Music of Choice: Galadriel's Mirror - David Arkenstone, To Live - Arashi no Yoru Ni OST

A/N: First Xiaolin Showdown fanfic, so I hugely apologize for any tiny bit of Mary Sueness or OOCness.

Prologue

Flowers of every color and shape surround the small child. She knows of this place, it had been acclaimed to her for many a time now. Eyes the color of blue crystals, light brown strand of hair fell past her small shoulders. A white sundress hung loosely on her two year-old frame, chubby legs laying in the gentle grass. Her fingers reached out and haphazardly pulled at the flowers, not yet knowing that flowers were fragile things.

"_," she heard someone call to her. The young child looked towards the sound of the voice. She could recognize her own name, yet she could not tell you, for she was still small and had not yet learned to read or write her own name yet.

"Ma," she said, smiling brightly as only a young child could, so full of innocence and pure, not yet tainted by the evils of the world.

When her mother looked at her, it was a look in the woman's eyes that gave a child a sense of unease. As though there had been something to change her mother in a way she couldn't describe, being the small child she was. Only when she was older, would she be able to give that unease a name.

Fear.

Chase wandered his lands silently, brooding. A dark sensation, yet so pure in and out of itself, had pulled him away from his lair. Kyza, one of his warriors, stalked along side him in her tigress form, head low to the earth beneath her.

The dark warlord could see the way the sky crackled in and out of itself, moving to whatever unknown force that beckoned him closer. It felt like a power or energy, so thick and raw in its unpolished state, seeped itself in and out of the cracks in the earth like serpants.

"I'm sure it is nothing to be concerned over," he spoke, golden eyes looking towards the tigress. Her nose sauntered to the air, sniffing. He could see the hair on her back standing on end as she curled her lips up past ivory white teeth, sharp as knives. The jungle cat emitted a low hiss, threatening whatever had crossed her.

Placing a hand on the cat, the man began to look around for whatever had disturbed the atmosphere. The beast within him writhed and curled, reacting to the power.

A small child's sobbing came to his ears. Immediately, Kyza's ears perked up at attention, focusing on the small sound. Bounding forward, the tigress took off only to leave her master to follow her. Furrowing his brow, the warlord silently followed the large cat.

Standing in front of a large crack in the cliff, Kyza was giving off small chuffing noises, trying to coax what seemed like a child out of the crack. Chase peeked past the tigress to take a look at the child.

A little girl, looking no more than two, sat far back in the crevice. Light brown hair ran in a ratted mess, streams of tears lining her face. What had once appeared to be a white sundress was coated in blood, both fresh and dried.

"Well, what is this?" he spoke, smirking slightly to himself. The small child's head snapped up at the sound of his voice. "Seems as though someone had wandered a bit far from where she was meant to be." Chase could feel the source of the power eminating from her, a power both dark and malicious, yet so heavenly and pure.

"Come here, little one," he coaxed. Crystal blue eyes simply stared at him, eyes full of a fearful curiousity. Whatever she had undured, he couldn't imagine.

Kyza purred, batting a paw out to the small child carefully. She turned her attention to the jungle cat, seeing the fear in her eyes die down slowly.

"Kitty," she spoke, reaching her tiny hand out to it. The tigress slowly moved backwards, keeping her fur just out of the child's reach, luring her out of her hiding hole. It wasn't long until Kyza had the child all the way out of the hole. The tigress lay on the ground, lowering herself to the child's level.

"Kitty," the little girl spoke, letting her small hand pet the jungle cat's head. Kyza let her muzzle gently nudge into the girl's face, as though trying to dry her tears. "Kitty."

While the child had been occupied with his warrior, Chase took his time to observe her. She was still so young, so small, and yet she could produce a power that seemed to rival even his own. Bit by bit, her power had diminished until it was merely nothing.

'She could be of some use in the future,' he noted. If she really was as strong as she was seeming to be, then...

"Little one, where is your mother?" he asked. The small girl merely looked at him, as though she had no idea of what he was speaking of. "Where is your mother?" he asked. "Your father?" Again, the child, simply looked at him, a deep curiousity in her eyes.

Once again, the blood splatters on her clothing drew his eyes. He could only wonder if that was what became of her parents.

"Mama," she uttered quietly, leaning on the female tiger. Kyza merely purred contentedly, letting the small child sit in between her front paws. Her eyes seemed so tired and exhausted.

Chase sighed. He wouldn't take care of a child, he neither had the time nor the desire to do so. Carefully, he wrapped his hands around the girl, relieving the tigress of her. He situated her in his arms so that she was looking at him. "I have the place that you can stay."

The small child looked at him silently. Wrapping her arms around his neck, he felt her still in his arms as she drifted off into a peaceful sleep.

Please review. I am seriously sorry for any and all errors or serious MarySueness or OOCness in this. Please let me know if it is worth continuing, but please no flamers.