Finished: 20th October 2004
Uploaded: 19th March 2005
Notes: This is the sequel to my first fic, the Lost Dragon, so this won't make any sense if you haven't read that already.
Main summary: Defeated by Wuya within her palace, Jack and the Xiaolin warriors are powerless to stop her taking Kimiko's soul. Jack has some disturbing dreams about the Earth's future. Will he be able to change that future, or will he just make things worse?
Characters/POV: This is where the story really starts to revolve around Jack, as he travels through dreams, time and beyond. It can get quite confusing ... because I like to confuse my readers. All will be explained in due time, I promise.
Rating: PG-13/T
Dream Tomorrow
Prologue: Life and Death
Hong Zhua scurried through the cavern floors, following his senses … He could sense a Wood alignment – which must have belonged to Mu Long, the missing Dragon of Wood, but there were also two Moshu-Ren, who were not hiding their chi energy signatures … strange. Were they really that powerful, then, that they didn't need to hide? Hong doubted it … the Bind crystals had drained nearly all of the Moshu-Ren of their powers … maybe they just didn't realise that Nu Wa knew where they were hiding.
He continued through a tiny hole – being a rat had its advantages – and came out at the other end, hiding behind a large rock. He began a transformation into a falcon, growing feathers where there was fur, wings where there were forelimbs; a beak and two beady eyes … He immediately flew up to get a better view. He could see three Moshu-Ren (one had been hiding his chi, then!), all outside what appeared to be a hut made of stone, and there were at least five more of these huts dotted around the huge cavern. Hong could also sense the Dragon of Wood; he was inside the hut that the Moshu-Ren were standing outside. He swiftly flew behind a nearer rock, and changed into a human form, peering cautiously around so he could better understand what the group were saying.
"Are you sure about this?" one said. He was young, having just reached maturity, and he looked insecure; his midnight blue eyes were clouded with worry. His hair was long, and as black as the night sky, but he had a streak of white hair down the middle. Hong had recognised him as Xiongmao … the youngster warrior who had barely escaped with his life when Li Jin had sent his armies to raid Ping-jing last week … For a moment, Hong looked away with a pang, guilt and remorse overtaking him. Of all the Moshu-Ren to encounter … Why Xiongmao?
"I am positive," one of the others replied. This one was female, and looked a lot older than the other two. She had deep blood red hair, and angry brown eyes. Hong did not recognise her. "Li Jin will pay dearly for what he's done … and Mu Long will serve as the perfect tool."
The third Moshu-Ren chuckled, a blond with light blue eyes. He seemed just a tiny bit older than Xiongmao; Hong had the feeling that he was a lot cockier than him, too. There was an air of playful arrogance around this one. "As long as we're not being too vengeful here …"
There was an angry growl from Xiongmao. "This is serious, Fengqu! Messing around with the planet's jing is dangerous. You of all people should know that! We may irrevocably alter the world … and the power might be too overwhelming to control …"
Fengqu! So this was Fengqu … But why was he here with these other Moshu-Ren? Wasn't he on the Xiaolin side? He had followed Nu Wa's orders, once upon a time …
"Ah, you worry too much, Xiongmao," Fengqu said.
Xiongmao didn't sound impressed. "Ao Kuang won't be too happy if he finds we're fiddling with the xing xing jing."
"Ao Kuang is a traitor, just like those disgusting Shoka," the red-headed one snarled. "He should be on our side, fighting for our right to rule over the humans – and instead he sides with that overbearing Nu Wa!"
"So angry!" Fengqu chuckled. "Ao Kuang was a great help to me. He knows that the Shen Gong Wu were created to preserve the balance after Gong Gong destroyed the flow of jing. He's hardly gonna stand idly by while we go out and do the same. In fact, I'm surprised you managed to swindle those Shen Gong Wu from him. Do they work?"
The red-haired Moshu-Ren, whose name Hong still had yet to learn, fiddled with a strange ruby that she wore around her neck. "Wuya had to infuse their jing with some of her acquired jing … so … yes, they do. But, as I'm sure you're aware, Fengqu, the fastest way to activate them all is to disrupt the xing xing jing."
"I still think this is a bad idea," Xiongmao said. "Did you forget about the Grandmaster?"
"Dashi?" snorted the red-headed one. "Ha! I will personally kill him if he interferes."
"He's not to be taken lightly," warned Xiongmao. "Don't forget, he has trained at all of the elemental temples."
"All the more reason for our plans to go ahead," Fengqu said with a grin.
Xiongmao still didn't look convinced.
"Trust me, Xiong," said Fengqu, patting him on the back. "This'll work. I should know."
"And I will take of it – of that you can be sure," promised the unnamed Moshu-Ren. "Wuya won't let us down."
"That's what I'm afraid of …" Xiongmao frowned sadly.
"Aha! So that's what's bothering you! Wuya will be fine, I promise! She's tough as nails, that girl! And that's something I definitely know."
Hong backed away slowly – if there was ever any proof he needed that the Moshu-Ren were planning to overthrow the Empress, this was it! He had to get out of here … He began another transformation …
Then he felt a great weight shove him to the ground, and he felt sharp pains from a creature pinning him down – a large wolf, perhaps? – its sharp claws tearing into his back. It stepped off and grabbed him inside large jaws, and he flailed his arms and legs around as the creature carried him around, trying to get out of its mouth … He tried a transformation again but found, to his horror, that this time he couldn't – it was being blocked somehow … The creature carried him for a minute or so, and then came to a stop inside another of the huts.
All the breath was forced out of him while he was dropped, hard, onto the ground at someone's feet, and he groaned.
He looked up and saw a fourth Moshu-Ren smiling down at him. This one was female, looked about the same age as Xiongmao, and had purple hair. She wore an odd lantern around her neck.
"Well, hello there," she said with false friendliness, "you're a Shoka, aren't you?"
Hong tried to hide his surprise as best as he could. How had she known that? He was hiding his chi energy … and it was obvious that she was hiding hers, because he couldn't get a reading. He could sense nothing from her.
Slowly, cautiously, he rose to his feet. "What makes you say that?"
"I'm not like the others … I've trained at the Shandian temple …"
Hong could not keep the loathing out of his voice. "Raicho … let one of you train at her temple?"
She matched his tone of disgust with one of her own. "You speak in the mindless manner that you have been taught … but I know deep down you don't agree with Li Jin …"
"Of course I don't agree with him … he's captured my family, and torched all but one of the Shoka villages …"
"And yet you would still fight us?"
"I can't let you carry out the Xiqu spell in the Shandian temple …"
She smiled thinly and took a menacing step forward. "And I can't let you live if you mean to oppose us …"
Hong prepared to transform again, but she shook her head, and pointed to a pink crystal that was also around her neck. A Shufu crystal …
"What? Moshu-Ren are supposed to be weakened by those …"
"I told you … I'm not like most Moshu-Ren … I stole this from a human I killed and modified it to suit my own needs, which means … no transforming …" She touched the crystal, and it glowed a soft mauve colour, revealing Hong's true appearance …
The creature that had brought him here growled, and Hong weighed his options. He could use magic to escape, but the Shufu crystal would probably block his moshu energy as well … The best thing would have been a chi energy attack. But before he could summon his chi, the Moshu-Ren called out:
"Sun Chi Lantern!"
Hong felt the bulk of his chi being absorbed by the strange little lantern.
"What …?"
Enough was enough … it was time to leave … He ran suddenly at the Moshu-Ren, hoping that by launching a physical attack instead of a magical one, he could catch her off-guard and make his escape …
"YOU'LL LEAVE HER ALONE!"
Xiongmao came charging in, roaring thunderously at Hong and dealing a hard blow to the Shoka's face, which sent him staggering to the floor. Of course, Xiongmao had been the Moshu-Ren hiding his chi energy, so Hong had not been able to sense his approach.
The other one chuckled. "Honestly, Xiong, sometimes I think Fengqu is right about you. You take things far too seriously …"
But Xiongmao was quivering with anger, full of rage, his previous insecurity completely gone. "T-that Shoka killed my parents!"
She frowned instantly. "What …? Your parents … But … Are you sure?"
"Of course I'm sure! I was there! Nearly everyone in Ping-jing was killed …"
"I'm sorry …" she said softly, bowing her head. "I didn't know …"
There was an apologetic sigh from Xiongmao. "Oh … It wasn't your fault …" He took her into his arms. "I … didn't tell anyone."
She looked hurt. "Not even me?"
"I didn't want anyone else to worry …"
Hong was about to get up, but Xiongmao kicked him in the stomach a few times, cutting off his words. "You bastard! How can you live with yourself, knowing what you've done?"
Hong groaned once more from the floor. "I had no choice," he hissed. "If I did not help Li Jin, he would have tortured my family …"
Xiongmao glared venomously at Hong. "And so my parents were to be sacrificed instead? They served Nu Wa wholeheartedly!"
The other Moshu-Ren slashed a word into the air: piao. Hong barely had a chance to register the fact that he was floating, before he was struck by several small bolts of lightning.
She must have been the Heylin Tiger of Lightning. Of course … in order to gain the powers of the Lightning essence, one had to be of the Lightning element. Everything had to be in alignment …
"Miserable worm," she hissed, a similar glare of hatred on her face. "Did you honestly think we would let you get away with this?"
Hong panted for air as he was dropped to the floor. "You don't know what you're doing," he told her. "You'd put the entire world at risk just to stop one madman? Surely there must be another way."
"My brother helped make the Shen Gong Wu. We know exactly what we're doing … We can't fight back because of those accursed Shufu crystals. You would have us stand by and do nothing while we systematically are wiped out from existence? Well, no more! I'll absorb the Lightning essence from the temple, and watch the humans run in fear! And once we find the Wood temple … Those inferior beings will bow before us!"
"Wood? You intend to absorb the Wood essence as well?"
She sneered, giving him a look of pure contempt. "Of course! Why do you think we captured the Dragon of Wood?"
The gears in Hong's head were turning. If that odd lantern let them steal chi energy, then they could steal the jing of living creatures, too. And if they could obtain someone else's element by stealing jing in this way, they would soon possess every element, and then every essence. They weren't just out to activate the Shen Gong Wu, they wanted complete control over the xing xing jing. The entire world would change, as the Moshu-Ren would be able to dictate who lived and who died, gaining control over the cycle of life, death, people's souls … This was far worse than Nu Wa knew!
Hong looked up at Xiongmao, knowing that he didn't agree with any of this. "And what about you? Aren't you opposed to this mad course to insanity?"
"Stop changing the subject," Xiongmao growled. He had been watching Hong for a few minutes, and with each passing moment, his rage had increased tremendously. Not matter what Hong's reasons were, he could never forgive him for killing his parents.
"Whatever happens, I intend to avenge the death of my parents!" He bent down and jerked up Hong by his robes, almost choking him. "You'll die for what you've done. Xiqu jing!"
Hong Zhua screamed once more, experiencing first-hand what the Moshu-Ren planned to do with the Dragon of Wood. There was a brief sensation of sudden dizziness, a draining feeling, a loss of energy, accompanied by an overwhelming burning pain. It felt like his insides were being torn open, all of his organs were on fire …
Darkness came swiftly.
Notes:
shandian – lightning
shufu – bind
piao – to float
This was one of many flashbacks I wrote last year, between uploading CH8/9 and CH10 of the Lost Dragon. With this fic, my intention is to write the full story first and then upload it, but I may upload some chapters sooner if I'm happy enough with them.