AN: Still stressed out, but maybe only twenty five percent less than before. Seventy five percent is still a lot though :x
Author Rant: Is it the new thing to have song titles that are almost annoyingly long and have nothing to do with the song? (cough--Panic!AtTheDisco and FallOutBoy--cough) Anyway, I Write Stories, Not Tragedies--Wait...
Also, if you're not an Inu Yasha fan, you won't understand so excuse me when I say this... Ah! I can't believe Takahashi Rumiko did that! I can't believe she did that! I knew it was a possibility, but I feel so cheated!
Last part of my rant, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest :x Love to Johnny Depp/Captain Jack Sparrow.
Thanks to unknown, here's where Keiko finds out the truth. Might be a bit more than she can handle :x Thanks to Rai-kun, I'm glad you're enjoying the story and that you feel Jack's in character! It's getting a little harder now that things are getting more chaotic (in the story and my real life!). Thanks to Egglette, to tell you the truth, I've never heard that song before (I've heard the title a few times before), but I just listened to it now and I don't really care for it :x Maybe I'd like Jewel's version better. Anyway, I'm glad the chapter inspired you to buy the song, haha, I never thought that would happen. As for pairing Keiko with anyone, how do you know I wouldn't pair her up with Clay :3 j/k! But there is going to be romance, but no fluffy, lovey-dovey, etc. At least, not for a while (if at all). Also, thanks to sianypie, I know what you mean with having a job :( I'm only working part-time right now, but it sure does take a lot out of you, well, at least mine does. And it's only summer, no school! I'm really tired right now too, xx Anyway, thank you again to everyone who takes the time to review, you guys are so awesome :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Xiaolin Showdown, but I created everything for Keiko, such as her back story, her personality, everything but her first name. I also 'own' the Shen Gong Wu I made up for this story, but not the concept behind general idea of Shen Gong Wu---Do I really have to explain? You know what I mean!
The Truth Hurts
"You're not so innocent."
It had been a long time since Jack had given Keiko a glimpse at his crazy streak that resulted in her falling into a pit of denial and uncertainty. She had made a decision to stay quiet while Jack took them to a destination only he knew of, which was unsettling when she remembered the fact (at least, to her) that he was crazy, which was impossible for her to forget. Because of this, Keiko refused to let her body receive the rest it was demanding, only allowing herself to drift into a semi-conscious state, her mind a blank as she wasn't up to trying to comprehend the possibility that Jack could have been telling the truth.
Unless she wanted to end up as crazy as him.
"What?" Keiko jerked out of her daze, realizing Jack was talking to her.
"You've made the headlines overnight, broken out of a hospital that was technically your prison, and you left the country." Jack ticked off the events using his fingers with a thoughtful look on his face. Then he turned to her and gave a mischievous grin. "A goody two shoes wouldn't be able to pull off those kinds of stunts."
"I made the headlines because I was framed by a certain someone who shall remain nameless." Keiko countered, wiping the grin off Jack's face. Without even looking at him, she continued to shoot down his 'evidence.' "I wouldn't have left the hospital if you hadn't shown up and, wow! What do you know? I wouldn't have left the country if it wasn't for you again. Seems like you're the reason behind all three of those events."
"Hey!" Jack protested angrily. "You said the first one was nameless, so that doesn't count!"
Keiko couldn't even dignify that with a response.
"You could have refused." Jack added in his defense.
"Refused to be involved with your heist and fight between the cat thief? You really didn't give me a choice that time--"
"That one doesn't count!" Jack snapped, then continued on with a scowl. "You could have refused to leave with me and for the record, leaving the hospital was your idea in the first place."
"I wouldn't have had to refuse anything if you hadn't shown up into my life." Keiko shot back, straightening up in her chair as she shot him a look. "Did you really expect me to just sit back and let them prosecute me with the crimes you and your girlfriend committed?"
"Why do you keep saying that?" Jack moaned, slapping a hand over his eyes in a grimace.
"What do you mean why? Because it's the truth!" Keiko shouted at him.
"It is not!" Jack yelled back, turning in his seat to glare down at the small girl.
"How can you say that?" Keiko said in indignation. "Do you have amnesia along with your lunacy?"
"I'd rather date a fifteen hundred year old hag than that two-faced, Wu stealing, over-sized fur ball!"
"Like anyone would--What?" Keiko's anger gave out to confusion.
"What?" Jack asked angrily.
"What are you talking about?"
"What are you talking about?" Jack shot back at her.
Keiko opened her mouth to respond, but soon closed it as she leaned back in her seat, shaking her head with a sigh.
"Never mind." She told him, then added in a murmur, "In your case, it's a fine line between idiocy and insanity."
Jack let out a growl, catching her words as he slammed a fist against the control panel, causing Keiko to jump in her seat. She chanced a look over her shoulder to find him glaring at her.
"It's a long way down from here." Jack let the threat hang in the air.
"I don't doubt that." Keiko countered, her voice even. Jack was thrown by her calm response, but she gelt anything but calm at that moment..
Not really helping with your insanity case, Keiko thought to herself, even though a twinge of fear made it's way into her heart. Rationality told her that this was very possibly a demented individual and he could send her to her death if he chose to, but some part of her didn't really believe he was capable of it.
At least, she hoped he wasn't.
Before anymore could be said the jet jerked, sending both it's occupants out of their seats. They yelped in union as Jack was thrown against the control panel, his forehead slamming into the windshield, but fortunately for Keiko, she had managed to find the seat belt earlier and only felt mild discomfort along her lap.
"Should have put on your seat belt." Keiko scolded Jack as he groaned, pulling away from the panel with his hands clutching his forehead. He looked at her, squinting through tears of pain.
"There are seat belts?"
Before Keiko could respond, the aircraft jerked again, sending Jack crashing into her. The sound of their skulls colliding echoed through the steel plated interior, bringing fresh amounts of tears to their eyes.
"What's going on?" Keiko grit out through clenched teeth as she remained doubled over her seat, clutching her head as the world continued to spin.
"I must have hit something," Jack slurred out, his ears still ringing as he used one hand to grip the seat and the other to hold on to the steering wheel. "The auto pilot's off."
Jack hit a few buttons, his vision still blurry from the earlier impact. He tried to grip the steering wheel, but his injury impaired his ability to judge distances and he hit the control panel again. Seconds later the jet was hurtling toward the earth at a sharp angle.
Keiko felt the pressure trying to force her back into her seat, but she ignored it as she slowly sat back up, feeling sick to her stomach as she removed her hands from her forehead. She grimaced when she saw a coating of blood on her finger tips and turned to glare at Jack. Her anger grew when she found he came away with nothing but a bump and possibly a few dead brain cells.
If he had any to begin with, Keiko thought angrily as she used the sleeve of her coat to stem the bleeding.
"Why does it keep moving?" Keiko heard Jack mumble to himself as he took another swipe at the steering wheel, only to miss it by a few feet and stumble to hit the side of her chair.
Keiko watched as Jack pulled himself up by her armrest with much difficulty. Unable to just watch as he continued to hurt himself, Keiko helped to pull him to his feet, but without getting up the task proved difficult. She fumbled with the seat belt, finally getting the restraint to release her as she helped Jack onto his feet and over to his seat. The jet was still jerking about as it continued to descend, alarms starting to go off within the aircrafts interior as the sea below them was getting closer at an alarming speed.
"Have you ever killed anyone before?" Keiko suddenly asked him as she searched for the seat belt in the pilot's seat, using one knee to brace herself against the chair and to keep from tumbling towards the back of the jet.
Jack was looking at her with a blank expression. Seconds passed before surprise filtered over his face.
"No." He said slowly, but then added in a slightly slurred voice, "But I can, you know. Don't think I can't."
Jack blinked at Keiko, then looked down in his lap as she buckled him in, the jet suddenly jerking again so Keiko had to grip the sides of his chair to keep from slamming into him. He looked up, jumping when he found her face only inches from his own, her expression grim as she shakily pulled back from him.
"I may be your first." Keiko told him as she managed to get back into her own seat, once again fumbling with her own seat belt.
Jack looked was unable to respond, choosing to look back out the window, his face paling to a deathly white as the scene before him helped him to regain his senses. He lunged forward, not caring about the belt digging into his abdomen sharply as he gripped the steering wheel, pulling it back.
Slowly, ever so slowly the jet began to pull back as it leveled off. Jack continued to pull it, waiting until he could no longer see the ocean and the alarms had subsided before he eased off it, releasing one hand to press in a command and turn the auto pilot back on.
Minutes passed in relieved silence as Jack and Keiko slumped back in their seats, still shaking from the scare. But soon, Keiko broke the silence.
"Or maybe you'll be your own victim. Your first and last."
Jack scowled.
"Only if I take you with me."
The rest of the trip had been uneventful, but both passengers were far from relaxed. Keiko had added another notch on the craziness level of Jack Spicer and Jack was taking Keiko's words to heart. Occupied with their own thoughts, it wasn't hard for them to get through the ride in one piece.
"Where are we?" Keiko asked, her anger and fear melting away at the sight before them. She was in awe of the endless fields and mountainous ranges in the distance. She hadn't even bothered to wait for Jack as she opened the cock pit and hopped out of the jet, slipping off the wing in her haste and hitting the ground hard.
"Somewhere in Asia?" Jack guessed, climbing out at a slower pace as he strapped the portable Shen Gong Wu detector onto his wrist. Such sights were nothing knew to him. It was the young girl tripping over her own two feet that kept him entertained.
"Your knowledge of the world is amazing." Keiko said with no bite, even offering him a smile as she stood up, brushing the dirt and grass from her clothes.
"You're still bleeding." Jack informed her off handedly as he walked passed her and towards a cluster of bamboo in the distance.
Keiko blinked and put her sleeve up to her forehead, hurrying after him.
"Where are we going?" She asked once she was at his side, removing her sleeve to see how bad the bleeding was, then pressing it back on her wound. She didn't realize Jack had been lying and only thought to make trouble, still feeling a bit raw from her earlier comments.
"You'll see." He snapped, which actually translated to 'I have no idea.'
Keiko decided to let it drop, still in amazement of her surroundings. It was surreal to be in such a vast and peaceful place, no concrete, no hundreds of people bustling around, no cars speeding down the streets. It was just nature.
She took a deep breath, inhaling the crisp, fresh air. She felt light and almost at a lost. She never knew how different it would be out of Tokyo, the city, out of civilization period.
"Do you live here?" Keiko asked suddenly, recalling something Jack had said earlier.
"What? No!" Jack looked at her as if she were insane, then shook his head.
"You said you didn't see the city very often and we stopped here--" Keiko reasoned, but Jack was already a good distance away from her, completely ruining her good mood as she cupped her hands over her mouth and shouted to him, "Which could of explained why you're so crazy!"
"I'm not crazy!" He shouted back, his voice rising an octave. Jack continued on his way, expecting another shot at him, but there was nothing but the sound of his feet crushing the grass and dirt as he walked across the field. He chanced a glance over his shoulder, coming to a halt when he realized that Keiko was walking in another direction.
"Hey!" Jack called to her, but she didn't even pause. He raised his voice and tried again. "Hey! I thought you wanted to see Kimiko!"
"Yeah!" Keiko stopped abruptly and spun around. "But that obviously won't happen while I'm with you!"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Jack shouted back angrily. "I told you I was going to take you to her!"
"That was almost five hours ago!" Keiko shot back. Her next words came tumbling out as she took a step forward waving her hands to emphasize her point. "How do I know you're not taking me elsewhere to do what you want with me and then throw my body into the sea later?"
Jack blinked, stunned by her suggestion. He soon recovered as he sneered at her, "Don't flatter yourself, you're not worth the effort."
Keiko put a hand over her mouth, then whispered across the field, her lips moving soundlessly. Jack furrowed his brow in confusion.
"What?" He hollered across the distance.
Keiko cupped her hands around her mouth and tried again.
Jack could only hear a faint call from the distance, his expression a mask of confusion as he held up his hands at a loss.
"I said 'You admit it!'" Keiko shouted as she took a leap forward, her hands cupped around her mouth.
"Admit what?" Jack shouted back.
"You said I'm not worth the effort!"
"What about it?"
"You--Forget it!" Keiko let her voice drop as she made a motion with her hand to signal to Jack that she was done with their shouting match. She turned around and began walking away.
"What?"
Keiko stiffened at his call, but continued on her way as she tossed a half-hearted wave in his direction. She felt she had enough of the wild goose chases she was being put up to.
"Where are you going?"
Keiko jumped up a foot into the air when Jack suddenly appeared in her path, sending the girl to land on the ground awkwardly, one of her ankles giving out as it twisted and sent her off balance, tumbling to the grass. Stunned by the pain, Keiko could only lie there, willing the throbbing to lessen to a dull ache, looking up at the hovering black and red blob hovering nearby through her watering eyes. The soft whirring of twin blades was her only hint as additional dirt was flown into her already compromised vision.
"You're going the wrong way." Jack said as he turned off his heli-bot, dropping down in front of her. "Did I mention how graceful you are?"
"It might have come up." Keiko managed to grit out through the pain in response to his insensitive comment.
There was a violent rumbling coming from the bamboo forest, ending their conversation quickly as both of them turned to look. Keiko was looking over her shoulder as Jack straightened up, both their eyes widening as cracks in the ground began to appear at random, not far from where they were. Now aware of the situation, they could now hear the indistinct cries and shouting coming from where the cracks were originating from.
"An earthquake?" Keiko pushed herself to a sitting position, trying to figure out what the noises were.
"A showdown!"
"Wha--" Keiko ended on a yelp as Jack had suddenly pulled her by her arms and onto her feet, the throbbing in her ankle increasing, tears leaking from the corners of her eyes. She stumbled, but soon resorted to half-hopping, half-skipping after Jack as he jerked her along for a few feet, then activated his heli-bot. Soon Keiko was gripping Jack's arm with both hands, hugging it tightly as relief swept through her, right down to her swollen ankle as she dangled several feet above the ground.
"Would I be going on a limb if I'm guessing this is a convenient Wu that can talk and offer to show us how it works?" Raimundo asked as he recognized the voice.
"I would have to pull you back from off that limb and say that is not so." Omi answered as he took a fighting stance, his eyes scanning the area.
Soon the others were following suit as dark, feminine laughter filled the area, the bamboo forest starting to lose light as something darted above them.
"Gaia Bou!" Was shouted from above them just before a long staff came hurtling from the darkness and embedded itself in the middle of the formation the four warriors formed. Immediately, they turned around and jumped away from the object, crouching into defensive stances as they focused on the object before them.
Seconds passed in strained silence. Nothing happened.
"Maybe it's a--" Raimundo ended with a cry of surprise as the ground beneath him depressed sharply, catching him moments before he could fall into the hole farther than his shoulder level. He winced as the earth packed around him tightly within seconds, immobilizing him within the ground as only his head and shoulders were able to move in the slightest. "Hey!"
The other three warriors jumped away from Raimundo, eyes wide as they started searching the ground. Soon depressions were appearing at random, some managing to catch them by surprise, but after seeing the trick once they were able to avoid the traps. Omi and Kimiko, light as they were, grabbed onto the studier bamboo stalks in the forest and climbed until they were a few feet from the ground.
"I've got this one." Clay told them, adjusting his hat with a smirk as he readied himself for his attack. "Wudai Crater, Earth!"
Clay's arms were covered in soil and rocks that rose from the ground. Slamming his hands down, his fingers curled towards his palms, onto the surface, he created a wave of dirt heading towards Raimundo. The Brazilian boy panicked at the sight, closing his eyes together tightly as he waited for the impact, but instead he found himself being lifted up, his earth based prison releasing its hold on him as he popped out of the ground. He landed on his side, looking over at Clay who shook off the dirt and gave him a thumbs up. Kimiko and Omi were cheering from above.
"Grab the Shen Gong Wu!" Omi shouted as he pointed to the staff with his free hand.
Raimundo looked at Clay, who nodded in understanding before both boys reacted. Raimundo jumped up onto a bamboo stalk to avoid another trap while Clay took over and headed for the Wu. It was inches within his grasp, his hand outstretched and ready to grasp it, until an impact made it's way across his face and sent him hurtling through several stalks, breaking them clean through a few feet above the ground.
"Foolish children." Wuya chuckled as she slowly let her arm fall to her side, one hand braced against her hip as she shook her head with a 'tsk.'
"Wuya!" The remaining warriors (and Dojo, who was wrapped around a bamboo stalk far above them) cried.
"Do you really think you're safe up there?" Wuya's lips curled into a terrible smile, breaking out into a cackle as she yanked the Shen Gong Wu from the ground and raised it high above her head.
"Gaia Bou!" She cried out before stabbing it into the earth, her eyes alight.
Soon the entire thicket was filled with shouts and screams as the bamboo began to jerk and spasm in place, clustering around each warrior in a tight grip. The stalks were twisted so firmly and tightly around their limbs that they felt like iron. Wuya chuckled as the bamboo suspended the warriors in the air, picking up Clay last from the ground, still dizzy from her earlier attack as he made no attempt to struggle.
"Quite powerful, don't you agree?" Wuya cooed as she pulled the staff from the ground with ease, running her fingers along the length. "Not quite like my old magic, but it will do."
"What's the matter?" Wuya asked quietly as the warriors refused to retort back, focusing on struggling from their bonds instead. "You seem a bit tired today. Well, how about I be generous, hm? I'll give you a choice of how you could die. I could crush you to death this way--"
Wuya paused to point the staff towards the bamboo stalks, causing their bonds to tighten. The others, for their merit , did not scream, but they grimaced in pain. Wuya's smile widened.
"Or we could do it this way." Wuya threw our both her arms to the side, the staff in the grasp of her right hand as the earth began to shake beneath them violently, the ground jerking up in random areas, unevenly and widening beneath the four warriors. Once they were looking down at what lay below them, Wuya snapped her fingers, the gap in the ground merging together in a split second, rocks and dirt scattering into the air at the power of the impact.
"They both sound so appealing." Kimiko said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
Wuya made a sound of contempt. "Ingrates."
"As horribly gruesome and painful as that sounds, I'm going to have to pass." Kimiko spat out, her temper short from the already stressful day she was having.
"That's quite a shame, but I'll be understanding today." Wuya responded, her eyes narrowing as she pointed the staff at Kimiko. "You'll get something special."
Kimiko stiffened as something slide pass one ear and glide across and around her neck to meet back at the same ear it had started at. She took in a sharp breath at the slight pressure she felt, her heart thundering in her chest as she caught her reflection in Wuya's burning emerald gaze. She smiled as she waved the staff towards the air, a small patch of ground lifting her up so that she towered above the warriors.
"The boys will be crushed to death, but first they're going to watch their little dragon of fire go first." She clasped her hands together, fluttering her eyelashes as she smiled down at the snarling warriors. "See how special you are, my dear."
Suddenly Wuya snapped her fingers. "Oh, that's right."
Wuya called out the Shen Gong Wu's name, holding it up high above her head. The warriors jerked in their bonds in response as bamboo stalks bent and flexed towards them, snaking up their bodies and into their clothes. They cried out in protest, struggling against their bonds, unsure of what Wuya was trying to accomplish. It wasn't until the first stalk had pulled away from Omi, it's branches wrapped around the Orb of Tornami, did they realize what Wuya was doing.
Soon the Shen Gong Wu was held out to Wuya, her smile widening.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
With that Wuya waved the staff in Kimiko's direction, the Shen Gong Wu obeying her will as she wiggled her fingers in a gesture of farewell to them and disappeared through the foliage, the earth that had raised her into the sky crumbling back to the ground.
Kimiko felt the stalk tightening around her throat. She began to hyper-ventilate as the others began shouting and struggling fruitlessly against their bonds. They were exhausted and immobilized, not even strong enough to break free and even if Wuya had not taken their Shen Gong Wu they wouldn't have been able to use them..
Little dragon...
Kimiko's vision was blurring as she struggled against the bamboo stalks. The sounds of her friends were becoming muffled, drowned out by the beating of her heart thundering in her ears.
Dragon of fire...
Bamboo...
Fire...
Fire...
Kimiko's eyes snapped open.
"Wudai Mars, Fire!" Kimiko rasped out as loudly as she could, just seconds before her entire body was engulfed with flames, immediately taking hold of their bamboo bonds. Then Kimiko clenched her eyes shut as she focused her mind on destroying only the bamboo, praying that the others wouldn't be hurt in the process.
Raimundo and Clay were quick to respond once their bonds loosened, allowing them to break free with minimal hesitation as they closed their eyes at the sight of the flames licking at an uncomfortably close range. Once free, both boys immediately responded with their element, Clay dropping to the ground to take care of the deep trenches just waiting to crush them and Raimundo to catch himself and raise Omi and Kimiko high above the flames.
"Wudai Neptune, Water!" Omi took the hint as he sent out a shower of water to douse the flames to keep from destroying the entire thicket and causing more damage than necessary.
"I'd say that was a pretty close call." Clay said once he had finished closing the cracks to the best of his ability, wiping an arm over his sweating brow. The surface was still definitely uneven, but there were no dangerous cracks that could lead to serious injury in the ground and it seemed that with Wuya and the Shen Gong Wu no longer close by, the powers were lessened and soon the bamboo thicket held no traces of magic.
Raimundo landed near Clay, guiding his powers to bring Omi and Kimiko back to the ground safely. They all let out their own sighs of relief as the forest became quiet. Dojo slid down one of the untouched bamboo, his claws scraping away at the stalk as he dug them into just before he touched the ground.
"That went well." The dragon commented casually as he let go and touched onto the slightly damp earth. He glanced up at the warriors, shrinking back at the glares he was receiving.
"Lost the Wu in record time." Raimundo mumbled as he kicked up some rocks, frightening Dojo who covered his tiny arms over his face. He rolled his eyes as he turned away, this time being the one on the receiving end of the glares. "What?"
"According to the scroll, the Gaia Bou has the ability to control plants, including the soil it grows from." Kimiko said once she had pulled out the scroll and opened it to reveal the picture demonstrating the use of the Shen Gong Wu. In similar fashion to how Wuya used it, there were two people depicted in the circle, one holding up the staff while plants sprung from the ground and entangled the enemy, immobilizing him.
"That was quick thinking, Kimiko, to use your element to free us from our restraints." Omi praised, earning a weak smile from Kimiko, but it fell from her face at his next words. "But why did you not think of it sooner?"
"Yeah, you were cutting it really close there, Kimiko." Raimundo put in, adding oil to the fire. "Trying to keep us in suspense?"
"You want to start with me?" Kimiko snapped the scroll shut, her small form radiating her anger as she clutched the item like a weapon in her hands tightly. Omi and Raimundo shook their heads quickly, taking a step back. Kimiko turned her glare on Clay and Dojo who blinked in response.
"I didn't say anything." Clay defended as Dojo waved his claws in front of him.
"You did earlier." She snapped, shoving the scroll into her pack.
"I didn't mean anything by it." Clay said calmly, then looked down at the small dragon. "Maybe it's time we go, Dojo?"
"Huh? Oh, right!" Dojo agreed. The others stepped away from the dragon to make room, a noticeable distance away from Kimiko who continued to kept her head up high, her face turned away from them. Dojo looked over at the boys who just shrugged in response before he took on his larger form. "All aboard the Dojo express!"
Naturally, Kimiko was the first on as the boys wisely chose to wait for her. They climbed up, still keeping their distance as Dojo glanced over his shoulder to check the progress of his riders, then headed up towards the sky at an angle. They broke the foliage, causing them to squint their eyes at the sunlight intruding in their eyes. Dojo flew in a wide circle over the thicket, letting them survey the damage that was left behind and anything that might have been left in the fight, but there was nothing of interest.
"Home?" Dojo questioned, hovering in place.
The boys stayed silent, knowing that Kimiko was still worried about her friend, but silently they were agreeing with Dojo. To their surprise, Kimiko did as well.
"Home." She said in a defeated tone, her head bowed. Kimiko knew why she had taken so long to use her element. She had actually forgotten about her abilities. She was exhausted and her mind was unfocused, it had been bad enough that Wuya had found the Shen Gong Wu before them, but she had went so far to toy with them. Had it been any other day, it would have been easy to at least come to the point where they could have challenged Wuya to a showdown, but today they were fighting at only half their power. Kimiko believing she was the one at her worst.
It pained her, but Kimiko could no longer ignore her body's protests and the close call they had just encountered. She needed to rest. If she kept going at the rate she was at, they'd never be able to fight at their best and there was no way she would be able to find Keiko.
Dojo hesitated, but at the nods of the other warriors he turned and began to gain altitude. Kimiko sat behind the boys, slowly looking up to see them staring out ahead at the sky before them. She looked over her shoulder and saw the damage they left behind, smoke still curling from the space their fight had resulted in. Before she turned away from the sight that only helped to remind her of their defeat, she caught sight of a figure just at the edge of the thicket.
Too far away to see any details, Kimiko guessed it was a young boy, his hair black and wearing shades of blue. The figure was moving at an agonizingly slow pace, or it could of been that Dojo was moving so swiftly that they figure seemed to moving slowly. Kimiko briefly wondered if the figure that was shrinking in the distance knew about what had just transpired only a few meters away. The thought brought a sharp stab of guilt as she was reminded about Keiko who was still missing, possibly because of her.
It was a frightening notion, but the billions of people who lived on this earth were oblivious to the fight, to put it bluntly, between good and evil that was happening right under their noses.
Many things were going through Keiko's mind as they touched down somewhere in the bamboo thicket. She had to grab onto Jack, leaning on him heavily as a sharp pain shot from her ankle and up through her spine as a reminder, but he didn't seem to notice. He dashed from her grasp and farther into the thicket, Keiko biting her lip to keep from crying out as her weight was shifted onto her injury. She gripped the nearest bamboo stalk, careful to avoid the cracks in the earth that seemed to litter the entire forest floor.
When she had heard him at first, she immediately thought of a fight, but what she didn't understand was how an earthquake could be a signal of a fight occurring somewhere in the bamboo forest. She had then waved it off as having misheard him and went so far as to think that he might have said 'show' as in a movie production being filmed out in the middle of nowhere. The earthquake was a special effect and... even that explanation fell off lamely in her mind.
"What are you doing?"
Keiko gripped the stalk tightly, her eyes closed as she took a deep breath. She exhaled slowly and opened her eyes to find an irate Jack Spicer standing in front of her with a frown marring his expression. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her along, Keiko biting her lip hard to keep from letting out the string of screams (and possibly death threats) that were just on the tip of her tongue.
The closer they got, the louder the voices were and the more Jack sped up. The area seemed strange to Keiko as they started to climb over rocks and ledges jutting from the ground, as well as painful, she was ready to cry at the unfairness of the situation, but soon Jack stopped, holding out an arm to keep her from moving any further. Keiko collapsed to her feet once she saw the movement, pressing her head against the hard, rock surface of the unusual mass of earth just sitting there amongst all the bamboo. Jack was peeking over the side, pulling back to hide behind the rock quickly as they listened to the voices that only now did Keiko realize, was clear.
"... Something special."
Keiko didn't recognize the voice, but Jack was sweating besides her, fidgeting against their hiding place.
"It's Wuya." He whispered to her silent question, looking around the side to narrow his eyes and stick out his tongue at Wuya's back. "I didn't think she'd be here."
Keiko could only stare at Jack's back as he continued to watch the scene behind the rock formation, of which she was clueless too. Rather than make the situation more clear, his answers only served to bring up more questions. Who was Wuya? Why did he not expect her to be here? Why were they here in the first place?
"The boys will be crushed to death, but first they're going to watch their little dragon of fire go first."
Keiko looked towards her own side, slowly shifting her weight closer to the edge.
"See how special you are, my dear."
Keiko managed to look over the side. She was at a lost for words at the scene before her. A woman with hair even more striking than the thief that hid next to her was being raised towards the sky on a rising platform (of rocks?) and before Keiko could get a better look at the woman, she was gone in a blink of an eye. She watched in fascination as the structure crumbled back down to the earth, covering her head with one arm as dirt and rocks came pelting towards her. Once the dust had cleared, Keiko shook off the rubble and chanced another glance at the scene.
"Wudai Mars, Fire!"
Keiko jerked away, her face stinging at the bright blaze of fire that exploded to life, the heat could be felt all around. It took a moment for the Keiko to recover, but soon the fire had lessened, allowing her to chance another glance around their hiding place.
"Wudai Star, Wind!"
"Wudai Crater, Earth!"
Keiko watched, gripping the rock and dirt formation that hid her from view as a brown haired boy was lifted into the sky and a bulky, blonde wearing a cowboy hat was slamming his hands into the earth, the cracks in the ground disappearing as the surface moved and merged together.
"Wudai Neptune, Water!"
Keiko was shocked by the splash of water that hit her from the sky, looking up to see it originating from a small, bald young boy who was floating in the air. The person she saw floating next to him had her slipping onto the damp earth, her side being jabbed by rocks jutting out of the ground, but she could barely feel a thing.
"That went well."
Keiko watched, her mind growing numb as she felt her world spinning. The four in the distance were looking over at a creature that resembled a snake on the ground. Even still a good ten meters away, Keiko could still hear them clearly, her hearing sharpening as she focused on the movement of their lips. She clenched her eyes shut briefly, forcing them open by sheer force of will as she continued to stare at the only girl standing amongst the destruction, her mind in denial.
It can't be her, She reasoned. It's just someone who looks like her--
"--to the scroll, the Gaia Bou has the ability--"
Keiko struggled to sit up, clutching the rock. That voice was definitely Kimiko.
Or not, I mean, when was the last time we talked? A month? Keiko reasoned, grasping at straws.
"That was quick thinking, Kimiko, to use your element to free us from our restraints."
The young boy's voice echoed in her head as he said Kimiko's name. Keiko found herself leaning against the rock formation, what remaining strength she had left draining out of her body as she stared at the ground. Even as their voices became indistinct, the conversation lost on her, Kimiko's name rang out clearly, like a bell being hit right by Keiko's ears.
There... there are plenty of girls named Kimiko. Keiko thought, but her chest felt tight and her breathing was shallow. That's not her, it's just someone who sounds like her, looks like her, has the same name as her...
"Kimiko..."
She winced at the sound of her voice in combination with the name she had just spoken, turning from the side to find herself face to face with a grinning Jack Spicer.
Keiko closed her eyes, blocking the vision as she turned away.
"Enough proof for you?" Jack rubbed in, a smug look on his face.
There was no response.
"Big surprise, isn't it?" Jack was grinning, delighting at the look on Keiko's face as she brought her knees up to her chest, one leg stopping short, dropping back to the ground as she wrapped her arms around her left knee, her face buried against them. Jack refused to stop there, rubbing salt in her wounds as he edged closer.
"She didn't tell you anything, did she?" Jack whispered excitedly, fighting to get his voice down as he knew the warriors were still nearby. Then an idea struck him. "Doesn't it make you mad? What kind of best friend lies to you?"
Keiko made no sound, but Jack saw her clench her fingers into the material of her sleeves.
"And what is she doing here? She knows you're being accused of a crime you never committed back home! She didn't even come and visit you--"
Keiko's fingers were turning white.
"This is your chance to get back at her." Jack was grinning, glancing up briefly as he heard the sound of Dojo breaking through the bamboo leaves, nudging Keiko until she finally jerked up her gaze at him. He had expected to see her crying, but instead, her eyes were blazing with an anger he had seen many times before in the eyes of the very few women in his life, including his mother.
"So, how about it?" He concluded weakly, pulling away from her in the slightest.
Instead of answering, Keiko turned away from him, stumbling to her feet as she used the rock that they had used to cover them as support. She started to gimp away, clutching every bamboo stalk that was within her reach to keep herself from falling. Jack watched in surprise as she half-walked, half-limped away from him towards the edge of the bamboo thicket. He stood up and slowly made his way after her.
"Hey! Where are you going now?"
Keiko refused to answer him, moving more wildly as she tried to quicken her pace.
"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Jack's tone grew annoyed as he too quickened his pace.
"I've had enough." Keiko said quietly, keeping her voice as even as possible. She was starting to sweat from the effort and sharp pain emitting from her ankle.
"Of course!" Jack agreed whole heartedly, now walking backwards as he made his way in front of her, rubbing his hands together as a smile made its way on to his face. "That's why I can help you get back at her--"
"I've had enough of you." Keiko snapped. Jack tripped over a root at her statement, landing flat on his back. He winced as he looked up at the stalks looming over him, Keiko moving around him as she just barely missed hitting his nose with her foot that she held off the ground, hopping on her left. She kept her focus on the ground to keep herself from meeting the same fate as Jack was back on his feet, staring after her. His face took on a stormy expression as he watched her finally exit the thicket and into the open fields, following after her a few steps behind.
"If that's the way it's going to be, then fine!" He called after her. Keiko continued to gimp away, her arms held out to her sides to keep her balance without even a single glance over her shoulder. His irritation rising, Jack took another step forward, cupping his hands over his mouth. "That's right, keep walking. Limping. Hopping like some three legged... cow! Don't even think of crawling back to me because you just missed your chance, baby!"
Keiko paused, catching her breath. Had she been listening to Jack, she might have took offense at his three legged cow insult.
Misreading her action, Jack smirked and emerged out of the thicket, taking his time as he strolled over to her shaking form.
"So I see you've come to your senses. You know you need me. Now that we've got that co--Hey!"
Keiko was limping away again. Jack watched in disbelief as she continued to ignore him. A full minute passed and Keiko had yet to cover very much ground, but she continued to limp away at a steady speed.
Too angry to form words, Jack activated his heli-bot and flew into her path, but this time Keiko was ready and merely paused long enough to shift directions to move around him. Not one to be ignored, Jack followed her, forcing Keiko to realize that he wasn't about to let her go quietly. Giving in for the moment, Keiko sighed, dropping her foot, but leaned on the left to keep off any pressure on her injury.
"You think you can walk away from Jack Spicer? No one walks away from Jack Spicer! If anything, it's Jack Spicer who's going to do all the walking!" He spat at her, deactivating his heli-bot as he dropped onto his feet, jabbing a finger at her.
Keiko said nothing. She merely stood there, staring at him with a blank expression, knowing he had more to say and it was fruitless to tell him to shove those words elsewhere.
"I'm walking away from you. That's right!" Jack stomped his foot, his arms crossed over his chest as he put his nose in the air. "You'll be sorry, oh you'll be sorry. You'll be crawling back to me in no time once you realize how hopeless you are without me. You're in the middle of nowhere, you realize that don't you? And you know what? I'm not going to wait around for you to realize that so you might as well start begging now. It's my way or the high way, get it?"
"As obnoxious as ever, I see."
All the anger and rage that showed in his eyes melted into surprise and a hint of fear as Jack jerked around, his arms falling to his sides as he scanned the area. His eyes immediately landed on the source of the voice.
"Wuya!"
Keiko felt her own irritation and exasperation fade as she noticed the woman from earlier walking towards them.
"I-I thought you left." He stuttered, taking a step backwards.
The red-headed woman gave him a look of amusement, stopping short as she placed one hand on her hip, the other holding the staff at her side.
"Well, you thought wrong. It wouldn't be the first time." She smirked. "You being wrong, I mean. The thinking part is a whole other story."
Boiling at her insult, Jack ground his teeth together, thinking of something to counter with.
"Is that your mother?"
Wuya and Jack actually stumbled in their places at the question. Wuya was looking at Keiko with a look of horror, finally taking notice of her as Jack stepped away from her, his expression similar to Wuya's.
"What!" Both of them shrieked.
"I'm sorry." Keiko said out of habit, surprised by their reactions. "It's just, your hair and... I didn't mean..."
"That witch?" Jack accused, pointing at Wuya with a look of disgust.
"How can you ask that?" Wuya questioned in disbelief, her expression matching Jack's.
"That's what I want to know!" Jack added, glaring at Keiko.
"I'm sorry..." Keiko repeated, at a loss of what to do.
"If he were my son, I'd have been long gone." Wuya added, shaking her head.
"Yeah--Hey!" Jack broke off with a whimper.
"Oh, can't you handle even a little bit of banter?" Wuya snapped, her eyes narrowing in disgust as Jack cowered under her gaze.
Keiko stumbled as Jack backed into her, grabbing onto his shoulder to keep from falling. She wasn't about to make herself look like a fool in front of this strange woman, or even Jack for that matter. Once she regained her balance, Keiko let go, limping to the side in case Jack chose to back into her again.
"I can handle anything you can throw at me, you old hag!" Despite his brave words, Jack's voice shook, barely stopping himself from stuttering. Wuya took a step forward, causing Jack to swallow hard and stumble back, his arms held out in front of him hesitantly.
"Is that a challenge?" Wuya arched an eyebrow, pointing the staff at him.
"No!" He squeaked, but it was too late. The grass beneath his feet elongated, the tips sharpening as it entangled him, wrapping around his arms and legs. Suspended a few feet from the ground, Jack whimpered as the grass held him near Wuya, her lips curling into a smirk. Keiko felt her legs give out, given the fact that only one of them were useful to begin with. She didn't even flinch as she hit the ground, knowing that it mattered little if she did have full use of both her legs. Surrounded by tall grass in all directions, there would be no way to outrun this woman and her... magic.
"Normally, I wouldn't bother with a spineless worm like yourself--("Hey!")--However, it seems that you've brought along something new."
Something? Keiko thought indignantly as Wuya focused her gaze on her. Her anger faded, realizing she was now held the dangerous woman's attention.
"Earlier, I thought you were talking to yourself, but it seems you do have company." Wuya turned the staff on Keiko, causing the girl to flinch involuntarily. Pleased by the reaction, Wuya lowered it and stepped over to her, ignoring Jack's protests at being left hanging, literally.
"A new addition to the side of idiocy?" Wuya questioned, casting her shadow over Keiko, only a few feet away. "Seeking help from little boys now? I would have thought that bratty cousin of yours would have been your next choice."
Little... boy! Keiko shot up to her feet, a bad move considering her injury. The moment she was standing, her ankle gave out with a sharp stab of pain, sending Keiko tumbling onto her side, her right arm taking the full force of impact as Keiko rolled onto her back, clutching it as her eyes clenched shut.
"I'm not a boy." Keiko said managed to grit out, her face burning with a mixture of embarrassment and pain.
"Of course." Wuya said unconcernedly, giving Keiko the impression that she had knew she was a girl all along. Wuya watched Keiko push herself into a sitting position, but made no move to rise any further. Wuya smiled.
"Let me help you." Wuya offered. Without waiting for a reply she lifted the staff and stabbed it into the ground just inches from Keiko's hand that was resting on the ground. She jerked away, surprised by the sudden and violent action, but soon she was being lifted up and restrained in the same manner Jack had been.
Keiko pulled at the bonds hesitantly, fearful enough that she didn't want to be held this way, but she didn't want to encourage the woman to feel she had to reinforce the hold on her. As she pulled at the bonds, Keiko was surprised to find that they really were holding her tightly and it really did feel like the grass she had been lying on moments before. Her hair still damp and mud crackling off of her jacket, Keiko was held high in the air, suspended by grass wrapped tightly around her legs and arms that kept her cocooned in place. It was then the reality of the situation hit her and sunk through her mind that was slowly being cleared of the fog of denial.
"This is real."
The words had escaped her before she could stop them, her voice full of disbelief. Wuya raised an eyebrow at that, looking over at Jack who was sulking in his restraints.
"You're scraping the bottom of the barrel, aren't you?" Wuya turned back to Keiko, lifting the staff to touch the young girl under her chin, forcing her head up. Keiko jerked at the contact and away from the staff, her eyes squeezing shut as Jack looked at Wuya in confusion. "Where did you pick this one up? Caught her stealing at a toy shop?"
Caught her stealing at a toy shop...
Wuya's accusation echoed through her mind as the sudden jolt of electricity that shot through her body faded, her nerves on edge. It wasn't as painful as much as it was surprising, but she quickly overlooked it as Wuya's words caused her anger to return in full force. It had been enough when she had been brought to the middle of nowhere and twisted her ankle, maybe even broken it after all the irritation and pressure she had put it under. Then finding out what exactly Kimiko had been up to all this time and now, to be accused as a thief?
"I'm not a thief!" Keiko shouted, surprising the two as she began to struggle in her restraints violently. "I'm not a boy and I'm not working for anyone! If you have business with him, that's fine but don't put us in the same class because I'm nothing like him!"
Keiko's last words echoed through the clearing. It was as if a strong gust of wind had blown across the clearing as the grass all around them shuddered and waved across the field, but Wuya nor Jack felt any breeze. Slightly alarmed, Wuya felt a shift in the area moments before she jumped away, the place that she had just been standing on shooting into the air like a powerful eruption of grass, dirt, and rock. Just before Wuya lost sight of Keiko or Jack, she saw them both hit the ground as the restraints she put on them crumbled about them.
As suddenly as the shift happened, it was gone and the grass and earth crumbled and fell to the earth, raining on the two teenagers and Wuya as well. She scowled, leaping back even further to avoid the debris, staring at the disturbance in the ground near the young girl.
Keiko was laying in the dirt, unmoving. Jack was the first to recover, slowly removing his arms from above his head as the debris finally stopped falling, looking himself over to check the damage. Seeing nothing serious, he proceeded to brush the dirt and grass from his arms and hair, shaking it out quickly.
Her lip curling in annoyance, Wuya slammed the staff into the dirt.
"Gaia Bou!" She shouted.
Jack raised his arms in front of him, screaming in anticipation of the attack.
Seconds passed in silence.
Jack opened his eyes slowly, peeking through the gap in his arms as he spied Wuya staring at him in astonishment. Lowering his arms, he watched as Wuya turned her gaze to the staff, pulling it out before stabbing it back into the earth.
"Gaia Bou!"
Jack waited, but again nothing happened.
"Gaia Bou! Gaia Bou!" Wuya was shouting, pulling it out and resorting to shaking it at the two teenagers. "Gaia Bou!"
Jack felt a grin working its way on his face. Out of the corner of his eye he could see movement and turned to see Keiko slowly pushing herself up to a sitting position. She held a hand to her face, covering her eyes as she swayed, before falling again, this time on her back.
"Who's the idiot, now?" Jack laughed, jumping to his feet as he pointed at Wuya.
At his taunt, Wuya stopped, looking at Jack sharply. Immediately his grin disappeared and he fell to his knees.
"Don't hurt me!"
"I wouldn't waste my time." Wuya spat out, looking back at the staff in her hands with fury. She raised her arm to throw the suddenly useless Shen Gong Wu in her hands (most likely at Jack and kill two birds with one stone), but something in her memory was triggered and stopped her.
"--Until then keep an eye out for anything unusual--"
"Anything unusual?"
"What useless advice..."
Wuya's hand slowly lowered as her eyes widened, recalling the conversation she had with Hannibal only a day earlier. Looking at the Shen Gong Wu in a new light, she grasped it firmly.
"Not as useless as I thought." Wuya murmured to herself, looking up to see Jack still cowering at a distance. Her gaze shifted towards the girl who was struggling into a sitting position once again. Wuya watched as the girl managed to stay up, still swaying in place, her hand falling into her lap to reveal her glassy gaze.
Jack was watching Wuya fearfully as she started heading towards them. He crawled backwards with every step she took, his heart hammering in his chest as he eyed the staff in her grasp, but Wuya's gaze was focused on the girl. She stopped a few feet before the Keiko, her eyes narrowed.
"Who are you?" Wuya asked, her tone leaving no room for nonsense.
Keiko slowly looked up at Wuya, but having to tilt her head threw her body off balance so that she ended up on her back once again. Misinterpreting Keiko's actions, Wuya took it as an insult and took another step forward so that she was looming over the girl, grabbing her by the collar and pulling her up so that she dangled above the ground, Keiko's nose inches away from Wuya's.
"I asked you a question." Wuya spoke in a harsh whisper, an unspoken threat hanging in the air.
"Why do you care?" Jack interjected from a distance, now on his feet. Wuya glared at him, causing him to shrink back. She turned her gaze back to Keiko, but the young girl could only stare at Wuya blankly. As Wuya glared at the girl, she tried to raise her up high above her head to intimidate her, but she was surprised to see her arm shaking from the effort. Wuya dropped the idea, but even as she held Keiko in place, her feet still dangling above the ground, Wuya's arm continued to tremble.
In that time, Jack felt his curiosity get the better of him and spoke up again, despite the danger it put his physical being in.
"Why do you want to know?"
Wuya growled audibly, dropping Keiko to the ground as she turned to Jack sharply, momentarily pushing her concern aside. In a single bound, she landed in front of the shaking boy. He screamed in surprise, but Wuya grabbed him by the collar to keep him from running. Realizing that Keiko wasn't about to give her any answers, she turned to the next best source.
"Who is she?"
"No, don't hurt me! Not the face! Not the face!" Jack whimpered, covering his face with his arms, but Wuya grabbed them both in a crushing grip, yanking them down so her green eyes burned into his frightened red ones.
"Answer the question, Jack." She told him, her voice dripping with malice. Jack swallowed hard, the pain in his arms helping him to focus.
"Sh-she's Kimiko's friend. Keiko Naga...Nagisu... Her name's Keiko." He finished lamely, shutting his eyes tightly as he prepared himself for Wuya's wrath.
"A friend of Kimiko?" Wuya blinked, dropping Jack to the ground. She looked over her shoulder, then back at Jack as he curled himself into a ball out of reflex, his arms covering his head as he trembled at her feet.
"Why is she with you?"
Jack slowly removed his arms, glancing over at Keiko's form, then at Wuya fearfully. Wuya rolled her eyes as Jack continued to dart his gaze between herself and Keiko as he started to stutter out some sort of response.
"I was... She's..."
"She's not even conscious, Jack." Wuya said in exasperation, grabbing the boy by the collar and pulling him to his feet. He noticeably relaxed, but couldn't help to glance at Keiko's motionless form once more before focusing his gaze on Wuya, swallowing hard before he answered.
"I was taking her to see Kimiko."
"Were you?" Wuya arched an eyebrow at that.
"I wanted to find out some dirt on Kimiko, so I offered to help Keiko find her if she would answer my questions. Turns out she didn't know anything." Jack said with a frown, adding with emphasis, "And I mean anything. She doesn't even know about the Shen Gong Wu or that Kimiko's been training up in China all this time."
"Where did you find her?" Wuya asked, having a better understanding about the girl's earlier reaction.
"In Japan. Kind of got her in trouble." Jack chuckled nervously. "I sort of... framed her."
Wuya's eyes widened and Jack silently cursed himself for letting his mouth run off before his mind could catch up. He told Wuya more than what was necessary.
She didn't need to know that! Jack thought to himself angrily.
"My, my, Jack." Wuya said with surprise. "And what did you frame her for?"
"I robbed from Kimiko's father's company." Jack said proudly, feeling more confident by Wuya's reaction. He mentally winced. It was hard to keep his mouth shut once he got going.
"Without getting caught? I see you are improving." Wuya praised him, her mouth curled in a mocking smile. "But not by much."
"Why the sudden interest in her?" Jack's demeanor changed, his arms crossing over his chest as he pouted.
"I could ask the same of you." Wuya countered.
"What are you talking about? I told you, she's Kimiko's--"
"Friend? Yes, of course." Wuya waved off, turning back to check on the girl.
"I'm surprised Chase let you out on your own." Jack sneered at her, trying to change the topic. "Shouldn't you be scrubbing his floors or something?"
A split second later Jack was sent flying across the field, right into the side of his jet that appeared out of nowhere, the cloaking device malfunctioning due to the impact. Jack fell out of the dent he created.
"Good point." Jack slurred out before he collapsed onto the ground.
Wuya flexed her fingers against her palm, examining the hand she had used to hit Jack, surprised to see him still coherent enough to give a response after her attack. Perhaps she was losing her touch?
"I'm a little surprised myself." Wuya said to herself, looking back at the staff and then at the girl that still remained unconscious. Wuya looked at the hand she had held Keiko with, holding it up to the sunlight.
"Very surprised." Wuya said quietly.
AN: Okay, so maybe I lied about the romance, unless you saw some romance in the last couple of chapters? No? Well, I think we're finally at the half-way point or maybe over it by a chapter or two. Hm, well I should get to work on the next chapter... but I think I rather see Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, again! XD I'm sorry, Johnny Depp/Jack Sparrow is just too much to resist. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed! Don't forget to review :)
When the warriors finally return to the temple, what will Master Fung have to say about the situation? What of Jack or Keiko? What is Wuya going to do with the two vulnerable teenagers?