YAY! Up now is the second chapter of 'Xiaolin School'. Enjoy, everyone! I know last time it didn't make much sense because, well, how could the Xiaolin Warriors be Xiaolin Warriors if they never had gotten Shen Gong Wu or fought Jack Spicer yet? Well, my explanation is simply that they were in training, but had never battled for the Wu. I'm kind of pretending the Wu don't exist for this story, if you see my point… Much longer than the last one, by the way. What I said about Chase and Calvin is NOT real, I was just using my individual creativity.
"Xiaolin Warriors in a school, eh?" a purple witch cried out. "I sensed this…"
"Who are you?" Omi yelled.
"My name…is Wuya. Heylin witch Wuya."
"Oh my God! Dammit! You're back, Wuya!" Azva cried with horrible recognition.
"What is all this disruption?" The voice of Calvin Young could once again be heard. "I was only gone for ten minutes, you know…"
Calvin's eyes searched the room. When he saw Wuya, he turned pale. "W-Wuya…" he seemed shocked. He stood still for a moment and then, shakily, said, "What do you want, Wuya? You evil hag?"
"Well, Xiaolin Warriors are in your room, Calvin. Training them to fight?"
"No, Wuya, I am simply teaching them. As in school. Obviously. I am not a fighter, and I shall never join Chase on the Heylin side even if it meant my demise, if that's why you're here." Mr. Young shrank back, looking frightened of a simple ghost.
"I shall see you again, my dear Calvin…" the ghost called. She evaporated into smoke, smiling derisively and evilly.
"My students…uh…please ignore the interruption. Now, you all have text books, don't you? Please turn to page 15 and begin reading."
"Oh man, I was hoping that 'Wuya' would stay for a bit longer and keep us all scared and crap while Mr. Young freaks and runs away, leaving us without any work including schoolwork, homework, and all that stuff that doesn't make any sense," Raimundo said, quickly and in one breath. He was exhausted afterwards and slumped in his chair.
"Oh, shut up, Raimundo." Kimiko was exasperated and also worried about Wuya. What did she want with them?
The four of them: Omi, Kimiko, Raimundo, and Clay had known each other because of their training at the Xiaolin Temple. They were trained to become dragons. But they had never met Azva Spicer before… who knew if they could trust her? But, if Azva had proven herself trustworthy, she could perhaps be trained at the Xiaolin Temple. Omi wondered what level of training she was on. They didn't know much about her or her element: Light. But her attack on Jack earlier had seemed like a very strong one, to have caused so much damage not to one person but an entire room of people. Maybe she was even on the Wudai Warrior level. Thinking about it made Omi remember his friend Jermain, who he had met in New York and came back as a Wudai Warrior.
"This is most strange, my fellow Xiaolin Apprentices," Omi said. "We have never yet fought the Heylin side, although gone through extensive training…"
"Yeah." Clay said quietly. "But that Azva knows more than a cheeseroller expert rolling cheese all the way down."
"Yeah. Absolutely. Cheese rolling is a great example, Clay. Just great," Raimundo said sarcastically.
"Silence down there, Raimundo!" Mr. Young called angrily. "Aren't you reading?"
"Oh, um, yeah, Mr. Fung. I mean, Young," he added hastily.
And the classroom was back to perfect silence. The four warriors could not help but glance at each other occasionally, wondering about Wuya, what this 'Chase' person could be, the Heylin side, and Azva.
Suddenly something strange was happening to Kimiko. She had been wearing a red shirt with a matching red skirt, but suddenly the skirt was sliding off. Raimundo looked and chuckled, Clay gasped, and Omi averted his eyes because it was 'honorable'. Kimiko's eyes grew wide as she realized her predicament. "What the…?" she looked, then turned around to face the person in the seat directly behind her: Jack Spicer. "Jack!" she screamed. Jack Spicer had been pulling her skirt! She blushed red with great shame as everyone turned to the commotion: Jack and Kimiko. Kimiko felt as if she were going to cry; what was wrong with everyone? Couldn't they see that she…well…was not in the right time for everyone's wide-eyed stares? Jack was chuckling very obnoxiously, and Kimiko suddenly just lost her temper and kicked Jack as hard as she could in the shin.
Anger in her tone, she cried out, "Judo Lee Flip-Fire!" flipping up and burning Jack's stupid-looking goggles. It was sweet; watching Jack get scorched and embarrassed. One slight (or perhaps not so slight) drawback: Mr. Young had been watching. Kimiko was so angry, she had forgotten that their teacher was there.
"Kimiko Tohomiko!" Mr. Young called out angrily. When Kimiko came to her senses, she realized that he had been watching. She was doomed. On her first day of school, she was obviously to be expelled. This wasn't even the normal fighting, she had used fire and she realized what it must have seemed like to Mr. Young. He had probably thought she was a violent and dangerous person, bringing a torch or something he would mistake for her element to school, and now… maybe she would even end up in a juvenile center.
No, she wanted to cry, This isn't right! Believe me, I wasn't going to hurt him and I did not bring any weapons. Why did I lose my temper? And Omi and Raimundo and Clay will be so worried about me!
Kimiko stood up and came to the front of the room. "Yes, Mr. Young?" She said flatly, trying to conceal any sign of emotion. She was afraid that if she outlet one tiny bit of her anger and sadness, she would burst with it. A small hole bursts the entire ballon. She remembered one of Master Fung's quotes.
"This is an extremely serious business," Mr. Young said. He was extremely red and his previously neat hair was sticking up in clumps. "WHY DID YOU DO THAT?" He shouted at her, angrily and menacingly.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Young! I…I really didn't mean to get mad at Jack…"
"But why did you burn him? You could get expelled for this! Kimiko, Jack could have been seriously injured and you could be arrested for this! This is a criminal act, to burn someone. Didn't your mother ever tell you not to play with fire?"
"I WASN'T GONNA BURN JACK, OKAY? I WAS USING MY FIGHTING SKILLS AND I CAN CONTROL THEM PERFECTLY FINE!" Kimiko shouted, screamed at the top of her lungs. She did not much care about what he thought, she was angry at him and she was going to stay that way until he acknowledged the truth.
"Kimiko, a word with me outside? I can see that Jack isn't harmed, but he could have been. This is a highly dangerous situation." Mr. Young looked at her, not in an accusing way, but his eyes seemed to say, "Wait until we get outside, all right?" It seemed as if he was not going to call the police or frame her. Kimiko followed along with his 'plan'. She didn't quite understand, either, but she would help.
"WHAT? WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO, ARREST ME? WELL, GUESS WHAT, CALVIN? 'COULD HAVE' ISN'T SOMETHING IN THE REAL WORLD. 'IS' IS REALLY, BUT NOT 'COULD HAVE'. SO GET OVER IT NOW!" Kimiko shouted as loudly as she could. She still followed him as he slipped out the door. She hoped that Raimundo, Omi and Clay would not be worried about her as they had known her quite well… They had stepped into an empty room.
"Kimiko…that was amazing! Where did you learn such skills?" Mr. Young inquired immediately after he had slammed the door behind them and used a strange red key to lock the room.
"F-From the Xiaolin Temple. Why do you need to know?" Kimiko replied. She couldn't help but feel the slightest twinge of annoyance at all this. What she did didn't concern him at all. Did it? Maybe she could also inquire. Get some answers out of him. Like… who was Wuya? And why was his brother Chase Young so evil- at least by the sounds of it. I am not a fighter, and I will never join Chase on the Heylin side, he had said. Heylin, as she had learned from the Temple, meant 'evil'. So they, somewhat like Jack and Azva, had taken different paths in life. One good, and one evil. Why must the world be split in such a horrid way? There would always be those who were evil and cruel, no matter how much people like her and her friends tried to stop it.
"Well, I can tell… You are a Xiaolin apprentice, am I correct?"
"Yeah… How'd you know my level?" Kimiko was surprised. How could he have guessed how good she was at fighting?
"The truth, Miss Tohomiko, is that I, like you, are a Xiaolin Dragon. The Dragon of Truth, to see the path before us and after us. There is a long story involved, and it is extremely complicated. Would you like to hear it?"
"Yes, Mr. Young." Kimiko was awestruck, and waited to hear Mr. Young.
"Me and my twin brother Chase were both born 1500 years ago. Yet… does it not seem to you that I am merely 25? This is because of an evil curse…but I will speak more of it later. Immediately after we were born, we were both trained by perhaps the greatest warrior of all time. Grand Master Dashi, the one who imprisoned the most powerful Heylin Witch of all time, Wuya, in an ancient puzzle box was to teach us so we would become the very best of warriors. And we learned well from the Grand Master. In only five year's time, we were trained up to the full level, which, as you know, is the Xiaolin Dragon. There were other students as well, and the temple reached the height of its time because of Dashi.
"But then, a year after Chase and I had been trained to the full level, Chase began to stop showing signs of interest in the temple anymore. He just suddenly acted coldly and ignored even Dashi. I was worried, because my brother Chase and I had always been so close, sharing everything and always doing something for each other. It was strange, and I didn't understand it at all. I knew what I needed to do: face him. But we all know that the things we should do are usually harder to do than what we shouldn't. So… I was a coward for several months, and then, Dashi came to me and said, 'Calvin Young… You, too are noticing troubling things in Chase's behavior, correct?' I spilled out to him, 'Yeah, Master, and I don't know why he's doing this! He isn't telling me anything and keeps giving me a cold stare. Why is this happening, Dashi?'
"Grand Master Dashi knew that I must confront him. 'Calvin. I understand that it is difficult for you to understand now. But if you ever truly wish to understand, ask him tonight. His condition will only get worse if you wait any longer to ask. You can decide not to, but it is the only way to save you and your brother. And very possibly…the entire world. I will, some day, embrace my death and someone else will need to fight the Heylin side. Maybe that person will be you. For you alone have the power of the Dragon of Truth. You will know what really will happen when the time is right.'
" 'Thank you, Master,' I had said that day. And, following the words of Dashi, I went to Chase that night. He was not asleep. He had perhaps sensed that I was coming to him. And Chase was not happy with it. 'You…what are you doing here, Calvin?' he whispered. The others were sleeping and he knew it would be unwise to wake them. And, gathering all of my courage, I said, 'Chase. I am going to tell you the truth. And you should, on your honor, tell me the truth. Chase… why have you been ignoring me and Master Dashi and everyone else at the temple? I know we have already been trained to full level, but… that isn't any reason to quit! We still aren't even half as good as Grand Master Dashi! Is there something you need to tell me?' the whole time I said this to him, Chase had been staring blankly at the wall with his yellow-brown eyes. He was avoiding any direct contact, for some strange reason. And I saw something in his eyes: Fear. It had been eating him away. And the terrible guilt of acting in such a way. I realized that I really was the Dragon of Truth in that very moment. And I understood him.
"Chase spoke in a flat voice. I suppose he was trying to conceal his deep fear… but what was he afraid of? 'I can't tell you. Now be gone.' He shut his eyes, and I saw, for a moment, that they were shining as if there was a tear struggling to the surface. "'Chase…please tell me,' I repeated. I knew he was trying hard not to look at me. And he smacked me across the face, suddenly. 'No… you can't know…' Chase was mumbling.
I was hurt, deeply, and my face was still stinging. I remember almost losing hope, thinking that my brother Chase would never tell me. I couldn't give up, though. The part inside me that was the Dragon of Truth told me this. That no matter what, I should not give in to my brother. It could be the end of the earth. That spirit inside of me…it gave me the courage I would never have had.
"I looked Chase right in the eye and said, 'Chase…do you remember that night…when we were journeying to the Xiaolin Temple, how you nearly drowned by falling into an unseen river? You plunged to the very bottom. Although the waters were black and the night dark, I risked my life in saving you. I was determined to do so no matter what. And then, I carried you through the rest of the journey to the temple, and let you sleep in my blanket. That night, you pointed out how bright the moon was… and we sat gazing at it for hours outside. You promised that you would do anything to repay what I had done for you. Well, if you truly meant that, then…show that tonight. Tell me why you are doing this. You're my brother… and nobody else in the world is more important.'
"And Chase, finally, admitted what he truly felt. And the tears overflowed his eyes as he struggled to say his words. 'C-Calvin… there was one night where I was restless and felt I should go for a walk. I went into the forest and looked at the moon…it wasn't as bright as that night. But to my surprise, under a tree near the same river, I saw a man who was dripping in blood. His injuries were from the village raid nearby and I knew I had to help him. I hurried to the temple, taking bandages and my blanket, and wrapped him around in it. We sat there, together, talking. I got to know him pretty well, and he was almost like a friend. I finally fell asleep near dawn, but when I woke up, the man had died. And I felt so sad and miserable. I remembered that you had saved me, but I had let him die. I felt guilty, even though I knew that I myself had not killed him. And… that alone would have been enough to give me a long period of pain. But… even more than that. I felt a strong feeling, of great fear. I had seen someone die, and I suddenly had the terrible realization that one day, it would happen to us all. So…I offered my soul to the Devil in exchange for eternal youth. The deal has gone too far… I can't stop it. Calvin, I want to go back to where I was, but… but…' Chase's story ended abruptly as the began crying. I had never known my brother to show much emotion, but now it finally completely spilled.
" 'Chase, it's all right… I will find a way to help you. I will. Somehow, we will stop the Devil.' I paused. Chase began speaking. 'Let's go outside. I want just one more look at the moon…as a remembrance to how we were brothers if anything ever happens.' So we walked outside, under the tree where the man had died, near the river that I had saved him. The moon that night was brighter than any other night. We lay there in silence. But sometimes, silence is enough. Sometimes, silence can make you feel a bond you never felt with someone whom you spoke thousands of words to. And I felt that bond, laying there, and I believed we would be happy forever and the Devil would be gone from our lives. At least, I convinced myself. The Spirit of Truth inside me nagged me. It told me… there would never be another happy time between my brother and I like this again. But I didn't want to accept that. And sometimes, acceptance is the only way to stop destruction. But I didn't want to ruin that moment of eternal friendship- or so I thought.
Kimiko, I believe I have spoken for long enough. Thank you for coming… we will need to return to class."
Kimiko did as she was told, eager to share this with her friends.
Chaseforever: I thought I needed to just explain something about Chase… that he wasn't always evil, as he already said that he once fought on the side of good. Although Calvin and Azva are just my characters, I wanted to make them somewhat important. Sorry if this was too long.