He was ignoring her. Hitomi kept telling herself that it was for the best. She couldn't afford to fall any harder for Chase. The distance would be good for her sanity. But why was he ignoring her in the first place!? Hitomi pursed her lips as she frowned at the empty throne room. Not even Chase's jungle cats could be found. She had checked almost every corner of the palace and she hadn't seen hide nor tail of Chase.

Was he avoiding her because he realized how she feels about him? Chase was very observant and extremely astute. It wasn't so much of a stretch to say that he had an idea of her feelings. Was he avoiding her as his way of not having to deal with her crush? Hitomi frowned as her shoulders slumped slightly.

Was she really surprised? Not really. This was Chase Young. It would have been stupid to hope that he would suddenly profess his love for her. 'Woah. Love?' Hitomi thought. Did she want LOVE? Maybe not... But a little affection wasn't too much to ask for. Was it? Surely Chase was capable of that much.

"I'll just have to find out for myself," Hitomi said and quickly set off with renewed energy. She wasn't about to give up on Chase without even trying. He was her first real crush! She couldn't just let him get away just yet.

~:~

Chase stared down at the painting of Mei in his hands. He had been staring at the painting all night last night and this morning, seeking some sort of epiphany as to what he should do. For so long, he had held onto his memories of her, never allowing himself to move on.

Chase was usually very in tune with his body, mind, and soul. But now, his thoughts and feelings were so jumbled and tangled that he had no idea how to proceed with his life. Knowing Mei, she would feel dismayed that he had been torturing himself with this for so long. Despite how they felt for each other, he was sure that she would want him to be happy in life even if that meant moving on and sharing his life with another.

But he could never do that.

He was immortal. He would never be able to share his life with anyone unlike himself. And the last thing he wanted was to bestow his curse upon anyone. For one thing, the world couldn't handle a shift in the balance between good and evil right now. If there were to be a new evil, there would have to be a new addition to the side of good to counteract the upset. Secondly, there was only one person he would consider sharing his life with, but he would never give her the Lao Mang Lone soup.

Did he really want to? Did he really wish to spend his life with Hitomi? Chase narrowed his gaze at Mei's smiling face. She was his first, real love. She had been nearly perfect- kind, caring, loyal... But, Hitomi was proving to be all that and more. It appeared that the reincarnation was better in every way. He would never forget Mei, but he'd kill to keep Hitomi at his side. It may be old guilt from failing to protect Mei from her assailant. But Chase could tell that what he felt ran deeper. Would he die for her? Could he lay down his life for Hitomi?

Chase growled lowly at Mei's picture. "I wish I could say that my memories of you would fade on their own, but it will be another thousand years before that happens," Chase spoke to the picture before crushing it in his fist and burning the paper. "I'm sorry, Mei. I think it's time to officially bury the past."

~:~

In the dead of night, Wuya and Hannibal moved to put their plan into action. "This is the best that the Xiaolin monks have to offer?" Wuya whispered with a smirk. Hannibal chuckled lowly as they watched Dojo wriggle across the tiles of the courtyard in his robe with a steaming mug in his claws. Dojo yawned loudly before slithering inside the temple and shutting the door behind him.

"Are you ready, partner?" Hannibal questioned.

"Of course. Get the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and the Genggai Gecko. I'll keep you covered," Wuya said as she laid flat against the rooftop of a temple building. With the darkness of the night to camouflage him, Hannibal jumped down from the roof before hopping towards the Shen Gong Wu vault. Wuya smirked down at the silent temple. She had yet to regain the full range of her magic. But after tonight, Chase would give them back to her if he knew what was best for him.

Suddenly, a loud alarm blared just before Hannibal returned on the back of his Ying-Ying bird. He clutched the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman and the Genggai Gecko above his head. "Good! Let's go!" Wuya hissed and grabbed the Genggai Gecko.

"Halt! You won't get away with your theft... Wuya and Hannibal Bean?"

Wuya rolled her eyes. Dressed in their pajamas, the Xiaolin monks glared up at her and Hannibal. Wuya smirked. "Sorry, kids. We've got business to tend to. Genggai Gecko!" Wuya exclaimed and activated the Wu.

"She's using the Golden Tiger Claws!"

"Stop her!"

With a dark laugh, Wuya leapt through the portal with Hannibal following quickly after her. With loud exclamations of frustration, the four monks faced each other angrily. Seconds later, Master Fung and Monk Guan arrived in the courtyard. "Master Fung! Wuya and Hannibal Bean have stolen the Genggai Gecko and the Treasure of the Blind Swordsman!" Omi exclaimed.

"This is most troubling," Master Fung frowned deeply.

"No kidding. Whenever those two team up, it means bad news for everyone- good or evil," Raimundo replied.

"What could they be planning?" Kimiko asked.

"Something most evil. For all we know, they could be working with Chase Young in some plot to take over the world!" Omi theorized.

"We got to do somethin'," Clay spoke up.

"Might I suggest that you exercise caution, young monks? Separately, Wuya and Hannibal Bean pose a serious threat. But together, they are deadly," Master Fung spoke in a grave tone.

"What would you suggest that we do, Master Fung?" Raimundo asked.

Monk Guan and Master Fung exchanged a look. Sending the monks after the duo would be a suicide mission. "Let us not make any rash decisions. Whatever their plans, I am sure that we will hear from Wuya and Hannibal Bean very soon," Monk Guan promised.