment Anne allowed the familiar, almost melodic clicking carry her away. Just as Lys was reaching the part about gravitational energy, however, she sighed. Lys glanced up irritably.
"Lys, do you ever have...nightmares?" Images from her dream flashed before her eyes and she looked down at Lys. Their eyes met, and for one moment it was as if Anne could see Lys's thoughts. Abruptly Lys turned away and resumed her typing.
"No," she muttered, but Anne could tell by her tone of voice that she was lying. "Well, not since that one time my brother talked me into watching "The Blob" with him, but that must've been, what, ten years ago?" Lys shuddered at the memory. "I get so little sleep that I have no time to dream, nightmares or no." For a moment the apartment was silent, and then Lys resumed her typing. Anne shook herself away from the computer and moved toward the kitchen, where she splashed her face with water before heading to bed. She did not sleep anymore that night, though; the images were still too fresh in her mind. She was also weighted down with the feeling that something, something big was boiling just over the horizon.
Under the same sky, by the same bay, another being was awake. It used its host body to relentlessly pace across the floor of the abandoned fish warehouse they called home. It hated fish, it hated the warehouse, but most of all, it hated the human it had to share its body with.
"This operation was another failure, Valmont. You are lucky I cannot move from this wretched body, or...." Shendu hissed, letting the threat hang in the air. For a moment the body shook, and the glowing red eyes reverted to their more-or-less normal gray. Valmont massaged his forehead above the bridge of his nose and sighed miserably.
"Neither of us is happy about the situation, Shendu, and complaining about it will not make things any better. And it now appears that we are stuck with each other, as the saying goes, until the twelfth of never. Unless you have any bright ideas?" Valmont muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
Shendu hissed, and Valmont's eyes glowed bright red. "All of my ideas, unfortunately, have to do with killing you, something that is obviously out of the question as it stands now!" With a small snort Shendu spat a stream of fire into the ground. "This is something I will relish, if I ever get the chance. Which, as it turns out, I probably won't, since you once again wrecked my chances of leaving this wretched body! You are no better than the drones you hired." Shendu finished contemptuously.
With a grimace Valmont returned. "Now, there's no need to be so vile about it, chap. Certainly we have not run out of options yet. And I do not understand how you can blame it on me when it was all the fault of that Chan fellow..."
Shendu hissed, and Valmont's eyes grew red. "Chhhaaaan...and accursed name. Every day he walks the streets is a curse to me. We would not have this problem had you exterminated him when you had the chance!"
Valmont sighed and rubbed his forehead again. He could feel a migraine coming on, and that wouldn't add anything to his day. "Look, we've been through all this before. Now why don't we call this a night. We can all go to bed, and it'll look that much better in the morning. That's what...."
Valmont stopped dead. He could feel Shendu stiffen inside of him. It always gave him a fright when the demon did that. His instincts told him to creep away now, while the demon was distracted, but that just wasn't possible. You can't creep from a spirit. Instead he stood still, listening, trying to get a glimpse of what Shendu was staring at so intently. As quickly as it had begun the connection was over, and Shendu hissed thoughtfully. He had felt the power of the talismans again, but that was odd. They were unimportant to him now. Unless....Shendu started. Of course it was, it must be. The vessels. He could sense their power, at least two of them. Possibly more. Victory once again seemed within his grasp.
"Valmont, I may have a way for you to redeem yourself after all." The demon muttered. "Find me the sheep, that I may free myself."
Valmont sighed, shaking his head. "Shendu," he said irritably, "the talismans are in Section 13. They are guarded by Chan and his men. My men refuse to go near that hideous man."
"No, you fool!" The dragon demon snapped. "Have you not been listening? The talismans are worthless! I am speaking of the power of the talismans."
Valmont rubbed his head and sighed. "Fine. Wonderful. Smashing. Now, how do you propose we get the power without the talismans?"
Shendu's eyes glowed red. "Listen to me closely, Valmont, and I will try to be sure to put it into words that even you can understand."
Valmont made a sound that sounded suspiciously like a growl, but Shendu ignored it.
"The talismans are of my own creation and were meant to harness the power of the animals of the zodiac. The powers are not complete as they are, and it has been a puzzlement to me why that is so. It has since become apparent to me that these powers are now in the hands of" Shendu paused significantly, "others, who do not realize what has been granted of them."
Shendu receded and Valmont puzzled this over for a moment before replying, "That's just peachy, Shendu, but what do you suggest we do about it?"
Shendu flared back to life, his eyes glowing red. "We find these mortals, you fool! Call your worthless enforcers and instruct them to hunt down these...people," the demon spat.
Down the hall, Ratso started out of his sleep. He looked around nervously, then called to another slumbering form.
"Hey, you guys, you hear something?" He asked nervously. From across the room came a muttered "Shaddap, why dontcha?" and from another direction a show flew his way. He quickly ducked under the covers and grasped his teddy bear tightly.
"Don't worry, Teddy," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Fin
Love it? Hate it? Asleep? You can send any questions or comments you have to ichiban_Cheshire_cat@yahoo.com. And any reviews you might have would be greatly appreciated ^_^ v.