Thanks Zoerz, Bittersweet49, Xiaolin Fan, Rokunami 123, 312EmoGirl, and Micook for the recent reviews! (They're kinda inspiring these quick updates!) I'm glad you're enjoying it. I'm missing the Kimiko and Rai stuff myself, but be patient; all good things come to those who wait... and review! Thanks guys, and I hope you enjoy this episode of:
The Xiaolin Chronicles
Episode 27: Rai's Rescue
Kimiko Tohomiko raised her sword.
He jumped off the platform and charged at her with his own weapon.
"Eek!" She swatted the tip of his spear away with her sword. The next thing she did, out of instinct, was bring her fist up to punch his open face. It was a good clean punch, and he went flying back into the ground. She took her sword and struck him in the face with her weapon.
"KNOCK OUT! Player 2 Wins!" The game announced. The platform was lowered and the soldiers carried player 1 away as Kimiko stalked calmly off as she caught her breath.
"Very nice, Kimiko." PandaBubba reviewed. "But, why did you use the back of your weapon to strike him? He merely blacked out."
"I was frazzled," She explained, "I didn't have time to adjust my weapon in my hand so I just hit him as fast as I could."
He smirked. "I see." He stood up from his chair. "Then I guess I should hold my end of the bargain and call Wuya."
Her stomach was in knots. She followed him into the office, a wide-spaced room, with a huge desk in front of the massive window for him to look down at all of his workers below.
He sat down at his desk and grabbed the phone. "Have a seat." He motioned to the two smaller chairs in front of his table.
Kimiko sat down, her palms sweaty. As Bubba dialed the number, she couldn't wait to think about how relieved she'd be to hear him…
"Hello, Wuya? Yes, this is PandaBubba. Yes, yes. I would like to speak with Raimundo Pedrosa, please. Yes, the one that Chase has tortured individually, he- what?"
Kimiko looked up at him. She did not like the way his voice suddenly changed.
"How?" He continued. "Oh… I see. Well, there's nothin' I can do about that. Thanks, bye."
He hung up.
"Why didn't you let me talk to him?" She practically jumped out of her seat.
"Hmph." He folded his arms. "You aren't able to talk to him."
"Why not?"
"Because Raimundo Pedrosa died yesterday." He grinned. "Unless you feel like talking to a zombie, Kimiko!"
She fell back into her chair. The entire earth just stopped spinning suddenly. "No… that's impossible."
"I guess his body couldn't endure the tortures anymore." Bubba explained.
"He can't be dead!" She finally started to panic. "He can't be! Call her again and tell her I want to talk to him!"
"Fool!" He snapped back. "You did one thing for me by playing in the games, and I gave you a phone call. If you want another one, you have to do something else for me!"
Her mouth shut suddenly.
"You won't do anything else for me?" He challenged. "Then get out of my office and get back to work!"
Kimiko clenched her fist. She didn't want to believe the words of a fat old fool like Bubba, but from what it appeared she was stuck in a rut. She could not really find out for herself, so in a painful silence, Kimiko walked out of the room.
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24 Hours Earlier…
"This is insane, Rika!" Jack whined. "Chase probably has this place as one of his hugest camps by now!"
"But we have to try, Jack!" She insisted as they continued down the dirt road. "Master Sir Bartholomew has always been able to find a solution for things, so I need his reassurance that this plan will work!"
When they reached the tall mountain, Rika was slightly disappointed.
"T-the temple…"
There was a huge crater in the earth, but no temple.
"This can't be. M-Master would never let his home be turned to shambles!"
"How 'bout turned to nothing?" Jack snickered.
Rika just gave him a dirty glare. "We'll have to go to plan b right away, then."
"Or…" Jack pointed to the sky. "We could always ask that floating rock."
"Huh?" There was a huge dirt clod high in the clouds. "What is that?"
"Only one way to find out!" Jack snaked his arm around Rika's waist. "Jet Butsu!" Jack's shoes began to glow and they went flying up into the sky.
They reached the top of the pile of dirt only to see Bartholomew's temple sitting right on top of it.
"Oh. It's a floating temple now." Jack stated.
"Let's go in, Jack!"
"Ri-!" ZAAAAAP!
Jack began to scream obnoxiously as he was electrocuted. He dropped Rika, who fell right in front of the temple, but Jack couldn't go any farther.
"A barrier…" Rika smirked. "You can't come in here, Jack, because you're evil!"
The smoking boy glided away from it. "Really? I hadn't noticed." He coughed.
"That's why Chase never mentioned that he hurt Bartholomew like the other elder monks; he never got to him!"
"But how come he was able to reflect Chase Young's powers when everyone else failed?"
"I'll ask him for us! Stay here, Jack!" She ran into the familiar dojo.
"Oh yeah, where am I gonna go?"
Rika ignored his comment and headed in. Something sticky latched onto her shoulder from above as soon as she walked in.
She wiped it off, and looked up at the gooey matter dripping from above the door.
"Is this… ice cream?"
"It cannot be!"
Rika spun around to the voice. "My arch nemesis, come for another slaying, eh?"
"Huh? Master Sir Bartholomew, it's me!" She cried.
Bartholomew charged at her with a blade. "Die, fiend!"
His blade swung down on her, but the last second Rika found the nerve to jump to the right.
"Eek!" She fell onto the floor. "Master, I do not remember any of my training, Chase took away all of the things we learned from you!"
Despite this, the seemingly angry Bartholomew arose from his previous swing and pointed his sword at her again.
"Is that so?" He raised his sword up, and tossed it aside. "Then come on in! Would you like some ice cream?"
"Master..?" Flabbergasted by his mood swing, she stood back up. "I need your help."
He turned his back to her. "You're not supposed to be here, Rika Harper." His voice more stern now.
"I-I know, but I had no where else to go. You've seen what Chase has done with our powers, and that's why I need you to help me undo this!"
Bartholomew looked back at his student. "I am not the right person to talk to. I have betrayed everyone."
She dusted herself off. "Betrayed?"
He took a deep sigh. "I know about the prophecy."
"Well, we all know about it, so?"
"I mean, I knew about the prophecy. Since I could remember, my master, or rather my father, continued to shove it in my face. It irritated me, because I knew it could never happen, because nobody else knew about the prophecy except my family."
Rika blinked. "Who… are you? How do you know about the prophecy? Chase said…"
"My family is the descendents of one of the seven magicians of Shisui's time. I know, because we've been passing the right story down for generations. We were the only family that did, despite the law. I knew who you three were, but I did not care, because I did not see any threat as nobody was supposed to know about the prophecy."
He paused before he said the next thing. "When Arko did what he did, though, I knew something was wrong. He came to me too for help, like you are now. When he told me it was Chase Young who etched him on, I started to panic. Chase was ahead of me, though, and before I could do anything, he threatened to unleash my dark powers. I knew what would happen to the world, but I still…"
"Dark Powers?"
He sighed again. "There are things you children don't need to understand. I was too cowardly to stop Chase for my own selfish reasons." He admitted.
"Welcome to the club." Rika mumbled.
"I have hidden myself here because of all that is going on. The time that I thought would never happened, happened…"
"How did you escape Chase's ultimate wrath, Sir?"
Bartholomew looked back at her, sadly. "I didn't. I merely ran. I don't know how to reverse the prophecy, but I know someone who does…"
"Somebody else who knows about the prophecy?" She guessed.
"Of course. The one who created it, Master Shisui himself. You and your comrades will have to go back and discretely ask him how to undo it."
"I already thought of that, Sir. Chase scattered the pieces of the Sands of Time to his allies, and if we are caught, he'll start killing people we know and love."
"Then don't get caught. You're a smart girl, Rika. Reclaim your friends, and while you do it, get all the pieces back under their radar so you can go back, and stop any of this from ever happening. I will use my magic to help you, and your friend outside can use his mechanics as well. There's one more thing you should use-"
"HOORAY Rika's on the good side again!" The slinking reptile jumped from the stairs behind Bartholomew to Rika's face. "OH THANK GOD! WE CAN SAVE THE WORLD ONCE AGAIN!"
"D-dojo?" She pulled the dragon off of her face.
"Dojo escaped Chase too." Bartholomew simply explained.
"M-master Fung! Everybody! This is awful I tell you! We've been waiting for you to come here, Rika!"
"Waiting?"
"Yeah, part of the reason Bart here hid was so that he could be alive to give you guidance!"
"You are supposed to be humbling and leave that part out, Dojo…" Bart mumbled.
"Oh. Heh, my bad."
"But, how did you know I was even coming? I didn't know I was even coming…" She said weakly.
He whacked her on the head.
"OW!"
"You are my student! You do not think I wouldn't at least know how you would respond to all of this?"
She rubbed her head. "I guess your right…"
"Don't guess. You must be assertive, and make the best decisions on this mission! You already set up an elaborate plan to get the pieces, yes? You just wanted to double-check with me to make sure it was a good one. Well it is! It's the only one we've got, so hop to it!"
She smiled. "Thanks, Master. I knew I needed to come to you. Now, I feel certain about my plan."
"Go! Fulfill your destiny, as a Xiaolin Dragon." He smiled. "And don't forget to eat your candy's and vegetables!"
"Alright, c'mon Dojo!" Rika raced out, anxious to tell Jack they were on their way.
Master Sir Bartholomew watched them leave with a confident grin.
"Good luck, Xiaolin Dragons."
….
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…
Wuya scanned through a few papers, wearing reading glasses, as she sat at her chair with two rock golems on either side of her.
"My lady!" A soldier ran in.
"How dare you interrupt me while I'm working!" She snapped.
"Sorry, Lady Wuya, but you said not to bother you unless it had to do with Chase…"
"What does he want?"
"Uh, h-he sent you this." The soldier presented the witch with an envelope. With her long nail she slit the envelope open, and began to read the contents inside. The letter said:
Wuya,
Some things have come up. You CANNOT let anything happen to Raimundo Pedrosa. Continue to torture him, however if anything unexpected happens to him (except if that happening involves his death from all the torture as scheduled) you will lose your position as Head Mistress of The Heylin's South Western Region.
Chase Young
"Hmph, a very blunt note. How typical of him." She tossed the note aside. "Nothing's going to happen to that brat. By the way, has he been lashed today?"
"I do not believe so, ma'm. Shall I prepare for it myself?"
"No, tell Seto about it, fool! You know he's the only one allowed to do the whipping!"
"Oh, of course, ma'm…"
"Now get out! I have work to do."
The soldier bowed and strolled out with a precise posture. When he closed the door to her room, Jack took off his soldier's helmet.
"Phew! That things hot!" He carped as he wiped his sweat off.
"Did she get the letter?" Rika asked from the fichus beside him. Even though she was hiding, she was wearing a mask to keep her face sealed.
"Yeah, and the guy doing the torture is supposed to have done it already today, I think. We should find this Seto guy and ask him."
"Go for it. Try to act casual." She evaded the plant and continued to sneak as Jack put his helmet back on.
"Yo!" He approached some soldiers standing around. "What up posse? Is Seto around?"
Dammit Jack Spicer, that is not casual! Rika thought to herself when she heard him.
"Seto is where he always is; watching the rock prisoner, why?" The soldier had to ask.
"Urgent news from the witch, that's all."
"You have a foul mouth. Do not speak about lady Wuya that way." The other soldier chided.
"Aw, my bad, you're right." Jack slinked away. "Peace, brothers!" Jack wobbled until he was out of their site, then he darted towards the hill that Raimundo was trapped upon.
Seto was much more built than the other soldiers. This guy was taller, and had broader shoulders… he was just huge.
Jack was almost afraid to approach him when he swallowed and said. "Seto Sir!"
Seto pulled out his spear and pointed it directly at Jack's nose.
"Eep!" He tried to cover up his squeal.
"What the hell are you doing, sergeant?" Seto sneered. "Nobody is allowed up this hill, every soldier knows that! Unless…"
Uh oh. "Ummm, Wuya sent me! Sorry, she said it was urgent so I ran over here, but I wasn't going to go fully up, the hill, honest!"
Seto continued to glare at him with his grey eyes. He growled as he lowered his spear. "What's the news?"
"Um, Chase doesn't want anything happening to Raimundo, got it?"
Seto continued to stare without a response.
"Um, s-sir?"
"What rank."
"Huh?"
"WHAT RANK ARE YOU?" He turned to Raimundo, who was currently being lifted off the rock by Rika. "And what rank is she in too, hm? The intruder level?"
"Eep…" He said again.
"I'll take both your heads to Mistress Wuya!" Seto roared.
Rika picked up a pebble and threw it at him. "I'd like to see you try!"
He growled as he cranked out his whip and marched over to her.
"Jack, now!" She yelled.
"What?" Seto turned to the fake soldier, preparing to fight, only to see that Jack did not have a weapon, but suddenly the air was covered in a green mist.
"Oh…" Seto collapsed, practically shaking the earth as he did.
"Phew, oh man, that was close. I thought he was gonna figure out what I was doing before I could do it!"
"He's a smart guy. I knew he would find you suspicious, which is why I told you to bring the… sleeping gas…" She managed to say.
"I don't use the gas on girls, for the hundredth time!" Jack snapped.
"Oh? Don't roll that way, Spicer?" Dojo teased.
"Whatever, you guys suck! This is the thanks I get for helping you try to save the world!"
"C'mon," Rika managed to drag the unconscious Raimundo onto the dragon's back. "When Wuya finds out her best guard was knocked out and Raimundo escaped, she won't tell Chase because of the letter."
"Yeah, and Seto won't know where to look because he didn't see our faces!" Jack added.
"Jack, go tell Wuya what's happened. While everyone's distracted, try to find the piece in her room during all the commotion. Dojo and I will infiltrate again once we have Raimundo somewhere safe."
"Got it, babe!"
"And this time, please try to act casual."
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….
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?" Wuya screamed, her red hair flaring about.
"Seto was knocked out and Raimundo just vanished." Jack told her.
"FIND HIM!" She arose from her chair. "Have every soldier and servant look for him! C'mon, my pets!" Wuya stormed out with her rock golems, and Jack saluted her as she left, pretending to follow her out. He closed the door and raced over to her belongings.
He scraped through the drawers and found the hourglass piece he needed right next to some pencils.
"Heh, not really concerned abut this thing, is she?"
Rika was tapping on the glass window outside. Jack hurried out, jumping on Dojo, and they took off.
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"Ohhh…" Raimundo groaned.
Rika lifted his head so he could drink the water from the bowl.
"He's pretty beat up." Jack noted. "Um, how is he going to be of help to us?"
They had returned to Bartholomew's temple, who was currently approaching them.
"His wounds from the whip are very, very deep." Bartholomew analyzed. "I do not have the proper element to heal him completely like I did before."
"What? But we need his help!" Rika insisted.
"I will do my best, but you need the proper elemental source to heal him completely."
Bartholomew sat beside Rika and Raimundo and began to heal him. The blood was still on his raggedy clothes, but the slashes across his face and body became smaller.
Raimundo's eyes shot open.
"Oh, he's alive!" Jack cheered.
"Thank goodness." Rika sighed.
Her relief, however, turned into fear.
Raimundo's grip was suddenly around her neck.
Her back hit the ground and abruptly he was on top of her.
"YOU TRAITOR!" He screamed. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU MYSELF!"
To Be Continued
:0 I personally am loving this adventure. Tell me what you're thinking about it so far! Also, would you guys be interested in reading this as a comic book on Deviant Art? I started it, and it would be a lot of fun to see the story in action if you guys are interested! Otherwise I might not take the time to do it, although it could be useful for my visual communications practice and portfolio, so I might do it anyway. Let me know, thanks for reading and reviewing chaps! :D