I don't own anything in the Xiaolin Showdown universe. This story pretty much takes place after the last episode of Showdown, a few weeks later perhaps. It has nothing to do with Chronicles, since I don't like what they did to the show at all. Anyway, I've had this idea for a while now and I finally decided to write it. I hope you enjoy the first chapter.
A world without evil was one thing Omi often thought about. It was a constant shadow that loomed over him even in the safest places. Where he once found comfort and had sought solace he could remember how it was to feel confusion. What happened in the past, the multiple futures that could have been, and what would never be. The temple was back to normal, cleaned up as if they never fought a great battle against an alliance of all their foes.
Regardless of their victory, a few things were destroyed; it wasn't just the buildings or the land itself, rather it took a toll on them. Hearts were a bit heavier now knowing what they were up against if their rivals could once again cooperate with one another. The group seemed to disband soon after the first fight. With Raimundo as their appointed leader, the team was able to stay strong.
There was always something in the back of Omi's mind, a nagging feeling that boiled up every now and again. How long ago was it since he joined the Heylin side and nearly sent the world into ten thousand years of darkness? Or worked together with the very well know and feared Chase Young while still with his friends? It felt closer than ever, especially on days like today.
There was a certain feeling in the air that didn't settle well with him. Ominous ramblings of discontent where spread throughout the place the monks called home. When questioned, Master Fung didn't say much on the matter, telling the four of them to simply keep up with their training. Omi had a feeling Chase had something to do with the disquiet, but could find no reason to hold blame on him as of right now.
Omi always found himself trusting that man. And what did that leave him with? It felt completely wrong knowing someone who was once so innately good could no longer exist, merely in the past did he get so see it with his own eyes. He could hardly believe it to be true, which is why he fought so hard to fix things, only to make them worse in the end. And the part that bothered him the most was he felt like the blame fell on him, although in retrospect it was Chase who chose to drink the Lao Mang Long Soup. It could be no other way, not when the alternative lead to a forthcoming wave of destruction.
No matter how much he tried to reach out, there was no quelling the wickedness in his eyes. If anyone could understand, it was him, for they had the same goal. Chase desired to bring the Dragon of Water to his side just as much as Omi wanted to bring him back to the light, although his was more in thought than action. There was a tug-of-war feeling on both concepts and the line between the two was beginning to blur.
Omi tended to lose track of time, of many things actually, as of late. The young dragon in training sat in a meditative position, attempting to block all sound. For some reason, his body wouldn't relax. The sudden feeling of being watched, of no longer being alone, caused him to shift uneasily. He always felt a presence close by, but he couldn't pinpoint who it was. It wouldn't be a far reach to say he was a tad paranoid.
Taking a breath, he lifted his head, eyes searching the grounds. As he suspected, no one was around. Soon he repositioned himself and attempted to push away all disturbances again. A voice registered in his mind as soon as quietness settled. Now that you have tasted evil, it may not be that easy the next time. I think the evil in you is stronger than you know.
That was the last thing Chase mentioned to him once his friends won back his freedom. He often said things like that, but he never took it in stride. And yet, it seemed wherever he went, the fear of those words followed. Or maybe it was the other way around and he was the one holding onto those verses, afraid they were true. No, he couldn't start thinking of things like that.
He was where he was supposed to be. They all worked far too hard to believe they'd someday see themselves become the one thing they hated the most, the one thing they fought to get rid of.
After a few minutes an abrupt sound of footsteps and talking caused his black hues to snap open. Minor annoyance made it's was onto his face but he remained calm. "Would you mind moving your game someplace else? It will be most distracting."
The three monks glanced at one another, Raimundo holding a soccer ball in his hand. He rubbed the back of his neck, noticing how the youngest of them was either training all the time or meditating. That was good and all, nonetheless he always thought some fun should be thrown in every now and again. "Sure thing, but instead of sitting there for the entire morning, how about you join us? We need another person to make equal teams."
"I'm fine here. I just need to focus," he replied. As much as he would like to take a break, he couldn't. The side of evil was growing stronger and he had to keep up. He wasn't all that worried about Jack Spicer, but Hannibal Roy Bean, Wuya, and Chase concerned him.
"Is it just me or does Omi seem a bit irritated as of late?" Clay asked, leaning towards the others so he couldn't be heard. It was either that or extremely too fixated on improving his skills, much like he was when they first met.
Raimundo lightly shrugged his shoulders, mimicking the blond's actions. "He probably just woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." For the most part Omi was being normal, getting on his nerves every so often. He had to wonder if he was the only one picking up on the minor differences he was displaying besides what Clay mentioned. No one else expressed any further distress, so he just kept it to himself.
"I can hear you and I most certainly didn't wake up on the wrong side of anything. Besides, I slept on my head," Omi replied, in a child-like complaint. He let out a soft sigh. During past few days whenever he tried to meditate, he couldn't. He supposed it had something to do with his conflicting thoughts, but the idea was rudimentary, there was no reason for it.
"We're just wondering if you're okay. You hardly do anything except for, well this lately," Kimiko mentioned, placing her hands on her hips. "It's a bit strange but Jack is the only person trying to get the Shen Gong Wu, so I really don't think we don't need to worry about the others right now."
"Chase Young doesn't go after them unless he needs one," Omi reminded her. He stood and brushed off his pants a little before continuing. "Since Wuya is with him, we must stay on our fingers. They could be plotting something."
"I think you mean toes," Rai corrected, lifting up his hand. He couldn't disagree; the two of them operating together was bad before and if Chase gave Wuya her powers back, they'd be in some serious trouble. He saw for himself how formidable she could be and she was already pretty strong right now. "Don't forget about the bean dude, he hasn't made any moves either."
Now crossing her arms, Kimiko turned her head away. "Besides all that, shouldn't we take the time to relax while we can? There's nothing we can really do." It was simply wishful thinking on her end, yet any amount of time spent doing something unrelated was considered a break to her.
"The little lady has a point," Clay added, tipping down his hat. The cowboy was accustomed to the life they lived here, in retrospect wasn't all that different from living on the farm. Responsibilities had to be taken care of and rest would come in due time.
"You might want to save the relaxing for another day. A Shen Gong Wu just revealed itself," the green dragon said, hurrying over with the scroll. "Not to mention giving me a horrible rash on my stomach." As the monks gathered around, a picture was displayed on the parchment. "It's the Orb of Isis. It's more like a protective shield, doesn't do much in an actual battle." He paused tapping a claw to his chin. "But there is something else about it… something important."
"I think I can fill in the blank on this one." Master Fung stepped onto the courtyard, his hands drawn behind his back. "Alone the orb isn't dangerous, but when combined with another it becomes a powerful weapon. The only problem is there's no record on which one activates the second ability; therefore we will have to wait for it to make itself known. For now, I suggest you head out quickly, our adversaries may be on the move as we speak."
Without needing further incentive, Dojo grew in size, allowing the four of them to come aboard. However, neither of the seemed to take notice of a black crow, who was perched on one of the trees for the majority of the day, as it took off at the same moment. The bird flew in a slightly different angle than they did, having a certain destination in mind.
It took about a half-hour of flying to reach a forest rich of plants and abundant of trees. The landscape itself had few hills and due to the setting sun long shadows were left stretching across the patchy dirt floor. Once Dojo landed, the monks started their search. They each went off in different directions in hopes that one of them would come across the item soon.
"This is taking forever," Kimiko said to the dragon accompanying her. She rested her hands on her knees, taking a small breather. Not only were her feet hurting, which was her own fault for wearing heels in a terrain such as this one, but the humidity was unbearable. "Dojo, are we getting any closer?"
"It should be around here somewhere," he mused, eyes narrowing as he veered his gaze around the region. He and Dashi hid the Wu so long ago it wasn't easy for him to remember where they all were. Sensing them was about all he and Wuya could do.
Clay came up to them, stopping to tug off his hat and wipe his brow. "This is harder than finding a needle in a haystack. We could spend all night here, turning over every rock, searching the whole area without knowing if it's still here or not." For all they knew someone else could have beaten them to it. That has been the case during the last three times they set out.
"Relax my fellow warriors," Omi announced, moving from one place to another. "My tiger instincts will lead us to the Orb of Isis." He side jumped and landed in front of his team members. "Just follow my lead and it should be a piece of pie."
"Cake," the wind user replied with a slight roll of his eyes as he observed his friend for a moment. He supposed being an older brother for so long caused him to keep a better watch on the youngest, especially after the whole Ying-Yang World incident. After all, they were the only two who turned to the Heylin side. The Shoku warrior shook his head before getting back on task. "Look up there," Raimundo sudden said, pointing skyward. "I guess we have company." He quickly joined the others after spotting Jack, ready for a group attack if necessary.
"Oh, great it's you losers again," the villain complained. He simply lost track on how many times this happened, but now he would make sure to get the Wu before them. He gave one of his signature laughs, continuing to hover in the air. "You're too late, this one is mine. Jack-Bots attack!" A quick stall should give him a good enough head start.
"Jack Spicer, prepare for a most humiliating defeat!" Omi declared, using his trademark line. He held a steady stance before bringing out his weapon of choice. Shifting his arms out, he aimed at the enemy, attempting to get the first strike. "Orb of Tornami, water!" When a fortified stream of liquid blasted forward, he was nearly pushed back by the force.
A large group of robots were destroyed, but like always there were a lot of them. It seemed pointless to waste valuable time fighting the machines when Jack was out scouting, nonetheless he knew this had to be taken care of first.
As soon as the others rushed ahead of him, Omi was about to follow, only to halt and veer his attention in an entirely different direction. A few good yards away he spotted Chase Young. Much like in the past, the Heylin warrior would stand on the sidelines, simply viewing the action rather than taking part. He was sure they made eye contact, yet he lacked the ability to keep it.
There's just something missing, a dark void where, at one time, the good in him stood firmly throughout. From the moment he joined Chase there was something about him that felt familiar yet so distinctly off that he couldn't bring himself to separate the two. Now it seems like they were miles from one another rather than this short gap. And he wasn't sure he wanted to meet the person on the other end.
An unspoken understanding passed between them, leaving him momentarily at a loss. Should he alert the other of his presence? Omi quickly decided against that as well as saying something to the man. It seemed fitting, for words were not necessary to convey what was being sent. He wasn't here for the Shen Gong Wu, that much was clear, but the actual reason escaped him.
Omi only glanced away for a second when his name was called and turned back to realize he was no longer there. With a somewhat heavy breath, the monk rushed back to the other, having to forget about the warrior for the time being and keep his attention on the mission.
"Just as I thought, his skills are improving," Chase stated, with his usual epitome of composure. His arms were crossed, brows rose ever so slightly as he kept his eyes on the littlest amongst the group. He could still see the ever-present potential, one of the very aspects that made Omi worthy enough to rule by his side. The child shouldn't be aiming to be great like Dashi or Guan, instead his place was a path only the strong willed could endure, where his true level of capability could be realized.
He knew just from mere observation the monks were getting stronger, Omi especially and if he was to become too powerful, Chase was aware of what that meant and the problems ensuing from that fact. He might one day be strong enough to defeat him. If not delivered to the side of darkness soon than he would have no choice but to destroy him.
Chase couldn't bring himself to do that just yet, not when there were so many chances to alter his course. It would also be a shame to lose someone of such value to him. The power in his young apprentice was still growing, becoming finer and if molded the correct way, there would be no hope for the rest of the world. Darkness would surely fall again but he wouldn't be as foolish as before, he'd make sure to get rid of the ones who hindered his plan.
He and Omi followed the same code of honor, meaning neither of them would go back on their word. That was indeed something he could use to his advantage. This time, however, he would need to formulate a more suitable proposal, something that would show him the which side he truly belonged on. But he couldn't rush anything, for Omi still deemed himself a Xiaolin monk and patience was always important to any strategy.
After a few minutes, his crow, the one sent to further observe the dragons in training, landed on his shoulder. It seems no one has picked up on the bird, which simply allowed him more information. Feeling the presence of someone behind him, he sighed, almost letting out a soft growl of aggravation. "Wuya, I don't remember saying I required your assistance. Why have you come?"
The witch frowned slightly, peering downward at the battle. "The same reason you're here, to get the Shen Gong Wu… right?" She couldn't see any other motive that would drag him out of his lair. Besides, she wanted the items, as she, much to his annoyance, expressed several times. If Chase wasn't going to return her powers, the least he could do was let her gather a few of them.
"No, they are of no use to me," he replied, keeping his gaze focused on what was going on below them. He momentarily debated on saying anything at all to the woman, but knew he'd hear about it later if he remained completely silent. To save himself the frustration, he told her in minor detail. "If you must know, my goal still remains the same, to bring young Omi to the Heylin side."
"Him again?" Her shoulders dropped slightly. They already tried that before and quite frankly she didn't understand his fixation on the kid. Omi was just another bother to her, same with the other monks. "I don't get what's so special about that one. You don't see me trying to get Raimundo back, now do you?"
That was a onetime thing and in the end he betrayed her. It was a precarious move to attempt once more. She had to admit, without his help she wouldn't have been able to rise to power. It was good while it lasted, but all in all, Wuya had no desire to risk getting placed in another puzzle box. Being with Chase was more like a safe zone when it came to that aspect.
He made a scoffing sound at her remark, knowing full well what her thoughts were on the matter. "You couldn't if you tried. Whatever persuaded Raimundo to join you no longer resides in his heart. He was appointed the position of Shoku warrior; he's not going to turn on them. I'm sure even you noticed that by now."
Waving her hand in an indifferent manner, she blew off the subject. "I know that. And since I obviously can't say anything to change your mind, how do you plan on getting Omi to come over this time? I really don't think he's going to fall for another trick; well actually the little cheese-ball is pretty gullible."
"My intentions are what they always are, my own, and you need not concern yourself with them," he replied in an easy tone. A side glare was sent her way, his caginess expressed through a single look. It's not like he wasn't aware of each little skitter, every time she left and worked with Jack or Hannibal. It only proved how desperate she was. A little promise of a gained Shen Gong Wu was enough to capture her interest.
"Are you saying you don't trust me with this information?" she asked, sounding taken aback. In actuality, she couldn't blame him for not believing her but she still had to maintain her position. "I have no intention of leaving if that's what you're worried about."
She's been around him enough to know that, despite the airy tone and grotesquely painted smirk, he was one of the most dangerous people. Not only was his immortality something to fear, but his skills and way of getting into one's mind though that truly set him apart from anyone else. And to her, they were all the more reason's to remain with him.
"You tend to be very flippant, maybe more than Spicer. I allow you to stay because you are useful to me. Don't give me a reason to change my mind." Chase turned his attention back to his original objective. Both Jack and Omi took hold of the orb, setting the rules for their showdown. It was obvious who was going to win, so he no longer needed to watch.
Ignoring his threatening voice, Wuya spoke up once again, prying just a little. "So what, you plan is to deceive him again? Oh, I know. You're going to use his friends against him, leaving an ultimatum. I'm close, right?" As she spoke, he started walking away, leaving no choice but for her to follow.
Chase paused, almost mid step, angling his face back towards her, his slight scowl turning upwards. "I don't have to trick him. When the time comes he will choose the path of evil all on his own. Tonight will be when the first step takes place." Saying nothing else on the subject, he continued on his way. Just from viewing what his crow observed, he'll be able to decipher the precise words to use.
Regardless of that, he knew exactly what Omi would do when he returned to the temple. He'll disclose his worries, which were clearly rushing through his mind, to his teacher, not his friends. And it wasn't difficult to know where he would end up, for Master Fung would surely give him words of advice and have him take some time to clear his head. Once alone, they could discuss a few pending issues. From there, his plan would be underway.
Once back home the Shen Gong Wu was placed in the vault right away. The four of them took this time to do as they normally would after returning. Kimiko sat on the edge of the small deck, swinging her legs up and down as she used the newest device her father's company came out with. Raimundo was hitting a soccer ball back and forth between his feet, as Clay leaned against the wall, taking a nap.
As of right now, Omi stood outside, the Golden Tiger Claws in his possession. While his mind was still preoccupied by other thoughts, he tracked down Master Fung and spoke with him for a while, expressing his inability to meditate lately, but didn't get into anything regarding their enemy. That bit of information was better kept inside for the time being. His heart was wavering, yet it wasn't between good and evil, rather it was on a different matter.
He wasn't able to change Chase, not in the past or in the present. He tried accepting that and for the majority he understood there was no way of reverting him, but a part of him still hung onto some hope. Perhaps that was the problem, more than he wanted it to be. The monk shook his head. "Sometimes being on the side of good is most confusing," he muttered to himself.
It was because doing the right thing was hard, especially when it was the exact opposite of what you wanted to do. As a Xiaolin monk, his goals and achievements were clear, no doubt should linger, but the pressure, it got to all of them. Yet through everything they kept fighting and triumphed whenever darkness descended upon the land. Shouldn't it be the same when it battled within?
Nothing was ever simple and he couldn't allow his thoughts to take over. It's true he made mistakes and bad decisions, ones that greatly affected his friends and everyone around him. The other timelines never left him and he had to wonder if Chase also remembered them. The possible futures, when they met in the past, when they were friends rather than enemies.
Doing as Master Fung advised, as his particular words were, 'I suggest you take some time to yourself, go someplace without disturbances, young monk. Only when surrounded by peace, can your mind regain peace.' Omi agreed with the proposal, even if he was only gone for a few hours he figured some time alone would do some good.
If anyone asked about where he was, Dojo would inform them, so he wasn't all that worried. Although, he assumed no one would notice right away. They all seemed preoccupied by other things. Usually he would have joined them, taking part in their time together but tonight was different.
"Golden Tiger Claws!" Dragging the Wu in the air a small portal appeared. The moment he jumped through he landed in a small glen. The stars were visible against the dark sky and a sense of ease filled the secluded area. "This place should do, it appears to be most relaxing."
"Yes, it is also rather fitting for our long and overdo discussion, wouldn't you agree?" The Heylin warrior watched as Omi turned around, a small amount of confusion detectable on his face before he covered it up with narrowed eyes and a frown. A battle stance was taken, but he remained still.
"Chase Young. What are you doing here?" The last thing he expected was company, especially his, but he couldn't allow any of his puzzlements to be known. After all, the man standing before him was here for a reason, he always had something up his sleeve. And regardless of his want to leave his arms at rest, his guard couldn't be dropped so easily. "If you are looking for a fight, you have found one."
"Relax, little one, there is no need to spar. There is simply nothing to gain, for the moment." He raised a brow when the monk seemed to settle at his words. Once Omi was no longer on edge, shown by the descent of his shoulders and look in his black hues, Chase continued to hold his downward gaze, speaking in a lax tone. "As I said, I'm here to talk."
As far as updating goes, with this story I am now writing two so I will be posting the next chapter as soon as possible. I'll probably be going back and forth between them. When it comes to shipping, I won't really be including any as of right now. I think that's all I wanted to mention. Please review!