Author's Notes: I won't call this a true Chase/Kimiko fic because I don't think there'll really be any true feelings between each other. However, it focuses on a scenario where Kimiko is stuck with Chase, and stuff does happen with them eventually. But no true love.
.o
"The Vein of Zhen. The target will be coated with a purple goo that returns to the holder with the energy of its target. If not restored within a day, the target will become a lifeless statue," Raimundo read from the Ancient Scroll as the four Dragons rode on Dojo through the Amazon forest.
"It was one of Dashi's most dangerous Shen Gong Wu. He never ended up using it; felt that it had too much power behind it. It was made in the later years of his Shen Gong Wu ideas, after Wuya was defeated, so it pretty much never saw the light of day." Dojo reminisced, weaving easily along the large trunks that supported the canopy of colourful wildlife.
The Wu was easily located right in the middle of a nest—one way too large to be crafted by a normal bird. The Vein of Zhen was a short golden handle shaft with metal feathers lining the topmost portion of the stick, with four metal pieces similar in appearance to a bird's beak in the middle of all those feathers.
The Xiaolin monks had company, though. Jack Spicer was way too close to the Wu for comfort; it was in arm's reach. Dojo spiraled around three trees that supported the giant nest. Kimiko jumped off of Dojo mid-flight, running to at least try to initiate a showdown between Jack, while Clay hopped off once Dojo lands on the branches. Jack doesn't appear to notice Kimiko as he snatches the Wu up.
However, Clay was moving fast toward him, and panicked, Jack looked away and points the Wu in the general direction Clay was coming from and shouted, "Vein of Zhen!"
The four golden prongs opened, and a shiny purple liquid shot out from the mouth directly at Clay. There was no room to dodge; Clay tried to move to the side but the spray radius of the Wu was too great. From head to toe, Clay was covered. For a moment, nothing happened. As quickly as it had come out, the goo retreated back into its golden case. Clay was frozen in place, but the events happened so fast that Kimiko couldn't stop her kick from landing square on Jack's back, shooting him straight into Clay, and sending them directly over the edge of the nest.
Omi and Raimundo jumped after Clay, Omi calling upon the Third Arm Sash to loop around Clay's body and over to Raimundo, who grabbed hold of the Sash and slowed their fall by latching on to the tree. They landed easily on the ground, sinking into the mud that formed after a recent flood.
Jack Spicer, on the other hand, never reached the ground. A loud screech boomed throughout the forest, announcing the return of the freakishly large owner of the nest. It spotted Jack carrying the shiny object it had found, and resorted to plucking Jack, its thief, right out of the sky in its giant talons. Jack immediately started screaming, wriggling violently in the bird's grasp, but it didn't relent. It began carrying Jack away from the scene, and in Jack's struggle, he accidentally let go of the Shen Gong Wu, it falling to be lost in the thick of the Amazon jungle.
"Kimiko, you must find the Vein of Zhen! Raimundo and I will help Clay!" Omi shouted out to her from far below. Kimiko looked back to them helping Clay up on his feet, and then into the forest extending beyond her. She nodded and took off, moving quickly from tree to tree.
With the recent flood, the mud covering the ground could very well have swallowed the Shen Gong Wu whole, and she hoped that wasn't the case. Most likely not, as the canopy was thick enough to be able to stop something from above before it reached the ground. Even then, she kept an eye out for anything shiny on the ground.
Jacks screams were still echoing off the canopy walls (and an angry squawk) when she finally spotted the Vein of Zhen, lodged between two thick branches from different trees. She jumped onto the tree closest to her, only getting four steps forward before she realised she had company.
The new possessor of the Vein of Zhen was Chase Young.
"Chase Young! I don't know what you're doing here but that Wu belongs to us!" Kimiko started, moving quickly into a defensive position, just in case Chase tried to pull anything.
"Oh really?" that smirk on his face really brought her blood to a boil despite the fear that lingered there. "Because it appears that I hold this Shen Gong Wu, and not you."
"Give it back!" While she was in the mood for a fight, she didn't want that fight to be with Chase Young.
"Sorry, young monk, but I have bigger priorities than you would with this Wu." With that being said, Chase dropped off the side of the branch he'd been standing on. Kimiko gasped, running and looking over to see where he could have gone. After all, the distance from here to the ground was pretty far. However, there was no trace of Chase Young left.
Perturbed, Kimiko returned quickly to where the other Dragons had last been found, in time to see Dojo shifting into his larger form.
Clay was unable to stand properly, requiring the shoulder of Raimundo and the power of the Third Arm Sash to keep him steady on his feet in the mud. He was sluggish and stiff, looking very pale.
"Clay, dude, we gotta get you back to the temple. Maybe the Fung-meister will know what to do," Raimundo said, helping Omi heave Clay onto Dojo's back.
Omi kept the Sash active during the flight to keep Clay steady for the most part, Kimiko sitting behind him to steady him as a backup. "I'm really sorry, Clay," she grimaced, a groan being the only acknowledgement that he heard her. "If I were a little faster, I could have stopped Jack from doing whatever he did to you."
"We must move fast to find a cure," Omi noted, eyes staring down in concentration, "Or I fear Clay may be gone… forever."
.o
"In order for Clay to be restored to health, you must retrieve the Vein of Zhen."
"Why can't we just use the Reversing Mirror on him?" Omi queried.
"If the Reversing Mirror were to be used, the disease that is plaguing Clay will become airborne and infect the wielder of the Reversing Mirror if the Vein of Zhen itself is not present to receive the disease," Master Fung explained.
"So, we gotta get the Wu back?" Raimundo quipped in, looking ready to jump into action and kick a certain evil dragon's rear to get the Wu back.
"It seems like the only available option we have," Omi commented solemnly, eyes looking down, mind wandering to all of the potential outcomes that could occur from losing the Shen Gong Wu.
Upon seeing Omi's rather downbeat state, Kimiko placed a hand on Omi's shoulder as a gesture of consolation. "Don't worry Omi, we'll get that Wu back." She smiled at the end, and that seemed to lift Omi's spirits a bit.
"Clay's not going to die today. Not as long as we're able to do something about it."
.o
Dojo landed at the mouth of Chase Young's volcanic lair, shriveling as soon as his passengers jumped off, and wrapped himself around Omi's neck. Omi boldly steps up to entrance.
"Chase Young, we are here to—"
Before Omi could finish, the large sheet of rock slides down, revealing the beautiful blue and white palace within. The Dragons entered hesitantly, on guard at all times, making their way through the darkened hallway until being greeted by great light. Lions and a few tigers lined the path to the entranceway, as if they'd been expecting their arrival this entire time.
The Heylin Warrior himself stood at the edge of a flight of stairs, hands behind his back and staring intently as the Xiaolin Dragons halted at the base of said stairs.
"We order you to release the Vein of Zhen at once!" Omi finally managed to finish his sentence, pointing his finger directly at Chase.
Chase knew exactly what was at stake if the Dragons did not return with the Shen Gong Wu in their possession; this would be a great situation to manipulate in his favour.
"And what, pray tell, would I receive in return for this Wu?" he asked, the plan already formulated in his head.
"What you will… get?" Omi repeated him. Obviously he hadn't considered a deal with Chase Young, only that he'd thought they'd be getting into a physical fight to retrieve it.
"It seems only fair that I receive something in return for this Shen Gong Wu that you want." Chase produced the Vein of Zhen from behind his back, visible so that all of them could see it clearly. "It seems one of your monks is missing in action. I assume you want this to revive him. However, I will only give this Wu to you for a trade—a life for a life."
Omi scrunched up his face. "Explain yourself!"
"It's simple. I will settle for no less than one of your own. By giving you Xiaolin Dragons this Vein of Zhen, I must receive one of you Xiaolin Dragons in return, to serve as one of my cat warriors."
They were all taken aback. "No way! You are way on your rock to even suggest something like that! It is clearly a trap!" Omi exclaimed.
"Off your rocker," hummed Raimundo to the side. "But then we'll never be able to save Clay."
"But if we do, then we'd be giving in to the side of evil." One could clearly hear how much this was troubling the little boy. He did not want to risk one of their lives…but he didn't want to sacrifice a life, when it would be easier to risk one.
After a few moments of silence, Omi resigned. "I will go. That is probably what Chase is wanting with this deal, and it is fair to his conditions."
And Omi was right; Chase was smirking because everything was going according to his plan. Of course, there was always the chance that something could go wrong, and it usually does. Which was why he never completely stuck to one plan.
"No, Omi! You know what happened the last time Chase got his hands on you. He nearly destroyed the world!" she paused and has a realization. "I'll go."
Omi turned around, entirely ready to object to what she says, but she stopped him. "It was my fault that we lost the Shen Gong Wu, and that Clay's in this situation. If I'd been a bit faster, I could have saved him."
Chase contemplated this while they discuss it among themselves. If one Dragon is gone from the group, ultimately they will be weakened. Kimiko could eventually be used as a bargaining chip for Omi when the situation presents itself.
Before the Dragons could object, he agreed to the deal. "You will become one of my servants in exchange for the Vein of Zhen."
There was an unreadable expression on Kimiko's face as he said those words. Chase threw the Shen Gong Wu, and as it flew through the air, he snapped his fingers. Kimiko shifted, becoming a feline—and servant to the renowned Chase Young, before the Vein of Zhen even reached Omi's outstretched hands.