Jackie Chan Adventures doesn't belong to me; no money is made and so on. You know how it goes.

HEING MEH

Chapter 31

Where was Jackie?

Jade had never before felt that terrible, lost and confused. She couldn't say where she was or what had happened and felt like she had been buried for days.

The only thing that was clear in her mind was Jackie's face. Her beloved uncle who had always been there when she needed him.

"Jackie?" she heard a voice call and realised that it was her own. However, it sounded so unfamiliar and she hadn't felt the movement of her lips. She would have to get to Jackie!

Strong arms kept her still as she tried to move and desperation rose inside her. No! She couldn't stay there!

"Jade, be calm. Shh, don't move..."

Something in those words and the voice that said them was very soothing and almost made her feel better.

Fingers brushed against her forehead and sent a wave of pain through her head.

"No," she whispered and tried to push the strange hand away.

"Can you see us, Jade?"

That voice... "Uncle?" A breath that Jade had been holding not even realising it was released with a sob and she reached to the old man's voice with her arms. "Uncle!"

"Jade..."

She felt how the arms around her let go and she threw herself at the direction of the familiar voice. The movement hurt and she fell in a heap in the middle of it. Someone was there to catch her and she pressed herself against that person, seeking protection.

"Uncle." The familiar smell of beans and garlic filled her nostrils and she tightened her grab. She would never let go.

"She is in shock and can't probably see us," someone said. Perhaps she should have recognised the voice, but she had energy for nothing else but understanding that she was finally safe.

She fell slowly back asleep.

Hsi Wu swallowed as he watched how Jade fell against Uncle. That helpless creature wasn't her Jade, it was someone else. Someone who couldn't take care of herself and didn't care about him.

"She is sick," he hissed gritting his teeth. No one paid him any attention; they didn't even glance at him.

"The wound in her chest hasn't healed. We have to take care of it now," Viper said and helped Uncle to lay Jade back on the altar.

"How long will it take until she wakes up again?" Tohru asked. The sky demon thought the Japanese looked a little pale.

Everyone's eyes turned on Necrosis. The old man had pearls of sweat on his forehead and he looked very tired. And yet there was something triumphant in the way he stood and Hsi Wu wouldn't have been surprised if the man had grinned at them.

He got to taste real power, the demon thought to himself. It will be interesting to see what happens...

"I am not sure. The experience was an enormous shock to her and her body has weakened," the old man said.

"So we can only make her feel comfortable and try to ease her pain as much as possible," Viper said. "Right, Uncle?"

Uncle sighed and turned his eyes from the unconscious Jade. "Yes, that is the only thing we can do now."

Po Kong took the lead now that something she understood was going on again. She walked to the others. "We have to wash Jade, treat her wounds better and change her in better clothes. It also wouldn't hurt to move her in another place," she suggested.

"We can do that on our own. We don't need demons for it," Uncle pointed out. Hsi Wu wanted to object, but closed his mouth at the last moment. Something told him that it would be the best if he wasn't around when Jade woke up next time.

Po Kong nodded. "We have done our half of the agreement. Now that you are finished with the girl we can finally concentrate on more important matters." She took a step to take the book that Necrosis had left of the altar.

"No!" The old man had moved surprisingly fast and snatched the book to himself under the mountain demon's eyes. Po Kong raised her brow.

"You don't need it anymore so I can take it to our library. Tso Lan would be delighted to read it," she said.

"This book belongs to my family. I will not let it end up in demons' hands," Necrosis replied as everyone's curious eyes turned on him. He pressed to book against his chest and wrapped his fingers tightly around it.

Po Kong smirked. "As you wish."

Hsi Wu stood on his place for a while, but rose on his wings then and left. He was the last to do that as all of Jade's friends and relatives stayed with her. The demon would have liked to remain there as well, but he knew the others would never allow it. And at the moment he didn't really feel like arguing with mortals.

Maybe it was time to fly.

Viper couldn't look Uncle in the eyes. Even though she knew that the old man was kind somewhere deep inside she had never seen him really express it in any way. Uncle was always annoyed and angry, but now the woman had seen something else on his face.

The world I know is falling apart, she thought to herself in dark amusement.

"I don't know what to say. Jade is alive again," she stated. A smile forced itself on her face. She could see the relief on Tohru and Black's face as well. The ex-thief made herself look at Uncle as well and was ashamed of what she had thought just a moment ago.

"But who knows how it has affected her?" the old man asked. Viper couldn't say anything to that.

"If we give her time, perhaps everything will be like it used to," Tohru guessed.

"Hopefully. Section 13 would be so quiet without Jade around," Black stated with a sad smile.

"And I don't even want to think what her parents and Jackie would do," Viper added. She turned to Tohru and Black. "You two could go and get warm water and something better for her to wear. She is going to catch a cold if we leave her like this."

"Sure, we are on our way," Black promised and Tohru look pleased with something to do as well. With no other words the two left.

Viper sighed.

"And then?" she asked Uncle. The old man looked thoughtful and was looking at Jade again.

"Uncle doesn't know," he finally admitted. "Demons will demand a reward for this and we can't say no. We have to think about the world and what Heing Meh can do."

"I agree, but..." Viper was silent for a while. It felt somehow difficult talking with Uncle about such a matter. "Somehow I feel that nothing will ever be the same again. It scares me."

She couldn't quite believe she was telling that to the old man who in the best case would probably just whack her and tell her to remain silent. To her ultimate surprise Uncle smiled just a bit.

"Me too," he said quietly.

"How did it go?" Tso Lan asked without lifting his gaze as Po Kong arrived. The mountain demon didn't walk to her brother, but went and eyed the bookshelves. It was useless actually as she knew quite well what books there were.

"The spell worked and she is alive again," she stated.

"Ah, excellent. Now we can turn our minds to something else."

"True, but we will still have problems with the Chans. I doubt the girl will be herself at once," Po Kong said.

"That is none of our worried." Tso Lan turned a page.

"Yes it is, because as long as they don't concentrate on our plans we can't do it either. If we don't do something soon Heing Meh will have an advantage. It has almost happened and -- " Po Kong stopped as she saw how her brother's position changed just a bit. "You know something."

Tso Lan put his book away. "You are aware that I went to China to look for a book for our purposes, isn't that right my sister?" Po Kong nodded and the moon demon continued: "I found the book, but also something just as important."

"What?"

"I met out enemy face to face," Tso Lan said calmly and waited to see his sister's reaction. He didn't have to wait for long because Po Kong -- though many claimed her to be an idiot -- understood almost immediately.

"You saw Heing Meh? And you are still alive?" she asked not even trying to hide her shock. Her eyes were wide and her expression more than confused.

The demon with four arms nodded. "It was quite a fascinating meeting, to be honest. He didn't try to kill me -- I can't say why -- but we exchanged a couple of words. But I was more interested in his appearance."

"What did he look like?"

Tso Lan remained silent for a while to take everything out of his words. "He is a brown western dragon and he has most magnificent red feathered wings," he stated.

Po Kong drew a deep breath and leaned on the shelf next to her. It broke down under her and all books fell on the floor.

"It can't be! You can't mean that -- " she whispered with a voice that didn't sound like her own at all.

"He called me his brother," Tso Lan said. Despite that his kept his voice clear and face expressionless, he wasn't quite able to hide the slight shaking of his hands.

"But... he died! I was there when he opened and closed his eyes for the first and last time! We were all there when his body was burnt! He can't be here!" Po Kong snapped.

"Did you already forget why young Chan lost her life?"

Po Kong froze. "I... I..." This time she had no answer.

Tso Lan sighed. "When Shendu and Xiao Fung come back, we need to talk about this," he said.

Hsi Wu drew up his wings and landed on a safe spot in the mountains. He knelt, wrapped his wings around his body and let his shoulders fall. He looked like a grey stone.

He had thought that Jade's return would make him happy. Yet he hadn't felt any different and that had been disappointing. He had expected so much but had got nothing.

What had made him think that she would change anything?

Jade had been his friend, he was ready admit that. The girl had stamina and she had treated him unlike anyone else. She hadn't been afraid when he had threatened her with torture or slavery, but had thrown all that back at him. Hsi Wu usually wouldn't have stood that in a mortal, but Jade...

But Jade wasn't that child anymore. She had grown into a young woman and had learned to understand what the world was really like. Her life was no longer ruled by adventure or excitement, she was already almost an adult.

And she hadn't believed Hsi Wu when he had tried to warn her. Jade had preferred Shin.

Hsi Wu frowned. To his surprise he wasn't angry and didn't want to tear Jade to shreds.

Maybe it was for the best to wait and see what happened. The sky demon closed his eyes and smelled the air.

Jackie was the last one to step through the portal in Dai Gui's palace. He couldn't help but hope that Jade would be there to greet him, laughing, and tell him that everything had worked perfectly. He almost closed his eyes to be able to open them under better circumstances.

"Typical. No one here to meet us or wanting to hear the news," Shendu growled angrily.

"Maybe they have something important to do," Xu Lin suggested and the fire demon glared at the girl.

"Important? I was told to do that useless trip and no one is interested in even hearing about it! I can't stand it!" he snapped.

"I will go and see how Jade is doing," Jackie said. He didn't have time to listen to other's senseless arguing as long as he didn't know how Jade was. Xu Lin hurried after him.

"I'll come too," the girl said. Jackie nodded and smiled.

Jackie believed that if the others had managed to do something about Jade, they must have moved her to their quarters. At least that was what he would have done and he assumed Uncle and the rest wanted to have her as far away from the demons as possible.

"Please, let her be alright..." he muttered as he hurried until he was running. Xu Lin didn't say a thing, merely let Jackie go on.

The trip to their rooms felt like an eternity and Jackie's heart was about to fall apart when they arrived there -- and it wasn't only because of the run.

"Tohru! How is Jade?" he asked when he spotted his big friend.

"Jackie? You are back already. Jade is -- " the Japanese started, but Jackie pushed past him.

He froze as he finally found his niece. She was lying under a blanket on a bed that someone had made and only her face was visible. Her eyes were closed, but her expression was calmer than he remembered.

And her chest was moving.

At first Jackie thought he was seeing things and he felt cold inside, but when Jade's chest rose and fell again and again...

"Jade..." he whispered and rushed at her side. "She... she is..." he muttered and barely noticed how Uncle stepped closer.

"We managed to revive her and now she must sleep," the old man explained. Jackie swallowed and nodded. Tears sparkled in his eyes and he thought he had never felt as relieved and happy.

"She'll make it," he said as if trying to convince himself that the sight in front of him was really true. "Oh, Jade..." He brushed the girl's cheek to be able to feel the warmth of her skin. His touch made Jade move and she opened her eyes a little.

"Jack-ie?" she asked quietly and tried to sit up. Uncle hurried to stop her.

"No Jade, it won't do good for your wound," the old man said quickly. Jade looked at them as if she was still half asleep and didn't understand a thing. She blinked and it seemed to help a little.

"What happened?" she asked. Her voice was hoarse as she hadn't used it in days and her throat was dry. "My chest hurts. Why are crying, Jackie?"

Jackie smiled at her. "You have been very sick Jade, but everything is fine now. You have a wound and must lie still not to open it," he said.

Jade frowned and didn't seem to recall a thing. "Oh," she said and yawned.

"You must sleep, it will help you to remember and understand," Uncle said.

"But I don't want to. I feel like I have already slept for so long and for some reason I am so happy to see you. As if I had really missed you..." Jade muttered.

Jackie ruffled her hair. "Just do as Uncle says so that you can leave the bed soon. You don't want to miss the adventure of your life?"

Jade's tired face brightened at one. "Huh? What is going on?" she asked in curiosity.

"How much do you remember?" Uncle asked ignoring his own advice. Jackie glanced at the old man, but didn't argue about it. He too wanted to talk with her more than anything else.

It was so relieving to have her back... Jackie had thought with horror what he'd say to the girl's parents if Jade had remained dead.

Xu Lin had followed the scene without saying a word. No one noticed how she slipped away with a smile on her lips.

Jade looked thoughtful. "I am not sure... I remember how we tried to find out what Shendu was up to and I remember Shin. He had a weird palace, but... the memories are not clear, as if I couldn't get a hold of them," she said sounding frustrated.

"It's normal. Your mind is still in shock but once you've rested enough you will remember everything," Uncle said.

"Aww... But I am not tired. Couldn't you tell me what is going on? How is the fight against the demons?" Jade suppressed another yawn and blinked.

Jackie and Uncle glanced at each other. Jade noticed it, but right when she was about to ask Jackie stood up.

"Now you must sleep, Jade. We'll talk more once you've woken up," he said.

"But -- "

"No buts Jade, sleep." Jackie didn't believe he had ever scolded Jade with such a gentle voice. He was so happy that he would have let her stay up the whole eternity if it hadn't been bad for her. "Sleep well."

"I have fulfilled my mission. Can we now concentrate on Sha Fuju?" Shendu asked once he found Tso Lan. The moon demon turned to look at his brother.

"You are back? How pleasant," he said. Shendu didn't pay attention to the words but stepped closer. He was in his true form for the first time since they had left to Sweden and it felt fantastic to stretch his muscles and feel himself.

"What have you achieved here?" the fire demon asked. Tso Lan didn't even glance at him now.

"We have found a way to open a portal to Sha Fuju and will do it once I and old Chan have prepared the spell. It won't take long since we have already taken care of young Chan," the moon demon said.

"Jade Chan is alive?" Shendu asked slitting his eyes. "And it was starting to be so peaceful..."

"I doubt she will cause much trouble any time soon. The wound Shin gave her is still there and the stitches Valmont sewed won't do any good if she moves too much. And that reminds me, how is our youngest brother?"

Shendu didn't look pleased. "He didn't suffer, which is a pity. I don't know what happened, that cursed one doesn't want to share the details but I'd assume he learned something," he said.

"And where is he now?"

"How should I know? I am not his guardian!"

Tso Lan sighed. "No, but you aren't much anything else either..."

"What?" Shendu's voice rose with anger and his brother shook his head.

"Never mind. I don't have to repeat my words to you."

"You are awfully tight, brother. Perhaps something happened while I was gone? Something... shocking?" Shendu asked in mock politeness.

"You don't need to know that. Yet at least."

"As you wish, brother. But I have the right to hear more about Sha Fuju. I want to be there when the portal is opened because I must tell Chow what questions to ask," the dragon said.

"I and the old Chan already know what question is needed," Tso Lan said.

"I know! But thanks to me we have the opportunity to do this so it is only justified that I get an answer to my question as well!" Shendu snapped.

"I wonder what it is. How to take over the world?"

Shendu drew a breath, hissing, as the words were hit against him. Tso Lan hadn't said it, but his tone had revealed enough.

"I will get my answer! You or anyone else can't deny what is mine!"

"Important matters first, Shendu. At the moment you are not one of them," Tso Lan said. "Now excuse me, I have to find Ni Tang and have a word with him. And you won't try to force the Chosen of Dreams into asking any of your questions. Once this mess is cleared you can open the portal again and do whatever you want."

The moon demon floated past him and left a very angry Shendu behind.

"That cursed..." the dragon muttered and clenched his fists.

Xu Lin had crept away in silence because she didn't want to be on the way when Jade talked with her relatives. She would have liked to ask how Jade felt, but the thought of intruding hadn't appealed to her at all.

And watching the Chans had made her miss her own family.

I wonder if they are worried about me? My trip to America has lasted a while already and father may not be pleased when I get back... she thought as she wandered in the corridors. She paid no attention to where she was going.

She wondered how her brother was doing in school. Xu Lin knew that he was her parents' pride and that they hoped him to become something great. She felt no jealousy at all and wished all the best for her brother.

In a way she wanted to go back already. She had come to America to get an answer to her dreams, but so much had happened that no one had really had time for thinking about them.

Her last dream -- if there was any truth in them -- whispered of something terrible and it frightened her to think about it. Someone would die in such a horrible way... Xu Lin didn't want that to happen even to one of the demons and she didn't even dare to think what she'd do if one of her friends would suffer such a fate.

Her heart leaped when she suddenly realised she was standing right in front of Shendu. It was time since she had last seen the demon in his true form and she had to take a step back in fright.

Shendu slit his eyes and Xu Lin knew that the demon had noticed her much before than she had had any idea of his presence.

"What are you doing here? I'd suspect you to keep company to your little friend," the dragon hissed. His voice was low and his whole position told of enormous rage. It made Xu Lin feel nervous, but she knew that the demon was not mad at her.

"I... I thought it would be better to let her have a moment with her family. I'd just bother them," she said carefully.

"Ah, family. So like you humans to value it so much," the dragon muttered.

"Family is the most important thing you can ever have. It takes care of you when you are sick, lonely or need help and encourages you at every point of your life. Nothing should matter as much," Xu Lin said repeating her grandmother's words.

"Trying to give me advice?" Shendu looked her straight into eyes and Xu Lin shook her head.

"No! I -- "

"Then you want to show that you are better than me? Do you want to prove that humans are better in that than we are?" the demon snapped at her and Xu Lin backed away against the wall. How could she have known that a few simple words could have such an effect on the demon? And she had just wanted to say something wise!

"Please, listen. I had no intention of -- " she tried to say, but Shendu wasn't interested in listening.

"Silence! I have had enough of you, Chan, Valmont and all of you who think you are equal or better than us! I can't understand how my siblings stand to look at you and crawl in front of you like that! You are all pathetic, just like the Immortals of China!" he raged and brought his face close. Xu Lin felt the demon's hot breath on her skin and hoped that she could have backed further away.

She turned her head away and closed her eyes wishing for the demon to leave her alone. Then she blinked, realised something and turned to look at him again.

"Immortal heroes!" she exclaimed making Shendu start. "That is why you hate humans!"

"What do you mean?" the demon asked. The angry expression on his face hadn't disappeared, but his voice was confused and perhaps even shocked.

"I think I understand now. You are proud of what you are and think you are better than humans. And yet it was a group of humans who imprisoned you and your family in the Netherworld. It must have been embarrassing and I'm sure you hated us all, not just the Immortals," Xu Lin explained, now looking at the demon with a thoughtful expression.

"Tchang Zu was the only one who agreed with me. If he was here he would help me get rid of those who took everything from us. Now that my other siblings -- even Dai Gui that big idiot -- has abandoned all that is important only I am left fighting for the family honour," Shendu said and sounded like he didn't even realise he was talking aloud. As if he was talking to himself.

"But all humans are not the same," Xu Lin dared to say.

"Of course you are! What makes the Chans different? They banished us back and will try to do it again once this is over!" Shendu snapped.

"They think you are a danger to the world."

"The world that used to be ours!"

"I would never banish you back."

Shendu grinned at her. "Oh, really? And why? What makes you different? Do you think you are so pure and noble that you could give us a second chance? Perhaps you pity us? Or do you think you could change us?" he asked mockingly.

"No, none of those. You are demons and nothing will change that. But... I know what it feels like to be a prisoner knowing that you will never be released. When Jackie saved me I swore that I would never let myself or anyone else suffer from that again," Xu Lin said. Her voice sounded strange in her ears and she knew that Jackie, Jade and the rest wouldn't have appreciated her words. Understood, yes, but never appreciated.

"Ah, the Lotus Temple. I had almost forgotten," the demon said. "Out of curiosity, what would you do with us then? Surely you wouldn't let us roam free in the world that you humans have learned to call your own?"

Xu Lin shrugged. "I think I would have to learn to live with the fact that there are things I can't change. It's not that difficult."

Shendu looked at her. "A human who doesn't want to kill a demon at first sight? It would make you the first in centuries." He snorted. "Let's see if you still think that way once this is over and nothing stops me from having my way."

Xu Lin didn't even blink. "We shall see then."

Valmont felt like he was full of energy and he was so frustrated with that he had nothing to do. He should have been taking care of the Dark Hand business and making sure that his organization wouldn't collapse like it had done after the previous demon adventure.

He would also have to ask his men how soon they'd be able to go back to work. Valmont didn't doubt Hak Foo, but Finn, Chow and Ratso were able to come up with excuses. They could even ask for a vacation because of this mess!

"I take everything went fine, brother."

Valmont froze and turned around as he heard Tso Lan speaking. "Better than well, actually," he said and grinned. It didn't feel strange being close to the demon at all. On the other hand, he felt very courageous.

"Good to hear. So you will assist us in our fight against Heing Meh?" the moon demon asked.

"Depends on what good it is for me."

"Our family is involved and doesn't demand a reward. You, a human, do. It makes me wonder which of us are truly greedy," Tso Lan said.

"You don't become successful without thinking about yourself. You are so old that I'd expect you to know it," Valmont stated with no worry.

"One sees you are a human and young." Valmont suspected the demon had something else to add, but he remained silent. The man frowned at the demon.

"I think what I want to and nothing will change that for now. I may have a place in your family, but I won't risk my life for you," he said.

"And your own future? Heing Meh will try to destroy you as well."

Valmont smiled. "You won't get me in with that. There are so many of you already that you won't need me. Destroy Heing Meh, perhaps some of you will also die with him. I am about to watch and if you win, I win."

"And if we lose?"

"In that case it just might get a little more complicated."

To be continued...