Chapter Nine

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"Kimiko."

Relief shot through me as I heard my name being called, and I quickly turned around. I was standing underneath the delicate cherry tree outside of the Xiaolin Temple, unsure of how I had come to be there, but pleased all the same to be under its branches.

As I faced the Temple walls, my eyes caught sight of the owner of the voice, and I felt a smile grace my lips. Chase was coming towards me, his golden eyes unwavering from mine, and his features looked softer and younger. He was dressed in a dark green robe, and his very presence seemed to lighten up the landscape around us.

Without speaking again, he strode up to me and took my hands in his. The feeling of his warm skin against mine startled me, as he wasn't wearing his usual leather gloves, and he quickly pulled me against him. I felt my heart begin to pound at the closeness of his embrace, yet my hands travelled upwards, until I felt the heat of his internal flame and his heartbeat against my palms.

Then, I remembered that Chase didn't have a heartbeat. He was immortal, and had no need for one….or so he had said.

Startled, I jerked away from him, only to find that our surroundings had completely changed. We were standing in a barren wasteland, the sky red and smoke obscuring the sun. Horrified, I turned back to Chase and found that my legs were frozen in fear.

The gentle Chase was gone. In his place stood a monster with Chase's features. His topaz eyes were only slits, and I could see huge fangs protruding from his mouth. His face was contorted into a snarl, though his lips were upturned into a sadistic smile. I stumbled backwards away from him just as scales began to pattern his exposed skin, and any trace of humanity still left in him disappeared from his eyes.

"Kimiko," he rasped again. My scream of terror pierced the air as the monster lunged for my throat.


With a gasp, I shot up in my bed, my heart pounding frantically. It took me several minutes to realize that I was not being attacked and that instead, I had just woken up from a particularly realistic nightmare. I let out a long series of curses and eased myself back down into the blankets, but my body continued to tremble.

The first light of dawn was just beginning to creep in through the windows as I lay in my bed, all thoughts of sleep now erased from my mind. I had been in Chase's lair for over two weeks now, and every night, my dreams were getting more and more intense. Every single one of them featured the Heylin warrior himself, but this was the first time that I had dreamed of us together.

A light burning sensation in my wrist reminded me of the way the dream-Chase had held me in his arms, and I felt my face grow hot. What did all of this mean?

Every night, I had dreams of Chase that seemed too realistic to be true. I saw him in different lights, and in scenes that felt as if I were watching his life in movie form. Some featured the gentler Chase I had come to know when he healed me, yet most were of the terrible, dark Chase who continued to terrorize me when I least expected it.

I couldn't stop thinking about him, and more importantly, what I had to do to help him. I was still just as lost and confused as I was the day Chase dragged me here. This last dream had done nothing but assert what I already knew; darkness was threatening to overcome Chase, but what, I still wasn't sure.

Even though it was still an hour before I usually rose, I threw back the covers and eased my sore body out of the bed. Chase had continued to train me for hours each day, and he never went easy on me. Although I had perfected the technique he had taught me three years ago, I was still learning fighting styles that I hadn't even dreamed of. My body was still protesting the intense workout I received each morning, but I had no choice….and as much as I hated to admit it, I was growing stronger.

On the other hand, it seemed sometimes that Chase was growing weaker. More often than not, his face was pale and he had dark circles under his eyes whenever I saw him. Although he was still vastly more powerful than I was when we fought, I could tell that his fighting style had changed to reflect the darkness within him. He seemed to become the darker, sadistic Chase more often, especially after we finished training, when I was at my weakest. He hadn't tried to kill me again, but sometimes I could tell that he was trying desperately not to tear me apart.

And yet, I still found myself drawn to him time after time. Although Chase rarely answered my questions and irritated me more often than not, training and meditating with him had become what I looked forward to during the long days, rather than something I had once dreaded. I told myself constantly that he should be regarded as nothing but my worst enemy, but this was becoming harder and harder to do.

I needed to help him if I ever wanted my freedom, I reminded myself. That was it.

Shaking these thoughts from my mind, I pulled on a clean set of robes left on my bedside and got ready for the day. The sun was just beginning to show outside, and I headed for the stone hallway before it had a chance to illuminate my bedroom. The cats that usually guarded my door were nowhere to be found, and I found the corridor to be curiously silent. Usually I encountered a few of the feline warriors, who took every chance to voice their displeasure at my staying in the lair.

I kept walking, and before I knew where I was headed, I found myself at a stained glass door left partly ajar. It was Chase's sanctuary, and although I had never been in here without him, I felt myself drawn into its peaceful garden. With one last look around in the deserted hallway, I slipped through the doors and entered.

The sun was just beginning to rise over its glass ceiling, and I looked to see rays of light blending a pale pink sky with a muted blue. The streams around me still trickled peacefully, and I felt my fear and anxiety from the nightmare melt away within seconds. The grounds were still molded into perfection, and not a single leaf had fallen since I had been here last with Chase.

As I made my way through the plants, seeing the cherry tree made me stop in my tracks as I remembered my dream from last night. Again, I felt my face grow hot at the memory of Chase holding me so closely. It had been so realistic, and I could almost still feel his arms encircling me, his ungloved hands against my own skin. The mark on my wrist flared up at this thought, and I hastily chased the dream from my mind. He had also tried to kill me in my last dream, and I didn't want to think about it.

Knowing by the light of the sky that I only had a little bit of time before the cats came to collect me for training, I sat down underneath the tree and wearily leaned back against its trunk. The garden was completely silent, save the gentle rush of water in the streams, and I let out a sigh. I had told Chase that I wanted to learn about him, and I was no closer to discovering his secrets than I was to finally getting out of here.

Would I ever get to see my home again? The Xiaolin Temple seemed like a distant memory whenever I thought about my time spent there, and especially of my friends. Just a few weeks ago, I was training with Raimundo without a care in the world. Now, I was miles away from my friends and trapped by a Heylin warrior with a multiple personality disorder. Plus, I had left the Temple with all of my friends injured and weak. I wanted to know if they were okay as much as I wanted to be with them again. Even doing chores at the Temple for the rest of my life seemed like a great alternative to staying here another day in the dark.

The sound of footsteps on gravel startled me, and I looked up to see two very irritated cats coming through the garden. They growled upon seeing me, and I guessed that they were displeased to find me here instead of in my room. Knowing what would happen if I didn't obey, I quickly got to my feet and brushed off my clothes. It was time to face Chase once again.


Hours later, I collapsed on the cold stone floor of the training room with a groan. Chase stood calmly a few feet away, inspecting the burns and damage I had done to his lair while he remained as flawless as ever. While I tried to nurse my new bruises and injuries, Chase snapped his fingers once, and cats on the other side of the hall sprang into action.

As the jungle cats quickly made their way over to us, he crouched down besides me and knocked my arms away from where I had been holding my body, trying to stop the bleeding and pain. I glared at him as he calmly summoned his healing powers, and then swept his glowing fingers over my broken skin. The pain disappeared immediately as I felt Heylin energy seep through my veins, all while Chase crouched over me with deep concentration.

I couldn't help but watch his eyes as he healed me; with each injury that disappeared, his eyes grew darker and darker until his pupils had almost transformed into slits. Harsh energy filled the air around us, and I quickly wrapped my tiny fingers around his wrist. Heat flooded my body and the mark began to burn unpleasantly, but I held on as Chase finished the last of my wounds.

As my final bruise disappeared, Chase jerked away from me with a snarl and got to his feet. By now the cats were bowing at his side, and one offered a small bowl on a tray in front of him. As I rubbed my sore shoulders, Chase snatched up the bowl and began to drink quickly. A disgusting smell wafted towards me and I wrinkled my nose, but as I watched Chase drink, his features slowly began to relax. By the time he lowered the bowl from his lips, his eyes were almost at their normal color again.

"Well done, Kimiko," he said at last, nodding towards the havoc I had caused with my element. He tossed the bowl back to the cats and extended a hand to me. I reluctantly took it as he pulled me to my feet, though my gaze stayed on the bowl. It wasn't the first time I had seen him drink it, though he had never taken one so soon after training practice.

"You have been using Heylin energy to your advantage much more in the last few days…I'm pleased that you have finally discovered where your true power lies."

"I'm only using it to try and beat you," I snapped back, yanking my own hand out his grasp. "Once I'm out of here, I'll never use it again. You're trying to get me to fight for the Heylin side, and it's not going to happen. I'm a-"

"…Xiaolin Dragon, through and through. Yes, Kimiko, I'm all too aware. Come, you must be hungry by now. I'll have my servants prepare you something before we meditate today." Chase strode off without another word, expecting me to follow obediently as I had learned to do. Instead, I stood in place, staring down at the bowl that he had just consumed.

"What did you just drink?" I asked quietly. Chase stopped in his tracks and looked at me, his expression unreadable as I bent down to pick it up in my hands. A drop of green, brackish liquid rolled from the rim and splattered to the floor, and I swore I saw a tiny cloud of steam rise into the air.

"Nothing that concerns you at the moment," he said coldly. "I said come, you need to eat before we carry on with your training today." Chase turned back around, and I felt anger rise in my chest.

Before I realized that I had even thrown it, the bowl smacked into the back of Chase's head with a large bang and fell noisily to the floor. He whirled around on me, his face contorted into anger and a snarl on his lips, and I knew I was in trouble.

"Dragon of Fire-"

"How am I supposed to help you?" I said angrily, trying to stand my ground as his eyes grew darker once more. "I thought you would help me! I thought you knew what you were doing when you brought me here! It's been two weeks and you've done nothing but work me to the bone. You kidnapped me to help you, and you can't even answer a simple question? What the hell is wrong with you? I thought you wanted me to succeed!"

I could hear the growl in his throat as he stalked towards me, and I knew that I was playing with the darker Chase now. "I am doing everything I can," he snarled. "Do you think that I am just toying with you? I have much more important things to do than to play with the mind of a Xiaolin Dragon!"

"Then let me go, and you'll have one less Xiaolin Dragon to plague you!" I retorted. By now, we were only feet apart, and I felt my body grow hot as I semiconsciously summoned my element. Our eyes locked onto each other, and out of the corner of my gaze, I watched as his gloves tore a crack. He had tightened his hands into fists.

Then, before I even knew what had happened, we were fighting. Although I had just been in training for three hours, I was throwing fire at him like faster and harder than I ever had before. Energy consumed my body and made my flames intensify, while Chase went to work blocking every move I made.

Within a few seconds, our bodies collided and he struck out at me, nearly catching my chin with his powerful fist. I ducked out of the way and went into a fighting stance before our hand-to-hand combat began. He succeeded in his next blow across my shoulder, but before he had a chance to land another strike, I rammed straight into his stomach. While his armor protected him from the blow, I at least bought myself some time to recalculate my next move as he pushed back against me.

Although I could tell Chase was still holding back, I was putting every ounce of determination and strength I had against him. Yet, Chase still countered me easily, and before long, I was trying to defend myself against his blows once again. I brought my flames back and tried to scorch him, but he easy broke through my attacks like the fire didn't even affect him.

With my eyes narrowed, I formed a swirling ball of flames in my palms, let them intensify to blistering hot, and then charged straight at him. His stance went rigid, and just as my flame and his body collided, he grabbed my arms in an attempt to throw me away from him. I was prepared for this, and as he was about to toss me, I wrapped my leg in between his to keep me close to him to let my attack go through.

Instead, right when my flames could have melted his armor, Chase threw his weight against me. I let out a startled yelp as he tackled me to the floor, and my fire evaporated into the air. Just as my head would have hit the stone, I felt his hand cradle me and take the impact before we were back to fighting on the floor.

We were both snarling in each other's faces as we tried to get a blow in on the other and pin each other to the floor. While Chase had landed on top of me, I wasted no time in rolling over so that I was straddling him, though he still had a good grip on one of my arms. As I tried to hit him square in the face, Chase suddenly lunged to the side so that I ended up flat on my back, and he was kneeling above me. Without wasting a moment, he grabbed both my wrists and effectively held my arms to the floor, while he kept my legs immobilized with his own. I furiously tried to get out of his grasp but it was to no avail; I was trapped.

I was panting and near exhausted from our fight, and as I looked up at Chase, I was startled to see that he was breathing heavily as well. Our faces were only inches apart, and although I was covered with sweat and a new round of bruises, he was staring at me in a way that I had never seen before. The darkness was completely gone from his eyes, and I found that my heart was beating rapidly in my chest from the proximity of our bodies and the intensity of his stare. I had long since stopped struggling as our eyes locked, and heat began to flood my body from where his limbs touched mine.

I saw confusion flicker through his eyes as he scanned my face, almost as if he had never seen me before, and I stared back readily, too dazed to even comprehend what was going on. Without even meaning to, he had begun to close the distance between us, and I felt a spike of adrenaline rush through me as his lips inched even closer to mine.

"Ahem."

Chase jerked overtop of me, and I frantically turned my head to see Wuya staring at us from a few feet away, and even worse, a slack-jawed Jack Spicer besides her. My face immediately turned bright red and I tried to push Chase off of me, but he took his time calmly getting to his feet. As soon as my arms and legs were free, I scrambled upright and brushed off my clothes, pretending as if they hadn't just walked in on us in a compromising position. Wuya was almost glaring at Chase, while Jack kept moving his gaze from Chase to me and back to Chase, his mouth wide open all the time. No doubt already concocting a twisted story in that too-large head of his, I sent him my best death glare and Jack quickly sobered up.

"Wuya, Jack. Welcome," Chase said calmly, looking immaculate and unconcerned as usual. "I did not expect you until tomorrow evening…This is a surprise."

"The boy and I thought we'd stop over earlier…Forgive me Chase, I would have announced myself had I known you would be….busy." Wuya fixed her glare on me now, and I readily scowled back.

"No matter Wuya, we will discuss our business now. Kimiko, retire to your chamber and take this half-wit with you. Keep him occupied while Wuya and I converse…I will send for you to continue your training as soon as I am done."

I rolled my eyes at Chase and his command, trying to pretend that I had not been affected by our previous encounter. Even so, my skin was still flushed and my heart was pounding. What exactly had Chase been about to do? It wasn't like him to linger so long after he had won a fight, and yet, he had remained closer to me at that moment than we had ever been before. Had he been about to…

No, I told myself. I tried to block this thought from my head as I remembered Chase's orders, and turned towards Jack. "Come on," I muttered, then latched onto his wrist. He gave a yelp that was too high-pitched for a normal twenty-something year old and stumbled after me. I continued to yank him behind me and began to walk as fast as I could out of the training room, almost dragging the Evil-Boy-Genius behind me.

Even so, I could still feel Chase's piercing gaze on my retreating figure and Wuya's as well. By now, Jack had caught up to me and was walking in step with me, his large strides equal to about three of mine. He was looking over his shoulder at the two Heylin warriors, though I refused to look back.

"Damn," he said with a chuckle. "Wuya looks pissed. What the hell was that, Kimiko-"

"Don't say a word," I snapped back. "If you mention anything, I swear I will set you on fire."

Jack immediately quieted down, though there was nothing I could do to wipe the obnoxious smirk off of his face.

I was just about to leave the chamber when I heard Wuya spoke, and although her voice was soft, her sharp tones carried all the way to me on the other side.

"You are letting your affection for the girl go too far," she hissed. My breath caught in my throat, and before Chase could reply, I hurried away out of earshot as fast as I could.

I was tightlipped and angry the entire way back to my room, while Jack continued to walk lightly besides me. In the past few years I hadn't seen Jack a lot, so it was weird that he was right beside me, nevertheless here again when I was trapped with Chase. After I had returned to the Temple three years ago, Jack had gotten a scholarship to some fancy university in America, and he had gone off to wreck havoc elsewhere. The monks and I rarely saw him, only when he showed up for some of the more useful Shen Gong Wu. From I had heard, Jack was building robots for the American government- "Aka, taking over the world from the inside out," he had told me proudly.

He had grown up since then, as his baby fat was replaced with muscle and he no longer looked albino, but he was still no threat to me. Even though he must have been over foot taller than me by now and was in his early twenties, he was still just the immature boy I had known years ago. I managed to silence him with only one more death glare, and I continued to storm down the corridor.

At last, I threw open the familiar wooden door and stepped inside, only to have Jack swerve around me and jump onto my unmade bed. I watched as he made himself comfortable by rolling onto his stomach and propping his head in his hands, and I felt something sink in the pit of my stomach.

"Okay Kimiko," he said, his face and tone completely serious. "Time for girl talk."

I gaped at him for a whole minute before I realized he was being sincere, and I couldn't help but let out a strained laugh. Without even responding, I shook my head and slammed the door behind me, then fumed off towards the bathroom.

My head was already spinning from Chase's actions and Wuya's words, and I didn't need an Evil Boy Genius to confuse me even more. I locked the bathroom door behind me, turned on the shower to as cold as possible, and stepped directly into the freezing spray. Steam rose off of my heated body in waves, and I shuddered as I let my body slide to the floor. I needed to cool off, and it wouldn't be easy to wash away all the dirt, blood, and anxiety from earlier this morning.

I let the water pound down upon me until the intense heat of my body was exhausted, and my mind was numb with the blessed cold.


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