Hey everyone. I'm sorry. i know it's been a long time since I updated, but this chapter took longer than I expected. The spring season started so now I've got practice everday whoop dee do... Which unfortunately means that the last and final chapter might take a little while to get uploaded, but I am going to be working on it. Right now I'm not sure. I might have to make two chapters instead of one so I can wrap it all up but like I said I dunno. So anyway, here's this chapter I hope you enjoy. Special thanks to The Daughter of the Greek Gods for kicking my butt into motion. If it wasn't for her you would not be reading this right now. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I will own Xiaolin Showdown when Plutos becomes a saint. Until then, I own nothing.

Chapter 24:
Old Friends and Preparations

"I hope you haven't thought that I had forgotten about you my dear." Aelia shivered as his icy voice whipped through her like an arctic blast.

"What do you want?" she screeched at him.

"Now now Aelia. We have been around for a long time. I feel as though that question has become moot. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I'm not giving you my magic," she hissed at him.

"Very well," Plutos shrugged. "Chase, Wuya" he called, "kill them."

Chase smiled and Wuya summoned her green magic as Aelia screamed, "NO!" and the Xiaolin monks began yelling.

Chase and Wuya paused and glanced at Plutos. He just stared at his daughter, cold and indifferent to the mental and emotional pain he was causing her. Aelia glared at him defiantly. She would NOT allow him to hurt her friends nor would she yield her powers to him. "Daughter," he began, "If you do not give me what I want then I will kill them." His voice grew vicious. "Now give me your magic!" He clenched fists in fury where his black magic had sprung to life, crackling about his wrists like flames and engulfing his hands.

Ash watched in a mixture of anger, horror, and helplessness as Plutos threatened Aelia. He saw her take notice of the black magic with fearful eyes. However, he knew her well enough to know that Aelia's mind was going a hundred miles a minute. He could practically see the wheels turning as she tried to come up with a plan, a strategy, an escape route, anything. Ash felt a hand on his shoulder and turned around. Raimundo was looking at him with sympathy. But there was hard determination etched in his face. They were going to get out of this. Aelia was going to be alright. They were all going to make it. Rai conveyed this to him with a single look. Ash looked at Kimiko, standing next to Rai and saw that she had the same look of fortitude in her eyes. All of his teammates had that look on their faces. When she caught his eye Kimiko nodded at him. They were worried, but they were going to survive.

"What are you going to do Daughter? The chess match is over. You've lost. You've got no moves left. This is check mate."

Aelia took a step back and fumbled with the neckline of her tank top. She tugged at the chain around her neck and pulled out a silver white dog whistle. The whistle was ice cold to the touch, as if it had been carved from a glacier, but she didn't feel it. Instead, Aelia brought the whistle to her lips and blew as hard as she could. No sound filled the air.

When nothing happened Plutos threw back his head and laughed evilly in triumph. Aelia removed the whistle from her lips and looked at it. Then she looked at him, terrified.

He had stopped laughing and was now looking at her like a lion who had his meal cornered. The twisted smile had vanished from his face and all traces of previous amusement was gone. It had been replaced with impatience. "Enough wasting time," he growled. "Your life is over. I am cutting your thread." The entire time he had been speaking he stalked towards her, a most deadly predator indeed. With every step forward he took, Aelia took a step back. She had kept this up until one of her feet hit air. She felt the vast nothingness of the canyon behind her and knew that she had run out of room.

"You are not the Fates," she said, her voice razor sharp with hate. "They will decide when my time is done and you will burn in Tartarus for thinking that you are more powerful than they."

And with that she brought her feet together and stretched her arms outward, palms facing away from her body, so that she looked as if she were about to fly. Then she did something that shocked everyone watching. She leaned her body back and fell as one would allow themselves to fall backwards onto a bed. Only there was no bed for her to fall onto. There was nothing but the open air and the darkness that had begun to consume the canyon's floor as night approached.

Ash yelled and Kimiko clenched Raimundo's arm, but everyone else was too stunned to move. Even Plutos found himself unable to lift a finger as the container of his precious power free fell through the air.

Aelia knew she had only seconds to act as the ground raced upwards to meet her. She flipped so that her back was no longer facing the ground. Instead she was falling, feet first, and praying all the while that she hadn't miscalculated.

On the plateaus, everyone stood still in a stunned silence. She had jumped. It still hadn't completely sunk in. The Xiaolin monks couldn't move. Ash felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He couldn't breathe. Aelia was many things, but she was not one to take her own life. And yet, the image of Aelia spreading her arms like an angel then gracefully falling backwards remained ingrained in brain. The worst part: he hadn't been able to do anything about it because they were all still trapped in the Sphere of Yun.

It was all too much for him. His legs buckled and he fell to his knees just as a sob escaped Kimiko. Ash clenched his fists and shut his eyes trying to keep from crying, but a single tear escaped and slid down his cheek. Behind him he heard Raimundo take Kimiko into his arms as she cried over their lost teammate. Clay took off his hat, placed it on his chest, and bowed his head. Omi just stared, slightly open-mouthed at the spot where they had last seen her before she fell out of sight.

Plutos was just as stunned. He was not often surprised, but when it came to his daughter she always managed to leave him flabbergasted and a little disoriented. But this… her actions this time had reached a new level of desperation and daring. Not once in the three- thousand years he had been hunting her had she ever committed suicide.

Plutos reeled back as if someone had slapped him across the face and careful rethought what had just crossed his mind. She had never attempted suicide. His daughter took pride in the life she lived, he knew that. Taking her life was against her beliefs. Furthermore, it was against the laws of the gods whom she so dearly cherished.

With this thought in mind, he raced to the edge of the plateau and glanced down. He fell backwards onto his bottom as a colossal white… thing went soaring upwards right in front of his face.

"What on earth…" he muttered as looked up. The thing had flown right into the sun so he had to use his hand to shield his eyes from the sun's glare. He heard gasps and cheering coming from the Xiaolin warriors and what he saw simultaneously sent his eyebrows shooting upward and caused his jaw to drop.

The beast in front of him was magnificent. There was no other word to describe the pearly white dragon that hovered in midair before him. His body was as big as a small temple. Each aquamarine tinted wing was as long as a school bus. The dragon growled, revealing super-long, razor-sharp teeth.

And seated on the back of this massive beast, looking very smug and pleased with herself, was his daughter.

Aelia saw the disbelief in her father's eyes and allowed herself a brief smile before gripping Aristokles' scales. Roaring, Aristokles flew towards Plutos at top speed, teeth-barred. Plutos dove out of the way as the dragon swept over him, his claws just missing him.

The dragon turned around and took off again, this time heading for Chase and Wuya. When he was close enough, Aristokles opened his jaws and flames poured out of his mouth and headed straight for the villains. In their haste to avoid the fiery dragon breath, Chase dropped the Sphere of Yun, causing it to deactivate and release the monks trapped inside.

Instantaneously, Dojo transformed into his dragon form and the Xiaolin warriors jumped on. Omi grabbed the Sphere of Yun before getting on Dojo.

Plutos glared as both dragons disappeared into the setting sun. He was angry that she had escaped him once again, yet he also felt triumphant. He knew, deep down, that he had pushed her to her limit. He could tell that Aelia was tired of playing cat-and-mouse with him. And he knew that this had sent her over the edge. She would come for him. And the sooner the better.

"Come," he called to Chase and Wuya, who were still recovering from Aristokles' dragon breath. "We must prepare." And with that, he disappeared in a swirl of black magic.

Chase and Wuya exchanged a glance before they, too, disappeared.

Dojo touched down in front of the temple gates where Master Fung had been patiently awaiting their return. The Xiaolin monks leaped off and landed on the ground at his feet. He raised an eyebrow.

"Where is Aelia?" he asked.

Just then a roar echoed throughout the mountain and, after another second, Aristokles' glorious white body appeared above the line of trees. Aelia was still seated in the crevice where his neck joined with his body. The wind whipped her mane of hair straight back, sometime during the fight and flight it had come loose, and her eyes were wild with a battle light.

Aristokles circled the temple twice before descending toward the earth. Just before his claws scraped the ground there was a flash of white light and the sound of beating wings changed to one of pounding hooves. When the light was gone, and the monks could see again, Aelia stood before them seated on the back of a beautiful snow white stallion with an aquamarine tinted tail and mane.

Aelia dismounted, patting Aristokles the horse on the side of his neck. He whinnied and butted her softly with his head. She gave a soft smile before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him.

I've missed you so much, she whispered in her mind.

And I have missed you too my lady, but it seems the Fates have brought us together again, he told her.

She nodded and buried her face in his mane.

"I see that more than just Shen Gong Wu hunting has occurred on your expedition," Master Fung said. "Perhaps one of you would like to explain. Raimundo?" He turned with questioning but patient eyes to their leader.

Quietly Raimundo explained what had happened during their hunt. When he had finished Master Fung looked calmly around at all of them and said, "Well I do believe a decision must be made here."

Aelia mumbled something incoherent into Aristokles' mane. Everyone just looked at her.

"Er... what was that Aelia?" Raimundo asked.

Aelia moved her head so that they could all see her face and hear her voice. "I have to fight him," she told them.

"Aelia..." Ash began, but then he saw the burning look of determination in her eyes and knew that there was no changing her mind.

"I'm going to march right up to Chase's castle and demand that my father fight me. It's the only chance I have at getting him to leave me alone."

"I do not understand," Omi spoke up. "You say that your father is ruthless and relentless. Why would defeating him in battle make him stop?"

"Because I'm going to kill him," Aelia paused letting that sink in before continuing. "Or he'll kill me. Either way by tomorrow there will only be one Calydonian left in the-"

"No!" Ash yelled while simultaneously reaching out to grab her wrist. The moment he made contact, there was a flash of bright light next to Aelia. Aristokles had transformed back into a dragon and he roared in Ash's face. Ash, terrified and taken by surprise, dropped Aelia's wrist and fell backwards trying to get away from the dragon's razor-sharp teeth.

Aelia stepped in between Ash and Aristokles and spread her arms wide.

"No Aristokles," she said. Mentally she added, Not him. He is not my enemy.

Aristokles bowed his head. I am sorry my lady. It is just my natural reaction.

Aelia relaxed and smiled at her dragon. Ash scrambled to his feet and retreated backwards. Aelia turned to face him. "Sorry," Aelia apologized. "He's protective of me."

"I'll say," Ash muttered.

Aelia looked up fondly at Aristokles then her eyes hardened. A frown appeared on her face. "I have to fight Plutos. It's the only way to stop him. And none of you are going to stop me from doing what I should've done years ago."

She turned on her heels and began walking to her room. Master Fung watched her go. The child had cone a long way since she arrived at the temple. Yet she was still entangled in her past. He knew that she could never have a normal life until she severed those ties and let go of her past. And if this is how she was planning on doing it, then he respected her decision. Still, he would not allow her to face this on her own. He turned his head and looked at Raimundo meaningfully.

Rai understood the message. "Come on you guys," he told his teammates as he led them into the temple.

Aelia was leaning against the windowsill in her room. Her eyes were fixed on the chest which contained her only possessions. Tonight, either way, it would all be over. Someone was going to die and Aelia didn't plan on it being her. But at the same time she knew that Plutos wouldn't just lay down and ask her to kill him. He was going to throw everything he had at her. She had to bring her A-game tonight. There would be no second chances, no do-overs, no rematches. She couldn't afford any mistakes. This was not a fight for slip ups. She had to be perfect in everything she did.

"Rule number one about being a warrior," Nico's voice echoed in her head. "There's no such thing as perfection, but if you practice hard enough you can get pretty damn close."

Aelia smiled without humor. She was going to have to hope that that rule wouldn't apply to her in this fight.

Thinking that she could use all the help she could get, Aelia dropped to her knees and closed her eyes. She clasped her hands and rested them on top of her wooden chest. Then she prayed.

She prayed harder than she ever had and to every battle god she knew. Aelia asked them to watch over her through the clash and bless her with their fighting skills.

The temple was silent and the sun had begun to set over China when Aelia picked her head up. Slowly, she rose to her feet and lifted the top off of the chest. Then, reverently she pulled out a white tunic and held it out in front of her.

It was a gift, given to her many years ago, yet it still shone and shimmered like moonlight. She had never worn it.

Woven by Athena with thread enchanted by Artemis, it was a work of beauty but it was also a powerful weapon. It heightened all of her senses and increased the power of her magic. Additionally, it allowed her to focus her magic and draw power from even the simplest, smallest structures of her body. She had been saving it for this occasion and this occasion alone.

Quickly she put on the tunic and looked at herself in the mirror. She looked more like her real self in ancient clothes than she ever could in modern ones. She was more comfortable in them, too. And, in her opinion, it was easier to fight in a tunic. She didn't know why. Maybe because she had been taught to fight in one.

Aelia stared at her reflection as the memories of her past began to wash over her. Then she was lost in time. She was a normal child again who knew no pain and fear except for when her mother needed a test subject. She was a human who had never known the terror of being hunted. She was a girl who was in love with the thrill of the hunt. She was...

A light tap on the doorframe brought her back to the present. She turned to see who it was, although she already knew it was Ash. He was dressed fully in his Wudai uniform except for the mask, which he held in his hand.

"You were miles away," he said softly.

"I was just thinking," she said just as quietly.

"What's wrong?" Ash knew her too well. When she just shook her head Ash spread out his arms. "Venga aquí," he commanded gently. "Come here."

Aelia felt her feet glide forward across the floor. She moved closer and closer to Ash until she felt his arms close around her. And then she felt a blaze of warmth and fierce protectiveness for her as he pulled her close. Hesitantly, she put her arms around his neck and leaned her head on his chest. This feels so right, was her only thought.

"Now," Ash said, keeping her close. "Dime."

"Huh?" Aelia asked pulling back a little. She spoke three languages, none of them were Spanish. Italian and Latin were pretty close, but right now her brain was too frazzled from the close contact to process anything.

"I said tell me. Tell me what's wrong."

Aelia looked at him. "I don't think anything's wrong. I'm just relieved that this will soon be resolved," Aelia confessed. "You have no idea what these past 3000 years have been like. Always running, hiding, feeling like I'm balancing on the edge of a knife and never

knowing which side I'm going to fall off."

Ash held her away from him a little and looked her in the eye before smiling. "Well then cheer up girl," Ash told her. "Maybe before you didn't know which side you were going to fall off, but that doesn't matter anymore because today were gonna jump. So let's do this!"

"Yeah let's do this," she said smiling at him and hugging him once more.

Then she pulled away and they walked out together. The rest of their teammates, the rest of their friends, Aelia mentally corrected herself, were waiting for them.

They smiled at her before turning to Dojo. Aelia turned to Aristokles. She trusted Dojo, but Aristokles had started this with her. He was the one that spirited her away from Plutos on that fateful day. He was with her when Nico died. And time and time again, when Plutos tracked Aelia down, Aristokles was the one that helped her escape. He had been

there since the beginning. It only made sense that he was there for the end.

Aelia placed her hands on his strong back (he was in his horse form) and was about to pull herself up when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around to see Master Fung.

"You will be fine. There are powerful forces watching over you," he told her.

Aelia smiled, "I know. I just don't know if it will be enough."

"It will be enough," Master Fung reassured her. "Every being experiences a storm in their life. And every being needs to use all of their strength to not get blown away. But just as in nature, the storm cannot last forever. It must pass. And when it does, a beautiful rainbow is left in its place."

"Master Fung?"

He smiled a gentle, wise old smile at her and squeezed her shoulder. "My child, your storm has lasted long enough. It is time for it to pass."

Aelia smiled and threw her arms around him thinking, so this is what it's like to have a father, a father who cares. Master Fung raised his eyebrows in surprise but returned the hug.

"Thank you Master Fung," Aelia said, climbing onto Aristokles.

As he changed forms, Master Fung said, "Good luck my young monks."

From Dojo, Raimundo yelled, "Don't worry Fungster we'll be home soon, right after we stop another 10,000 years of darkness!"

There was nothing funny about their upcoming fight, but even Aelia had to crack a smile at that. Rai certainly had a way of relieving tension.

Dojo soared upwards into the air.

Alright Aristokles, it's time we finish this, Aelia thought to him.

Absolutely my lady, he replied before kicking off the ground and rocketing upwards into the air. He immediately adjusted himself to follow Dojo to Chase's palace where Plutos, and her destiny, awaited them.

Sooooooooo what did you guys think? Like it? Love it? Loathe it? I simply must know what is going through your minds. A review a day keeps the writer awake... and writing (And now you see why I don't write poetry) Translation: REVIEW! I'm telling you there is nothing better than having a crappy day at school and coming home and seeing a review alert. It makes my day! So yeah... Oh and the thing with Plutos saying "I am cutting your thread" that's a reference to Ancient Greek beliefs that a person died because the Fates cut their thread of life. Just clearing that up. When I was reading over it I thought that someone who didn't know that would find it a very odd thing to say. And if your wondering why the sun is setting like twice in this chapter don't forget about time zones. I probably wasn't completely accurate with that but let's just pretend. Anywho, the next chapter is the epic battlescene! Well, I'm going to try and make it epic. I have problems with writing battlescenes so I'm hoping this one comes out ok. So REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW! And I'll be speaking to you all soon hopefully.