Author's Note: Hello, there! So, a while back I was working on a book, an original story idea. Unfortunately, there was an incident in my life where I lost all motivation to write. I'm trying to get back to it now, but I have writer's block for my book and my writing skills have gotten rusty. I'm not entirely happy with the last fic I finished either because I feel that it wasn't as good as it could have been. This story is my new side project so that I can get back on my feet with my writing abilities.
I'd also like to thank The phantom's girl for reading over the chapter before hand and helping me with fixing mistakes.
Edit: I normally wait until the next chapter to answer reviews, but this one left me a little confused. To the guest reviewer Matt, I'm not entirely sure what you mean. Jasmine Heiwa is an original character I created. I listed her physical appearance and the reason why she was at Section 13 in this chapter. I also explained where she came from and that she was a half-demon. If your question is referring to what kind of demon she is, I've left plenty of hints in this chapter. The answer of what kind of demon she is will probably be answered in the next chapter. If none of these answered your question, then please let me know. Otherwise I really have no idea what you're talking about and I'd like to clear up any confusion.
Finn gulped, cautiously peering into the seemingly endless chasm below him. He had thought that once he gave up crime and joined Section 13 that he wouldn't need to go traipsing all over the globe again. Yet here he was in Tibet, dangling precariously from the cliff of a mountain, one hand hanging on for dear life.
He could feel his grip slipping. Carefully, he reached up with his other hand to try to grab onto the cliff's edge so he could pull himself to safety. An ominous crack rang in his ears, filling the Irishman with ice cold dread. He hastily grabbed at the edge with his free hand, but it was too late. The rock gave way and Finn felt himself fall.
Finn screamed for a good ten seconds before he realized that he wasn't plummeting to his death. He looked up, squinting as the rays from the setting sun hit his eyes, and smiled gratefully at the person who had caught his wrist and saved him.
It was a young woman with pale skin and narrow, magenta eyes. She had short lavender hair that reached her chin in the front, but was shorter in the back. She wore a black tank top with the image of a ribcage printed on it, black cargo pants with a black belt that had a skull shaped buckle, and black hiking boots.
"Thanks for the save, boss."
"It's just Jasmine, Finn." she gently reminded him, smiling warmly, her relief visible in her eyes.
"You got it, boss."
Jasmine playfully rolled her eyes. They had this conversation at least once a day and it always ended with Finn calling her boss anyway. She honestly wasn't sure why she bothered anymore.
"Please, be more careful. If anything were to happen to you I'd miss your," she paused, grunting softly as she pulled the redhead to safety, "witty commentary."
"So, no more bungee jumping without a rope. Got it." he joked, though his heart was still racing from his near death experience. Finn looked up at Jasmine as she got to her feet and opened the map they had been following. "What happened to Ratso, Chow, and Hak Foo?"
She glanced up from the map to point at the ridge above them. "When you fell, I told the others to follow the trail down. They should be here soon."
Finn rose to his feet, dusting the dirt off his suit. "Then how'd you get here so fast?"
"I jumped." She had said it so casually, as though she were merely commenting on the weather.
Finn gaped at her in disbelief. Gazing up at the ridge, he estimated that it was at least a twenty foot drop, if not more. "You jumped?"
Jasmine shrugged, somewhat embarrassed. She closely studied the map, avoiding Finn's gaze. "I was afraid that I wouldn't make it in time if I didn't."
Finn grinned. It was more than any of his old bosses would have done for him.
Jasmine had joined Section 13 about six months prior due to special circumstances and he, Hak Foo, Ratso, and Chow had been assigned to work under her. She was nothing like any of their old bosses. She was polite, kind, modest, and she treated them like friends rather than servants.
"Hey," Finn patted her on the shoulder, offering her a smile, "thanks."
She nodded, returning the smile, "You're welcome."
"Finn!"
It was at that moment that Ratso, Chow, and Hak Foo came running round the bend.
"You're alright!" Ratso panted out, concern etched on his face. He was hunched over, taking a moment to try to catch his breath.
"We thought you were a goner for sure!" Chow managed to get out, in no better shape than Ratso.
Hak Foo was the only one of the three who wasn't out of breath.
"Me too. If it wasn't for the boss, I would've been."
"You should have been more careful." Hak Foo callously remarked.
Finn bristled, stomping over to him with a glare. "Oh, yeah? And whose fault is it that we had to come back to Tibet for the stupid box anyway?"
"Valmont paid me a large sum to return the Pan-Ku Box to the temple. And I always do my job." The unspoken, "unlike you" was understood by all present.
Jasmine stepped between the two to prevent a fight from breaking out. "Both of you need to calm down. The temple is just up ahead. We're almost done and then we can go home. Sound good?"
The two men stood firm for several minutes, continuing to glare at each other. Neither of them wanted to be the first to back down. Finally, Finn broke eye contact. He scoffed and turned away, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Let's get this over with." he sighed, "Lead the way, boss."
Jasmine patted his shoulder, silently thanking him as she passed. They both knew that Hak Foo was too stubborn to back down first. She was glad that he chose to take the high road.
"This would have been easier if we had brought the talismans." Ratso commented as they followed behind Jasmine.
"Maybe." she said, "But it's safer for them to remain in the vault. Someone is after them and we have no idea who or why. It would have been dangerous to bring them out into the open."
"Okay, but why do we need the Pan-Ku Box?" Chow asked, "I thought that after that old geezer sealed all the portals it couldn't be used to open them again."
"Do you remember Captain Black telling you about the secret underground bunker my father discovered on our private property? The one where he discovered the Talismans of Shendu that I delivered to Section 13?"
"Yeah." Chow answered, "He's still investigating it, isn't he?"
"Yes, but about a week ago he came across what appeared to be an encrypted research journal."
Jasmine paused, coming to a halt at the entrance of the temple. She carefully folded up her map and tucked it into her pocket. She then pulled out a flashlight and flicked it on, motioning for the others to do the same, and ventured into the temple.
"Now, I've only been able to decipher a small portion of the book's contents, so I don't have all of the details yet, but whoever wrote it seems to want to open a rift to the Netherworld and release all of the demons trapped on the other side. Including Shendu and the other demon sorcerers."
Finn gasped, "Why?!"
Jasmine shook her head, frowning. "That part isn't entirely clear yet. At the moment, I can only guess that this person has a prejudice against humans. From what I've gathered so far, they seem to think that they'll be able to use the Pan-Ku Box to somehow open a door between the worlds."
Jasmine came to a stop when she spotted the Pan-Ku Box. It was sitting atop a pedestal in the center of the main chamber of the temple, right where Hak Foo had said he left it. Chow scoffed, folding his arms over his chest as Jasmine approached the box.
"I'm telling you, that thing is useless now." Chow insisted, "After Po Kong was banished, we tried to make the stupid box open the portal again and it wouldn't. Whoever wants it would be wasting their time."
"Even if that is the case, I'd still feel better if it was out of their reach."
"Uh, boss?" Finn spoke up, watching with concern as she reached for the Pan-Ku Box, "Do you want one of us to get that for you?" He remembered how the box burned Shendu any time he tried to touch it.
"No, thank you, Finn. I can get it."
Jasmine picked up the Pan-Ku Box and smiled, taking a moment to examine it. The metal was pleasantly cool in her hands and despite being centuries old, neither the color nor the markings were faded at all, as though the box had just been created yesterday. She could tell that it was brimming with ancient and powerful magic, so much so that it caused her skin to tingle.
"Great, we've got the box. Can we go now?" Finn asked. His eyes darted around the room uneasily, glancing at the various gold statues. For some reason, he had the feeling that they were being watched.
Jasmine was about to respond when she spotted movement out of the corner of her eye. Immediately on edge, she turned towards it and gasped. There, floating across the floor, was a small paper doll. It was white and about five inches tall with a round head, two rectangular arms, and a body that pointed downwards with no legs.
"Shikigami!" she cried.
The little doll gave a start, as though surprised that it had been discovered.
"What?" Ratso asked, puzzled.
"Where?" Chow and the others looked around to try to figure out what she was talking about.
"There!" Jasmine yelled, pointing, "The paper doll!"
The doll became frantic as all eyes turned to it and it scurried towards the gold guardian lion statue at the far side of the room. Jasmine was so stunned by the creature's presence that the thought of stopping it hadn't occurred to her before it was too late and the Shikigami latched onto the back of the statue.
For a moment, everything was dead quiet.
"Uh, boss..." Finn began, eyeing the Shi warily, "What was that?"
"Finn, Chow, Ratso, get away from the statue." she commanded, eyes fixated on the guardian lion as it blinked. Carefully, she tucked the Pan-Ku Box into one of the larger pockets on her cargo pants, buttoning it securely. "Hak Foo, get ready."
The Shi slowly turned its head towards Jasmine, glaring, a growl rumbling in its throat. Finn, Ratso, and Chow gasped in shock and quickly backpedaled to get away. Hak Foo stepped forward with a grin as he cracked his knuckles, excited by the idea of fighting a potentially strong opponent.
The beast stepped of its pedestal, ignoring Hak Foo and the others entirely in favor of Jasmine. She raised her fists and assumed a fighting stance, locking eyes with the creature.
Suddenly, the beast charged at her and leapt into the air, extending its claws to swipe at her face. With ease, Jasmine seized it by the paw with one hand and effortlessly threw it towards Hak Foo.
"Black tiger pummels gold lion!" he shouted, punching the creature in the face.
The beast whined as it was sent flying across the room, hitting one of the temples pillars with a metallic clang. Jasmine's eyes narrowed as she spotted the paper doll still clinging to the statue's back.
"Hak Foo, can you manage to pin it down? I need to get to the paper doll on it's back."
Hak Foo nodded and leapt into the air, "Angry crow takes flight!"
The Shi had only just recovered when Hak Foo's foot made contact with it's side, knocking it down once more. He then put the creature in a headlock. The beast thrashed about in an effort to get free, but Hak Foo's grip was too strong. Cautiously, Jasmine approached the beast, watching carefully in case it did manage to break free. Placing her palm over top of the paper doll, a blue flame emitted from her hand, engulfing the little shikigami in fire. Hak Foo released his hold as the doll turned to ash and the statue went limp.
Jasmine turned to Finn, Ratso, and Chow, her expression serious. "We should hurry back to Section 13 immediately. I'm beginning to believe that the box is not as useless as we thought."
They eagerly agreed.
The group of five quickly returned to the Section 13 jet they had used to travel to Tibet. Hak Foo went straight to the cockpit while the others took their seats.
Jasmine watched anxiously as the distance between the jet and the ground grew, her stomach tying itself up in knots. She didn't care much for flying. It wasn't that she was afraid of heights. It's just that once she was up in the air the thoughts of everything that could go wrong with the plane hit her at once and she couldn't help but imagine the worst case scenario.
Feeling the familiar tightness in her chest, she forced herself to look away from the window. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths. "It's fine. You're fine. Everything is fine. Just calm down." she thought to herself.
Vaguely, she heard movement. When she opened her eyes, Finn was sitting across from her, worry in his eyes. He was well aware of how she felt about flying.
"You okay there, boss? You feel like you're gonna be sick?"
Jasmine shook her head, forcing a smile despite her obvious discomfort. "I'm alright, Finn."
He seemed skeptical. Jasmine quickly changed the subject.
"Did you need something from me?" She figured that he must have come over for a reason.
Finn studied her a moment before he sighed and leaned back in his seat. "That... thing... What was it?"
Jasmine cocked her head to the side, puzzled, "Do you mean the shikigami? I thought I already-" She stopped abruptly, realization dawning on her, "Oh, that's right! I forgot that you three weren't with Hak Foo and I when we went to retrieve the journal. The three of you had gone to visit your nephews."
"Wait, retrieve?" he questioned, "Your old man didn't mail it to you?"
"Too dangerous. He knew that whoever was carrying the journal was likely to be attacked. Instead, he had sent his most trusted butler to travel halfway across the country with it. Hak Foo and I were to meet him at the halfway point and returne to Section 13 with the book. A couple of shikigami attacked us as soon as we met up, no doubt sent by the owner of the journal."
By this point, Ratso and Chow were listening to their conversation.
"So, uh, what exactly is a shikigami?" Ratso asked.
"A shikigami is a spirit summoned by an onmyouji, a sorcerer. They can be used to spy, retrieve, attack, and protect. Really, whatever their master wants."
Chow gulped, slightly frightened, "Sounds powerful."
"They are." Jasmine nodded in agreement, "And whoever summoned them now knows that we have the box."
"How?" Finn questioned, "You burned their little spy."
"Shikigami share a special link with their masters, which can cause the onmyouji to feel... sympathetic injuries." she explained grimly, "I guarantee that whoever summoned that shikigami felt the burn of my foxfire."
"AAAGGHHH!"
The scream of pain reverberated through the small dark secret lab.
"Damn that filthy, worthless hanyou!" the shadowy figure hissed, "Damn her to the fiery pits of Hell! It's not bad enough that her human-loving father found my research lab and took my notes and the talismans! No! Now his disgusting halfling of a daughter continues to get in my way at every turn!"
The figure slammed their fists angrily on a nearby work table, causing several beakers and vials to rattle. For a few moments, only the sound of heavy breathing was heard. Then, the figure straightened up and turned to their bookshelves.
"No matter." they stated calmly, "She only delays the inevitable. We demons have been hidden in shadow for so long while the humans are free to roam and do as they please. That will change. Soon, I will create a world where demons may roam free while the humans are forced to run and hide like rats! I will create a utopia for demons and there will be nothing that Jasmine Heiwa or anyone else will be able to do to stop me! I swear it!"
Stares. Everywhere she looked there were people staring, whispering behind their hands as they watched her pass. Just like always. Just like at home. She couldn't help but shrink back under their scrutiny, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the men walking beside her.
"Ignore them." Hak Foo advised her, referring to the Section 13 agents, "They merely fear that which they do not understand."
Jasmine stared down at the Pan-Ku Box in her hands as the group of five made their way to Captain Black's office. "I'm used to it." she said quietly, "I grew up with this kind of treatment."
"At least they're not throwing things at me..."
Despite being used to the treatment, Jasmine was still uncomfortable. She could practically feel the eyes of every agent on her, hear their harsh words of judgment. She could hear them say that she was a monster, that it was only a matter of time before she turned on them. She heard them say that she didn't belong there.
And maybe, just maybe, they were right. Maybe she didn't belong there. But, then again, she had never really belonged anywhere, had she? Not at home, not at Section 13. Nowhere. There was no safe haven for a creature such as her.
Jasmine's chest tightened and her breathing became labored, but she hid it the best she could. Her mind was racing. All she wanted to do was run. Run away from the prying eyes of others and hide in her room. With some effort, she resisted the urge to flee and instead focused on her breathing.
Finn, who had been watching Jasmine the whole time, had decided that enough was enough. With a growl, he turned to the other agents and barked out, "Don't you people have work to do?"
The agents had the decency to look ashamed. Quickly, they scurried about, getting back to their jobs.
"You didn't have to do that." she said softly, offering him a meek, but grateful smile, "But... thank you, Finn."
Finn shot her a grin, "No problem, boss."
By the time they had reached Captain Black's office, Jasmine had straightened up and her breathing had returned to normal. Knocking on the door, she waited for Captain Black to tell her to come in before venturing inside.
"Captain Black, we've successfully retrieved the-" She stopped short when she realized that Captain Black was nowhere in sight. Jasmine looked around in confusion, she was certain that she had heard his voice. "Captain Black?"
There was a thud, followed by a quiet, "ow". A moment later, Captain Black rose from underneath his desk, one hand rubbed his bald head.
"Um, sir? Why were you under your desk?"
The man sighed and sat in his chair, "I was concerned that we may be in over our heads, so I called an old friend to give you a hand."
There was a tightness in Jasmine's chest. "A stranger?" she thought, her stomach churning.
"I'm sure you're familiar with the name Jackie Chan?" he continued, oblivious to her reaction.
"Of course. His name was all over the reports you gave me concerning Shendu, Drago, and the other demon sorcerers." she replied.
"Given his history with magic, I figured that he'd be the best person to help you. But Jackie is responsible for his niece Jade, who's very... adventurous." He leaned back in his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache coming on. "She disappeared while I was briefing Jackie. She hasn't seen Section 13 since it's been rebuilt, so we think that she's exploring. Jackie's with Agent Smith right now trying to find her. I'll introduce you to Jackie and Jade in the morning."
"I... see." Jasmine averted her eyes to the floor. The thought of meeting this Jackie had her stomach in knots.
Captain Black looked up and finally realized what Jasmine was holding in her hands so easily. He stared, incredulous. "Is that... the Pan-Ku Box?"
"Yes, sir. We managed to retrieve it from the temple in Tibet. However... we did run into interference. There was another shikigami."
Captain Black laced his fingers together, his brow furrowed. "So it's as you said. Someone is after the box. But why?"
Jasmine shook her head regretfully, "I... do not know. With your permission, I'd like to retrieve the encrypted journal from the vault and study it and the Pan-Ku Box. Perhaps I can make some headway and discover who this person is and what they are planning."
"Of course. You have full access, as usual." Captain Black then turned to the men, "As for you four, you're to help me find Jade. Make sure she hasn't wandered into any highly restricted areas."
The men grumbled, tired from the long flight, but complied. Jasmine put the Pan-Ku Box back in her pocket and told the men goodbye before making her way to the vault.
As she stood in front of the vault door, Jasmine pulled out her keycard and punched the code into the keypad. The big heavy metal door silently swung open and a burst of cold air rushed passed her. Cautiously, Jasmine stepped inside.
Aside from the talismans and the encrypted journal, the vault held a couple of other magical objects that she frankly didn't want anything to do with.
Along one wall were four small circular reflective disks, each of which, she had been told, housed a malicious mirror spirit with the power to make the worst fears of oneself come true. Upon entering the vault, she could vaguely hear them begging to be released, making false promises to grant wishes. Jasmine simply ignored them. There was no way she would even consider doing something so utterly foolish.
Instead, she glanced at the wall where the mask of the infamous Tarakudo, king of all Shadowkhan, lord of all oni, hung silent and still. She had been told that not only was Tarakudo sealed in the magical mask, but also all nine of his generals and all nine different tribes of Shadowkhan.
Despite the mask being no danger unless worn, looking at it still caused an involuntary shudder to go down her spine. Having Japanese roots, she had been told stories of the oni by her parents. Particularly of Tarakudo himself and his desire to bathe the Earth in everlasting darkness. Even now as an adult, the stories caused her a bit of unease.
Shaking the thought from her head, Jasmine turned to the drawer on the wall that had a keypad on it. She entered the code and watched as the drawer slid open, revealing the journal she was looking for. The journal itself was a deceptively ordinary black leather bound book. As she grabbed it, the book briefly shimmered green, the magic around it dispersing. She had placed a protective seal on the book to ensure that no one stole it while she was away.
Shutting the drawer, Jasmine hurriedly left the vault and headed to her room.
Once inside her room, Jasmine closed her door behind her with a sigh of relief. The other agents were so preoccupied with finding the missing Jade that, for once, they payed her no mind as she passed them in the hall.
Making her way over to her desk, she set the encrypted journal down and promptly froze. There was something off. The book she had been using to decode the journal was now on a different page and a quarter of an inch to the left. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on the room around her. Faintly, she heard breathing and subtle movements. There was an unfamiliar scent in her room. All of which was coming from underneath her desk.
Quick as a flash, her eyes snapped open and she seized the intruder before they could escape. There was an indignant, "Hey" as she pulled them into the open. Once again, Jasmine froze, her apprehension being replaced with confusion.
Her "intruder" turned out to be just a young girl, no older than twelve or thirteen. She had short black hair, big brown eyes, and pink lips pulled back in a sheepish grin. She wore a pair of jeans and an orange hoodie, which Jasmine had grabbed the hood of to drag her out from under the desk.
The girl waved, a nervous chuckle escaping her, "Uh, hi?"
Jasmine released her, unable to stop herself from staring. "How... did you get in here?" She had locked the door when she left, as she always did.
The child pointed underneath the desk, "The vent."
Jasmine ducked her head to check. Sure enough, there was a vent in the wall under her desk, the cover of which lying on the floor. Turning back to the girl, she suddenly remembered the reports Captain Black had given her regarding Shendu and the other demons.
There was a glint of amusement in her eyes as she smiled warmly at the child. "You're Jade Chan, aren't you?"
She beamed up at her excitedly, "You've heard of me?"
"Yes. Section 13 has classified you as the ultimate security risk."
Jade's expression fell. Crossing her arms over her chest, she grunted in dissatisfaction.
"Everyone is looking for you, you know?" Jasmine informed her, frowning, "Your uncle is worried about you."
"I wanted to explore, though!" she protested, "I haven't seen Section 13 since it was rebuilt!"
Jasmine sat down in her desk chair and pulled out her cell phone. "You'll have plenty of time to explore later. I'm going to call Captain Black and tell him where you are so everyone can stop panicking."
"Aww..."
As she made the call to Captain Black, Jasmine watched as Jade rummaged through the encrypted journal and the notes on her desk, eyeing each item curiously. Hanging up, Jasmine tucked the phone back into her pocket.
"Captain Black will be here with your uncle shortly."
"Uh-huh." she mumbled distractedly. Jade looked at the papers a moment longer, then set them down and turned to Jasmine. "So, who are you, anyway?"
"My name is Jasmine. Jasmine Heiwa."
Jade's eyes became almost comically wide as she jumped back, startled. Pointing a shaking finger at the older woman, she asked, "Wait, you're Jasmine Heiwa?"
She leaned back in her chair, a playful smile tugging at the corners of her lips, "That's what my parents always told me."
For awhile, Jade only stared, her expression unreadable. She placed her hand on her chin, deep in thought, and circled around Jasmine. Jasmine sat quietly as the child examined her, waiting patiently for her to form an opinion. Finally, Jade came to a stop in front of Jasmine.
"You don't look very demon-y." she stated, confusion seeping into her voice, " I was expecting you to have more horns."
Jasmine couldn't help but laugh. There was no fear or animosity in her tone, just childlike curiosity.
"I take it Captain Black told you about me before you took off." she began, smiling, "First of all, Jade, I am only half-demon and I'm using magic to hide my less human features so I don't scare everyone unnecessarily. Second, I'm not the kind of demon who has horns."
"Then what kind of demon are you? And how are you a half-demon?" Once she started, the deluge of questions just kept coming, "I thought that Drago said that all demons had been banished to the Netherworld, so where did you come from? Why are you helping Section 13? Are you here because the talismans are back? And what's with that book with the weird symbols in it?"
Jasmine's eyes went wide as Jade took a breath. "Woah, woah!" she waved her hands in front of her, stopping the inquisitive child from asking anything else. "I'll be happy to answer any questions you have, but one at a time, Jade!"
The brown eyed girl chuckled, slightly embarrassed, "Heh, heh. Sorry..."
"Now, about what Drago said about all demons having been banished to the Netherworld. He was not... entirely correct, but I can see how he came to that conclusion. Long ago, when the Eight Immortals banished the Shendu and his siblings, humanity went on the hunt for demons. Most were either banished or... slain, but there were some who managed to escape. They used their magic to hide themselves amongst the humans to survive."
"So you were one of those demons who got away?" Jade asked.
Jasmine laughed again, shaking her head, "Oh, no! I'm not nearly that old! I'm a descendant of one of the demons who managed to escape."
"Oh."
"My father owns a large amount of land on the east coast with a dense forest encompassing it. Within that forest is a sort of... compound where several different clans and species of demons reside. I was born and raised there. Because he is the strongest, my father leads and sets rules for the community. I... don't know if there are any other demons on Earth right now aside from those in the compound."
"And you left to come to Section 13, why?"
Jasmine sighed, her expression troubled as she ran a hand through her hair. "A little over six months ago, while my father was walking through the woods surrounding our land, he came across an underground bunker. There was evidence that someone had been there recently and, based on the books and items inside, whoever was using it was dabbling with ancient and powerful magic. Among other things, my father found the twelve talismans of Shendu. Even as remote as our little community is, even we had received word that Shendu and his talismans had been banished to the Netherworld. Father knew that they should not have been on Earth. He's still investing the bunker, but he didn't want anyone to be tempted by the power of the talismans. He also wanted Section 13's assistance in figuring out what's going on, as he feels that something bad is going to happen soon. We think that the person responsible wants to open a portal to the Netherworld. I volunteered to deliver the talismans and help Section 13."
Jade fell silent again, eyeing Jasmine dubiously. Crossing her arms over her chest, she cocked her head to the side. "But if this guy wants to set all the demons free, why are you trying to stop them? Wouldn't that be better for you guys? I mean, you wouldn't have to hide anymore, right?"
Pain flashed in Jasmine's eyes. She was quick to hide it, but not quick enough to stop Jade from seeing it. Jasmine's gaze fell to the floor, as though ashamed or embarrassed. Jade couldn't tell which. A brief, but heavy silence passed between them before she even attempted to answer.
"...Earlier... you asked me how I was a half-demon... Well... my father is a demon; but my mother is human. They fell in love and got married. Mom... mom changed father's whole perspective on humans."
Jasmine glanced up at Jade, finding that the girl was listening intently. "I'm sure you've met enough demons by this point to know that most of them have... a very low opinion of humans."
Jade nodded.
"Father doesn't think about humans that way. He sees them not as lesser beings, but as equals."
Jasmine paused again, this time offering Jade a small smile. "Can you keep a secret?"
Again, Jade nodded.
"The reason why my father and I want to help Section 13 is because of a shared dream we have."
"A dream?"
"Yes. One day... we hope that demons and humans can live together, in peace." Jasmine closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart, trying to envision it. "As it stands now... that day is very far away. But... I'm willing to work hard so that one day... all this silly prejudice and fighting can stop." She opened her eyes, smiling brightly, "I want that. I want that more than anything else."
Jade was gawking at her, speechless. Her reaction made Jasmine nervous, though she supposed that it was better than the child laughing in her face. Feeling vulnerable and eager for a distraction, the half-demon turned to the encrypted journal on her desk.
"A-and about this book; it's an encrypted journal of sorts that my father found in the bunker. I've been trying to decode it for about a week now. This is how we figured out that whoever is responsible for all of this wants to open a portal. I haven't gotten very far, but I did find out a little bit."
Jasmine pulled the Pan-Ku Box out of her pocket, eliciting a shocked gasp from Jade.
"The Pan-Ku Box?! But Uncle said that it was forged by good magic and that bad magic couldn't touch it! It burned Shendu every time he tried!"
Jasmine looked between Jade and the box curiously. She could certainly feel the box's magical power, but it wasn't hurting her at all. With a shrug, she placed it on her desk and showed her unmarred palms to Jade.
"It hasn't hurt me at all. Maybe because I'm not a full demon? I can't really say."
Jade stared up at Jasmine as she went back to the journal. "Anyway, from what I've managed to decipher so far, whoever is behind this seems to think that they can somehow use the Pan-Ku Box to open a rift to the Netherworld and free all of the demons trapped on the other side, including Shendu and his siblings."
"Impossible." Jade scoffed, "When Uncle sealed the portals, he sealed them for good."
"Chow said that too." Jasmine recalled, "But whoever is responsible for this seems to think otherwise, and I'd rather be safe than sorry."
Suddenly, Jasmine's head turned to the door, her eyes narrowed in concentration. She could faintly hear Captain Black's voice coming from down the hall. "Captain Black is almost here."
"How can you tell?"
She smiled playfully as she rose from her chair, "I have very good hearing." She walked to the door, Jade following close behind her.
"But you never told me what kind of demon you are!" Jade moaned in disappointment.
"You're a clever girl. Why don't you see if you can figure it out?" she chuckled.
"But there are like, a bajillion different kinds of demons! It'll take forever to figure out which one you are. All I know is that you don't have horns and that you have good hearing."
"I'll give you a hint then. You're going to want to look towards Japanese mythology."
"Japanese mythology." she repeated to herself, determination burning in her big brown eyes, "Got it!"
Jasmine couldn't help but smile at her, as she reminded her of her own little sister. Opening the door, Jasmine was about to step out of her room when she heard Agent Smith's snarky voice.
"With all due respect, Captain Black, how could you leave a child alone with her?" As though her accusatory tone wasn't enough, she then added, "What if that beast ate her?!"
Jasmine's knuckles turned white as she gripped the doorknob tightly. Her chest felt tight and breathing became difficult. Agent Smith had never liked her and she never tried to hide that fact either.
Jade, who had also heard Agent Smith's voice, noticed the change in Jasmine.
"Captain Black," they heard a slightly accented male voice tentatively begin, "she would not... hurt Jade, would she?"
Jasmine's stomach dropped, her heart clenched. Jade watched as she lowered her head, lavender hair blocking her eyes.
"Jade, perhaps it would be best if you went out to greet Captain Black and the others on your own."
Jade wanted to protest, but one look into Jasmine's sad, pain filled eyes silenced her. Without a word, Jade left. Jasmine shut the door behind her, tuning out the voices coming from the hallway.
Closing her eyes, her fists clenched by her sides. "Idiot." she thought to herself, her fingernails biting into the flesh on her palms, "How could you possibly think that anything would change? You should know better than that."
All of a sudden, the alarm on her cell phone went off. Pulling the device out of her pocket, she turned the alarm off and scowled at the time. It was 8:00 pm. Walking to her desk, Jasmine flopped down in the chair and yanked the top right desk drawer open. A small, orange prescription pill bottle rolled to the front, the tiny white pills inside jostling with the force she had used to open the drawer. She glared at it, her lip curling in disgust.
"I don't need it." she thought, slamming the drawer shut. "There's nothing wrong with me." Jasmine buried her face in her hands. "I'm not weak." Unable to stop herself, she began to cry. "I don't need any help."
1. If any of you have seen the movie Spirited Away, the little paper dolls that attacked Haku while he was a dragon were actually shikigami.
2. A Shi is the name for those Chinese lion statues. I can almost guarantee that if you look up a picture of one, you've probably seen one before.
If you have any questions, I'd be more than happy to answer them. If you enjoyed this chapter I'd love to hear what you think.