Uploaded: 30th November 2004
Chapter 10: Downward Spiral
The skies were dark – always dark – but Dojo could always find his bearings no matter how treacherous the conditions were, another of the reasons why he had been so helpful to Dashi and SilverClaw. Clay and Kimiko rode on his back, with Clay making sure that Omi wouldn't fall.
Jack flew beside Dojo, driving a larger version of his jet-car (roughly the size of a small plane), with Katnappe sitting beside him in the front, and both sets of parents in the back. Jack had given Kimiko a radio, and Dojo he had given an ear-piece meant for one of his larger robots. The broadcast worked within a five-mile radius, so they would be able to keep in contact if they were separated for any reason. Kimiko and Katnappe had both wondered how Jack's stuff worked when everything else didn't, but there hadn't been time for any more talking before they left. They had decided to stock up on more supplies, which were also inside Jack's plane, and had left …
Jack had secretly been reluctant to leave his home in such a state but there had been no time to fix anything up either. He had very nearly finished his master invention, but he'd needed to leave that behind as well. He had brought his most useful and valuable tools and parts, though, so he could work on upgrading his robots at the Ping-jing village. He would return to his house in full force, and then … Wuya would be in for a big surprise.
A magical globe floated in mid-air, eerily illuminating the otherwise darkened room, a twirling sphere of lit-up landmasses and dark blue seas. The figure behind watched impatiently as the globe turned, the soft glow from the magical representation of Earth making the dark lines on her face visible.
Wuya took a furious step forward, fists clenched tightly. Where was she? That miserable SilverClaw, one of the Shoka, and responsible for the map that showed where the Elemental temples were … Wuya desperately wanted to find out where those temples were, to absorb the essences of the elements and tilt the world towards eternal darkness.
She had already absorbed the essence of Lightning and of Wood. On a normal day, she would have been able to cover the planet with tremendous thunderstorms, or summon entire forests to anywhere she wanted … but her chi was out of balance with her jing (essence). For some reason, she was finding it very difficult to access her own jing, as well as the xing xing jing (planet essence), and her chi had been severely depleted after being trapped for all those years within the puzzle-box … She had been forced to use her moshu reserves, and even that had not been a lot.
She sighed. Until she regained her strength, there was no point in going after the temples, really. She could take over the world even without their elemental might behind her. After all, there was always the Shen Gong Wu.
Because of the way the Shen Gong Wu were connected with the Elements, and the temples, they too shared a part in maintaining the balance. If she managed to gain possession of them all, then she could also use them as a means to cover the world in a spell of darkness … and that was why she wanted them so much.
There was a knock on the golden door, and a stone lion with a curled mane, one of Wuya's palace guardians, entered and walked in, its head bowed.
"What is it?" Wuya's tone was harsh, irritable, and had the impending doom of a looming storm.
"Forgive the intrusion, great Sorceress, but the Dragon of Wind requests an audience …"
"Send him in."
Raimundo came inside, walking slowly, keeping his eyes to the floor. He knelt down before her.
She smirked down at the boy, taking cruel pleasure in the fact that she'd turned one of the Chosen Ones. It had taken the combined magic from three separate spells to do so, but the Dragon of Air was hers. A couple of hours had passed since she had placed both spells, and as that time passed, Raimundo had slowly been turned into her own personal servant, whilst at the same time his chi was becoming more and more of the yin alignment ...
The Yizhi spell had utterly suppressed his own will. He completely believed that he was her slave, that his sole purpose in life was to serve her. The Reversed Horn of Qilin magic had shifted his elemental position from Light to Dark. And as for the Yinying spell … that spell had inserted a piece of evil inside his heart, and working together with the Horn … well, whatever positive feelings he had for his former friends were now completely eradicated.
"Rise, child, and tell me what's bothering you."
Raimundo stood up, and then frowned at her. "I wanna know what you're doing."
"Do you, now?"
"Yeah," he said, still frowning slightly. But only slightly. "I'm curious, your Greatness. You've told me hardly anything about how you plan to conquer the world …"
Wuya chuckled. In some ways, he was still the same. But unlike the other two pieces of magic, the Yizhi spell did not change a person's disposition; and now that the Horn's magic had run its full course, Raimundo was no longer temperamental, back to his lively but lazy self – except that he was no longer on the side of Light. So, despite wanting to fulfil her every whim, he still had a spark of defiance left within him. That would keep things interesting …
"Bold one, aren't you? What I do is none of your business."
"How am I supposed to serve you if I don't know what you want of me?"
"Very well," she said, eyes still lit up with amusement, "I'll tell you. I'm looking for someone called SilverClaw. Are you familiar with the name?"
Raimundo tilted his head sideways in thought. The name did ring a bell; he remembered reading about someone with a similar namewhile studying the Shen Gong Wu scroll after his defeat by Tubbimura. "Um … didn't she make a special map, or something?"
"Correct. Is there anything else you can tell me?"
"Not much … She travelled with Grand Master Dashi, making notes on all the Shen Gong Wu they found. But, that's all I know …"
"Hmm … I thought as such."
"But wasn't that fifteen hundred years ago? How can she still be alive after all this time?"
"She is a Shoka … and the Shoka were long ago gifted with the Peaches of Immortality, even though they also possess the ability to use magic. Their kind … they have a long life-span."
"Is that why you're looking for her? To get one of those peaches?"
She scoffed coldly. "If I succeed in my plans, I will not need them …"
"Have the Huai-Ren come back from Jack's house yet?"
Raimundo's question was answered as a couple of the creatures phased into the room.
Wuya conjured a wooden table with another wave of her hand, and a black vulture, flapping enormous wings, dropped the Sun Chi Lantern and the Heart of Jong onto it before circling round and landing on the floor next to her. A sleek reptile, with spines ridged along its back, also flew round with paper wings, having grown a dragonish Longi Kite on its back. It dropped the Fist of Tebigong and the Star Hanabi on the table.
But it was the Sun Chi Lantern Wuya was interested in. She took it in her hands possessively, unable to keep the wide smirk from appearing from her face. Now she had a way to return to full power. "Just what I need …"
"The Sun Chi Lantern? But I thought Omi and the others had that one?"
"You're right … they must have been at Jack's house. What were they doing there, I wonder?"
Wuya half-swiped at the turning globe, and it disappeared in a misty twirling mixture of whites and blues. She shut her eyes, trying to sense the magical energy of a certain Shen Gong Wu … the Horn of Qilin had a very distinct signature, it was almost like a beacon … and she could sense it, quite far off, somewhere to the East.
Still with closed eyes, she summoned some magical energy … A white fog appeared in mid-air right in the place where the globe had been – and inside the fog, Raimundo could see Dojo, flying, with Jack's hovercar beside him.
She opened her eyes. "So … they've decided to join forces, have they?"
As if a thousand Jacks would be of any use. Nine had been completely useless …
Raimundo frowned as he watched them fly … He could easily nip in and attack them with the Golden Tiger Claws, now that he could see them. But maybe Wuya had something else, sometime more fitting in store for them …
"What are you going to do to them?"
"Nothing …"
"Nothing?"
Raimundo's voice held such shock that Wuya gave him a very sharp glare, and he bowed his head in obedient apology.
"Sorry, your Highness, but it surprises me …" His eyes were narrowed in a dark expression of calm rage. "You have the perfect opportunity to strike … and you're just gonna let them go?"
Wuya sighed. "I am tired … I cannot afford to waste what little energy I have on what may prove to be a fruitless endeavour."
"Fruitless? Just kill them and take their Shen Gong Wu."
"No … now that I have my body back, they are more valuable to me alive … at least for the moment."
"What about Jack?"
"Jack's not a threat to me."
"Not yet, but he might become one, Highness."
"If I were at full power, not even his inventions would be able to save him."
"But you're not, are you?"
"A temporary setback," she said, with one of her wide grins. She swiped through the fog-image, and it disappeared. "One I mean to remedy right now, as a matter of fact." With her arm, she made a commanding gesture to the vulture and it bent its body down, allowing her to climb onto its back.
"Thought you were tired?"
"I am, but I'll be back shortly, don't you worry. You stay here in the palace … if you need anything, summon my guards. I won't be long."
"As you wish, your Highness," Raimundo said, bowing respectfully.
She sliced at the air with the Golden Tiger Claws, and disappeared into the purple portal, atop the vulture Huai-Ren.
Raimundo growled, a furious animal-like snarl of frustration. The Xiaolin warriors were getting away …
And then he sighed.
He would have to be patient. He would get his revenge soon enough.
Unbelievable – yet another failed jailbreak … DarkClaw could only watch as the other creatures bickered amongst themselves.
The creatures were squabbling about what to do next now. Aria the harpy was screeching at Oro the anzu, who was snapping and biting at Hunter the werewolf, who was growling at Sando'ip the goblin … and the three imps had deserted the group entirely, having given up what they felt was a lost cause.
Sando'ip had managed to rally these few creatures to his side, the sole remains of magical creatures that actually supported Gong Gong and the true Heylin cause, but, in DarkClaw's view, they were nothing but short-sighted simpletons. They were only interested in the short term. Unfortunately, this meant that the whole lot of them wanted results right away … and their most recent failure to break into the prison was bound to send a few tempers rising through the roof.
The chimera Blaze, on the other hand, had remained completely cool. He didn't seem at all bothered about any of this, DarkClaw noticed. Maybe he knew, then.
And then there was Troto the troll, who was leaning again the walls of the cavern in a very laid-back manner, puffing on a cigar, also watching the others argue … Nothing bothered him. The whole universe could be on the very verge of destruction, and he wouldn't care.
"You did not breach the jail, again, then?"
DarkClaw turned his head slightly to the side, to see Tubbimura standing next to him. They were inside a small cave that inwards led to Nidavellir, the Dwarves' home, and outwards led to a small forest.
"Yes, unfortunately. You were right about the Drorpions; they are particularly tough opponents indeed."
"What will you do? Should we steal the active Shen Gong Wu from Wuya and Jack? They would definitely help."
DarkClaw made a small sighing noise. "The Shen Gong Wu are no longer my primary concern."
He turned to walk away, towards the cave's entrance, and all of the creatures stopped their arguing to stare at the back of DarkClaw's head. Since he always wore a hooded robe, they had never seen his true form. Like most Shoka, he kept his appearance hidden wherever he could.
"And why is that?" Tubbimura asked.
Blaze's lion head grinned. "Wuya has been restored, hasn't she?"
So, thought DarkClaw, I was right. He does know.
He stopped walking and nodded. "Yes …"
"How do you know this?" asked Aria, folding her winged arms.
"I'm sensing a great disturbance in the xing xing jing …"
"Oh?" asked Troto, raising an eyebrow. "And what's that?"
"Idiot," Blaze snapped at the troll. "It's the elemental force, or energy of the planet … It feels like a huge chunk of it is missing … the elements of Wood and Lightning … they're just … gone. Not there."
"I can't sense the moon's pull 'ny more," growled Hunter the werewolf grouchily, scratching his fur with his hind leg. "That must be why I'm feeling so grumpy …"
"Only Wuya would be able to cause a disruption of this magnitude," DarkClaw told them, and he walked to the cavern opening, staring out into the dark sky. This wasn't supposed to happen …
"I do not understand," Tubbimura said from inside the cave. "I thought Wuya was on the Heylin side, as you are."
"Yeah," Sando'ip's squeaky little voice rang out, "I'd have to agree with that human … what's wrong with her coming back? Won't she want to attack Nu Wa?"
The Shoka sighed as he returned inside, a long, quiet sigh that seemed to come from the very earth itself. He paced slowly, backwards and forwards, the group following his movements as he spoke.
"Once upon a time, Wuya was as fiercely opposed to Nu Wa's rule as we are, and that still holds true, to a certain degree … but Wuya's motives have changed. She wants to take Nu Wa's place as Empress of the world, to subvert and change the Earth into a world where every living thing would bow to her, even those of the Heylin faction. That is not a world I want to see …"
"But the puzzle-box … why did you want it opened?" Hunter asked, as DarkClaw turned back around to face the group.
"… Fifteen hundred years ago, Wuya disrupted the xing xing jing, and all the Shen Gong Wu became active. The puzzle-box was the last Shen Gong Wu, a way for Dashi to contain Wuya's jing and drain her chi, devised by the black guardian of the North, Gui Xian … The process turned her into a gui form. Releasing her gui form simply activated the Shen Gong Wu again; she is harmless as a ghost.
"I have studied all the Shen Gong Wu extensively; SilverClaw left Xing Hua with a list of all the ones she found with the Grand Master. I could see no method of turning a gui into a physical state with the Shen Gong Wu that SilverClaw found. But … Wuya must have found a way …"
"If she is this powerful," said Blaze, "perhaps we'd be better off joining her after all."
"Fool!" hissed DarkClaw. "You don't know what she's capable of!"
"Neither do you," said Blaze. "You only know her by reputation … She may even have lost her powers …"
"I doubt it. Her magical energy was not drained by the Puzzle."
"See, that's wot we need," smiled Troto, "someone with magic." He jerked his head sideways towards Sando'ip. "Not a useless toerag like 'im."
"Be quiet!" the little goblin snarled, jumping up and down on the spot in a miniature sized temper tantrum.
"We could help her," Blaze suggested, "if she frees our followers from the prison."
DarkClaw snorted. "She won't need our help to get what she wants … She is ruthless, cruel … she'll just see you as a means to increase her great supply of jing …"
Oro, the golden anzu, pounded the floor with an angry paw. "I am tired of these failures! You promised our freedom, our deliverance from the human plague that infests this world, and instead we get disappointment after disappointment!" He paced around angrily, looking like a frustrated lion in a cage. "I will tolerate this no longer! I've tried everything to free my kind – I've tried negotiating with Long and the rest of those traitors … I will do anything … if it means I must help this Wuya, then so be it!"
"I'm with him," said Sando'ip. "We need magic to beat those Drorpions."
"I … don't know," said Aria doubtingly. "What if DarkClaw is right? Wuya could be more trouble than it's worth …"
Blaze growled. "I can sense the source of the darkness … it is most concentrated in that direction … It's not too far off … I'm going."
Sando'ip climbed onto Oro's back, and Oro flexed his wings. "Don't try to stop us, Dark," the anzu said.
"You can do what you want …" DarkClaw replied, feigning nonchalance. "I can't stop you, if you really want to go. Just don't come back crying for help when it goes wrong."
"Humph," said Blaze, unimpressed by DarkClaw's supposed advanced knowledge. Just because he was a Shoka, didn't mean he knew everything … Blaze left the cave without saying anything more; and all the creatures followed his lead.
All except Troto the troll, still leaning against the walls of the cave, puffing on his cigar.
"They're a bunch of fools," DarkClaw seethed, "the whole lot of them … They'll be nothing but a source of jing to her."
"And that's bad, is it?" asked Troto, casually blowing a ring of smoke into the air.
"What?" DarkClaw snapped in disbelief.
"I've never understood all that chi palarva, you see. Feng Shui and that I Ching … Bunch of mumbo jumbo."
"You're ridiculous, you know that?"
Troto laughed. "I know."
"What should we do now?" Tubbimura asked with folded arms, looking a little impatient.
"Continue on our way. I never should have joined Sando'ip in the first place." DarkClaw held up the pendant around his neck.
And once this Shen Gong Wu becomes active …I will finally be able to take part in the showdowns …
Notes:
Damn, man … That was my crappiest chapter yet. All that time I took to put something new on this site – and that was best I could do? What a rip …
gui – ghost, or spirit. A gui is an earth-bound yin spirit, whereas a shen spirit is an ethereal yang spirit.
xing xing – planet. 'X' is pronounced with a kinda soft 'sh' … like the 'x' in Xiaolin.
jing – essence. In Chinese philosophy, this essence is a predetermined energy that everyone has, inherited from your parents, and is used to make chi. It is a finite substance – once it runs out, you die. If written with a different character, jing also means power or energy.
Peaches of Immortality – obviously, peaches that make you immortal. In Chinese legend, Sun Wukong (better known as the Monkey King) stole these peaches from the Sacred Peach Garden in heaven.
Gong Gong – In Chinese mythology, a water demon who fought the fire god Zhu Rong and lost … but he's got a slightly different role in my fic, so bear that in mind.
Nu Wa – Empress goddess of the world who created mankind from mud, also from Chinese myth. Something Wuya said to Jack in Like a Rock reminded me of this.
Tubbimura – I'll explain more about him at a later time. That's all I'm saying for the moment, but I thought I'd make a mention of it just in case someone thinks his appearance was a bit random.
