So I re-read this yesterday and really did not like the first few chapters, I was only like thirteen when I wrote it or something though so I am now going to try and re-write it but keep the original storyline and improve it. Sorry I took so long with this, hopefully you can all bear to read it again and it's slightly more enjoyable. Thanks for the past reviews they really spurred me onto see the potential left in this story.
Sitting on one of the many cardboard boxes scattered around the Helm's Fish Cannery Shendu took in the silence. It must have been almost dawn, a shred of light began to glimmer through a dirtied, half-boarded up window. As the sun continued to break through Shendu thought of what the day was to bring. It was the day that the final demon would be released, the day he would once again have his freedom. He was in two minds about the situation, of course he was thrilled at the chance to break free of his buffoon of a vessel but at the same time was not particularly pleased at the thought of travelling to Rome to welcome his elder sister, not that he got on with any of his siblings but there was just something about Bai Tsa that he loathed above all, call it elemental differences if you will.
Deciding it best to just get it over and done with he picked himself up from the box and launched it into the corner where the enforcers lay sleeping sprawled on the floor.
Awaking with a fright Finn, who had received the box to the head, flailed and kicked Ratso in the face causing him to fall onto Chow who panicked and attacked Hak Foo who then yelled out a fighting threat and readied himself to destroy his weaker opponents.
The whole scenario was rather amusing to watch unfold but despite their comic value Shendu looked forward to ridding himself of the imbeciles and to do so required them to stop fooling around and prepare to travel to Rome.
Noticing the red eyes glaring at them, Shendu did not even have to tell them what to do as the enforcers began to fumble about and get ready for what they hoped was the end of their demon portal hunt.
Rome – 9pm
Eventually after hours of travelling they arrived at their destination. On his command the enforcers let go of the Pan Ku box which in turn, tore through the sky releasing the large siren-like demonic figure.
"Join us sister, dearest!" the younger sibling cried as he triumphantly opened his arms in welcome. The act itself was humiliating but Shendu figured if it sweetened his sister up then the chances of his freedom would be increased.
At first the smell of liberty had been exhilarating, stretching her arms out she took in the feel of the Earth once more. 'At last liberation and now time for some lavation which will require moisture climes than this'. The thought of the earth submerged in water brought a vicious smile to her face however unfortunately her idiot of a brother once again ruined things and just the sight of him brought her mood right back down.
"Ah,ah,ah, now that I have opened the last portal Bai Tsa, it is time to liberate me from my prison of flesh," the white-haired mortal hissed as Shendu tried to bargain with her.
Ah it was almost over. Soon I'll have my own body back, be free of this failure of a vessel and be free to carry out my revenge on my number one enemies, the Chans.
Bai Tsa had to stop herself from laughing, he genuinely believed she would free him. He was even more of an idiot than she recalled. 'You dare request your freedom?' The outburst took him by surprised and he showed his true colours, stuttering and shivering he once again tried to worm his way into my good books.
"Have I not earned it? As promised I have released all our brothers and sisters," the dragon replied cautiously.
Looking around Bai Tsa glimpsed for a sign of her other siblings, of course to no avail.
'How curious then that six demon sorcerers remain trapped in the void! I should obliterate you on their behalf!
Grabbing Shendu by the collar she prepared to unleash a vicious water-based attack on her weaker brother.
Cursing himself to have even believed for a second that Bai Tsa would so easily give him his freedom he hissed angrily in reply, 'I held my part of the bargain, you cannot blame me for the meddling of Jackie Chan…'
As if on cue the archaeologist came flying onto the scene on a motorised vehicle, his chi wizard Uncle by his side.
'…Speaking of whom', he sighed. Once again they would ruin things, not that hr was bothered if Bai Tsa was banished it was safe to say I wasn't ecstatic about her return but she was the only one who at this point could free him. A painful thud to the ground brought him out of his self-pity as he realised Bai Tsa's focus had now been directed to the Chinese mortals.
That was it, they were the famous Chans. The man was stuck in his motor, the other fumbling about pathetically. Surely my family were not that rusty to have been banished so easily by such incompetents. Still, from the stories they had told – perhaps some of which were exaggerated for greater effect- she knew that they were capable of defeating her so decided not to take too much chances.
"I shall not repeat the mistakes of the others!" she yelled, sending a water blast hurling towards them.
Noting the battle that was to commence from his ground level view, Shendu groaned in frustration, he could feel his counterpart trying to take control. For once he didn't even put up a fight, Valmont could keep his body for all he cared. He needed time to think of how to get himself out of this mess seeing as Bai Tsa had decided not to assist.
Noticing they were in Rome the English man gleamed, eagerly awaiting the good news from his employees. Their faces were blank but Valmont reassured himself that was just their usual look.
" Is it over? Am I free of Shendu?"
It went silent, the enforcers looked nervously at one another until Finn eventually broke the news,
" The mermaid said no deal big V".
Helm's Fish Cannery, San Franciso
The enforcers watched as their demonic boss, now back in control, paced backwards and forwards, a combination of potions and ingredients in his hands, seething as he combined various items, a hideous stench overpowering the already strong scent of fish.
'Maybe we should leave', Chow suggested, not looking forward to being the brunt of the dragon's anger should his spells prove inadequate.
'Yeah best to leave Shendude to it', Finn agreed.
'Pizza?' Ratso smiled.
Scraping together the odds and ends of cash they had left the three agreed that pizza would be an excellent end to another eventful day.
He had noted them leaving and hoped that they would not return, he had no need for them anyway and though they were not the most hated of the humans he knew he most certainly did not like them. The more competent of the fools was out training so Shendu was left alone to conduct his own plans. If he could just find the right spell then he could achieve his old glorious form without the assistance of his brethren. So far, he had only worked out how to obtain a similar physical form through combining growth and scale potions he was yet to work out how to rid himself of Valmont. Oh well, for now he would have to bear the fool, at least he could gain some pleasure from the mortal's reaction to their new appearance when he awoke.
So engrossed in his work, Shendu did not notice the formation of his sister appearing from a pool of water.
'Shendu!' she screeched causing the potion he was currently holding to slide from his grasp and shatter onto the floor.
In dismay he tried to gather up the remnants of the potion from the floor, perhaps there was a chance he could savour enough for the spell to remain intact.
However a far greater smash alerted him to the fact that there was no hope of redeeming his scheme. With a swish of her tail Bai Tsa had sent the rest of his potions scattering onto the floor alongside the previous shattered vial.
With panic, Shendu desperately tried to catch some of the fallen spells in an empty vial, some of these items were one of a kind, he had to find a way to restore them.
'What in the netherworld are you doing Shendu?' the water demon hissed, 'there is no way you can return to your old form without my help. Give it up and give me that vial, we have greater things to discuss', she continued, snatching the vial from his hands.
'No, never!' Shendu growled grabbing the vial back and beginning a struggle between the two as the collaboration of potions swung to and fro from the demons.
Unfortunately, momentarily forgetting their strength, the vial proved unable to cope with the demonic game of tug of war and was sent flying into the air only to crash down to the floor in between the two siblings, covering them in the contents of the spell.
A flash of white engulfed them, blinding their vision. Valmont pulled himself up from the floor, he wasn't sure what Shendu had been doing since returning back to San Franciso but was confused to see a young figure beside him, the boy must have been in his early 20s, he had emerald green eyes and golden messy hair, normal enough in his opinion had he not been wearing a Grecian dress. Perhaps it was an old friend of the dragon's, after all he too did enjoy wearing female attire as he grimaced looking down at the ugly sorcerer 'robe' that Shendu insisted they wore.
The man had not yet functioned beside him and still lay groaning on the floor. Valmont did not really want to have a conversation with Shendu's buddy and so walked over to the grand mirror to get Shendu to play the role of the host for he had no intention of demon-sitting or whatever the feminine man was, there were so many magical things that Valmont unfortunately knew of these days.
'Shendu I'll thank you not to let me take control on your reunions I'll have no…' Valmont began to complain into the reflection but on realising that only his face could be seen he stepped back in shock. Shendu's face did not appear before his own in the mirror. He was …gone.
'He's gone!' the Englishman yelled loudly, awaking the younger man from his trance. No longer the least bit interested in him Valmont ripped off the robe revealing his classic green suit underneath. Skipping about like a madman he began to sing away loudly and exited the cannery to tell the world his great news.
Lifting himself up from the floor, the other figure watched as the green-suited man pranced out of the building. 'Valmont?' he murmured. How could that be? He was only seconds before within that body. Realisation hit him, if Valmont was there then that must mean he had his own body, the spell worked!
'I'm free!' he exclaimed happily, almost showing the same maniacal excitement as his ex-roommate.
He could feel he was in a human form but was confident he could bring his old, scalier self-back now that he did not have Valmont to concern himself over. Prancing over to the mirror he wondered just what he was dealing with.
On reflection, he got far more than what he bargained for.
His eyes widened on seeing his sister's face in the mirror, the face covering that of his own reflection. From being within Valmont for months Shendu realised that this could only be a bad thing.
'Bai Tsa?' he asked in fear, uncertain of what to expect.
'What's going on? Why I am in human form? And why I am I so hideous? I look like a man!' Bai Tsa screeched through the mirror.
Shendu growled, 'this is my body, my human form, where are you? Please tell me you're stuck in the mirror?' he asked hopefully.
'Of course not! I'm…' Bai Tsa began angrily but drifted off as the two slowly processed what had happened.
"The potions must have mixed, creating some irregular, confusing and very different spell from what I had in mind," whispered Shendu.
"So you think that when it smashed and the liquid poured on to us that this happened?" Bai Tsa asked curiously.
"Yes, I believe so," replied Shendu in horror.
Both stared at each other in the mirror, "The potion touched both of us…" Shendu began,
"Causing us to merge together into … into" Bai Tsa interrupted,
"this!" they both yelled simultaneously.
If Shendu thought sharing Valmont's body was difficult he is in for a shock Will update chapter 2 very, very soon and tweak bits and bobs of the other ones. Should hopefully be able to make it further than chapter 11 with this story now. I'm still not to sure what tense to use to get this right so if you have any suggestions that would be great. Hope you liked it