Me: "There shall be a sacrifice…. A life for a life…" In next chapter! Any of you will guess who's going to sacrifice himself or herself for the life of the world… (grin evilly)
((in background, Ariko run screaming while the angry mob from dArkliTe-sPirit, Kosmic, and other fangirls.))
Me: Err… Actually, it's only three more chapters left. (grin while sweat drop)
((in background, Ariko dashed into the airplane screaming while the mob dashed in the same place. The airplane leaving, you can heard the screaming of pain and horror))
Me: Errr…. (more sweatdrop) Roba, it's time for you to do disclaimer.
Roba: Disclaimer: Lady Lizgon does not own Xiaolin Showdown and its characters but her sheng-gong-wu and her ideas.
Me: Onto the story, enjoy!
Chapter 25: Apocalypse
Previously
"I am the Death!"
The deadly, black talons raised upward in the blackening sky above the Serpent as the reptile could see the evil glint in the dark spirit's dead, dull yellow eyes.
The reptile held his golden eyes locked into the spirit's eyes, not ready to be back down from the deadly blow as the talons went downward in impossibly speed than blink of light speed.
---
No! No! No nononononononono!
She shook her head crying her eyes out at the horrific sight, hugging around her arms tightly as a weak sob finally wretched out from her thirsty throat.
"Brother!"
---
The black wolf reappeared in the black field, smiling with ancient knowledge behind the familiar old amethyst eyes.
Good luck, young child. Be alert for the spirit…
The wolf turned around as the fog appeared behind him, disappearing into the familiar shape of a human in shadow form…
---
Afterward
A silence in the air between the children, the immortal mistress, the 1,500-year-old villains, and the sinful spirit as the blood splashed on the black, lifeless ground and the mistress's eyes widened in horror.
"Brother!"
The white falcon had saved his first student, Chase Young as his body was in clutch of the sinful spirit, his blood pouring out its soft, white chest.
The sinful spirit snorted in disgust, loosing its talon and dropped the dying body onto the ground as it squawked in pain.
"Brother!"
The immortal mistress ran over to the dying falcon and held her sibling for dear life, whimpering hopelessly at him as she hugged the wounded, small creature. "Xiao Lin…"
The white falcon opened his clouded blue eyes weakly, smiling up at the mistress. "How many…times I…tell you…it is stepbrother, Liz Gon." He said swallowing painfully, and then breathed weakly.
The Mistress smiled weakly, that's her stepbrother, all right. She would always treat him like a real brother, and his stepbrother would correct her and remind her he was only her stepbrother.
"I thought I told you to not call me that." Liz Gon laughed hopelessly, trembling like a weak kitten. "I lost you back in 1,500, Xiao Lin… I'm not going to lose you again."
The falcon glazed up at his stepsister's face as he smiled, remembering his last memories like yesterday…
-Flashback-
The monk sighed, rubbing his forehead while he glared at the smirking dark female. The female companion had long black hair with crimson and bright amber eyes, dressing the old trademark of "Aku" black and red robe.
"Pray to tell, why are you choose Tiger instead of Tortoise, Hey Lin?" He mumbled closing his crystal azure eyes and stuffed his hand into his long pure white sleeves.
Hey Lin shrugged her shoulders, smiling sweetly at the monk. "Why, Xiao Lin? What do have you against the tiger?"
"But your clan is the Black Tortoise. That should be Tortoise after all it is perfect matched to your robe." Xiao Lin said, looking pointedly at Hey Lin's robe. "And White Tiger is the opposite of Black Tortoise, remember?"
Hey Lin scoffed looking amused. "And here I thought you're supposed to dress the blue robe like the Blue Dragon, not white robe like White Tiger." She counted back, grinning at the expression on the monk.
Xiao Lin grimaced at the comment, turning around and opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the new voice.
"Bickering already? Ten minutes I left you two and now you two are acting like a bunch of children!" The female voice asked unhappily.
Xiao Lin's crystal azure eyes widened and turned his head back to the young mistress. "Liz Gon." He greeted, smiling at his stepsister and old friend.
The blond teen rolled her eyes and shot him an amused looks. "For the sixth time, I told you to call me Lizgon, not Liz Gon!" She said crossed her arms over her dark amethyst robe sleeves. "Brother." She added.
Xiao Lin tittered. "Stepbrother." He corrected smirking at the unhappy look on the young stepsister.
Hey Lin sighed, running her long fingers through her long black hair. "I'm afraid I have to go back to the south clan."
Lizgon turned her head back to the dark woman. "When you see Zalo, tell him I'm going to kick him where the sun won't shine!" She yelled after her, ignoring the amused look from her stepbrother.
"What do Zalo does in time again, hmm?" Xiao Lin asked, grinning down at the eighteen years old teen.
"Don't ask, Xiao… Don't ask." The mistress of immortal growled, stomping off to the nearly village.
Xiao Lin sighed; looking up the sky and easily sees the sparkling lone star in the daytime. "One day… The spirits of the great Four Gods will picked the Chosen Ones to protect the world and every life that lives on it." He whispered to himself, smiling as he turned back and left the cliff.
-End flashback-
"…I… I… I apologize… I don't say goodbye… to you in while back…" The Ex-Grandmaster choked, grinning weakly at the mistress.
The mistress smiled. "I know, Xiao Lin. I'm sure you knows Dashi just got promoted to be next Grandmaster."
Xiao Lin chuckled. "I knew I could count on my young brother." And then he sighed, "How's my sweet, innocent young sister Kisara? I mean, after my death..."
Liz Gon laughed half-sad and half-humorlessly, shaking her head hopelessly. "She's fine, just shook up after your death. Thanks to the idiot troublemaker as you preferred him to be, if it weren't for him she would be driven to lose her sense."
Xiao Lin sighed in relief. "At least I'm glad they're the one to get birth the powerful son."
Liz Gon blinked in surprise at the slowly dying falcon in her arms. "How did you know that they're together?"
The falcon chuckled weakly, closing his clouded blue eyes slowly. "I just know… One glance at the boy… the new dragon of wind with the Heylin of lightning… I hope that dark war will be…soon…be…finished…"
The mistress blinked, the tears were holding back but she cannot hold any more as she shed few tears upon her stepbrother. "Xiao Lin…"
"Good…bye… Remember I love you, my step-sister…" The sparks of life faded away from the clouded blue eyes that were turned into lifeless, black eyes.
Mistress kneed clutching a lifeless form, crying her eyes out as the dragons and tigers stared sadly at them. Kobo looked back at the laughing spirit and clutched his fists.
He may not like to fight but as a duty to be true Heylin Tiger of Light, he had to fight. He had to.
No matter what his brother said to him he had chooses what he want and go where he want. Just like he choose to be with his brother when he was banished by General. He chooses to save Khu's life by absorbing the power of Rai's lighting wind-like typhoon attack.
He had save a Xiaolin Dragon of Wind's life by finally shattering his mirror.
Now, he will rather die stopping the evil threat than let one of his friends die without hope. He glanced down at his wounded hands as his hands clutched tightly, remembering his first attack back in his first training with his older brother.
"Let there be a Light…" He said softly, raising his head to glare at the sinful spirit. "There shall be a light."
---
Flying through the purple void, his amethyst flashed as he floated even faster than flowing of digital data in the Internet. He closed his eyes as he feels the blowing of wind brushed his exposed cheeks, purring behind his ears like a newborn kitten.
((The song from InuYasha, I don't own!))
Quietly awakening...
I always, always wish
That these fleeting thoughts
Would reach you...
As he remembered all his past, enjoying all fun he spent with his cousins and older brother. From the past to the present, he remembered how he had first met the crazed, girl-chasing werewolf and the graceful, quiet young werewolf. Then he remembered those crimson eyes flashed when he had fought against him for the leadership yet he refused his challenge…
Then until he remembered Ciara… Mistress Liz, the falcon Xiao Lin, and all of the people…
Unable to move forward across "just a little more" distance
The way I see before me is always blocked
Every time the days I want to see you but can't pile up,
My strong heartbeat turns into heartbreak.
Every time he tried to reach his beloved friends and family, yet he was too far away from them. Just like he had just fear for them when he was the darkness to them like they are the light to him.
The forest green eyes flashed in his mind, giving him a new strength, he knew he wouldn't leave his cousin alone like the last time he did… He wanted to protect his cousin and his friends just like the true leader would. He wouldn't cry and wouldn't break down showing his true weakness to anyone…
If there is such a thing as "eternity,"
I want to believe, even if I have to take the long way.
Although I know that I've been hurt before because I'm clumsy
I won't stop; I won't give in to anyone.
"Just a little more, Aseso…" The floating boy whispered to himself, looking seriously as he stared straight at the purple void. "I won't give in!"
A strange, mysterious girl's shadow face floating in his mind as he wondered how long he had seen her in the temple. One year? Or two?
I think of you
And that alone is enough
To make the tears start to flow now
I always, always wish
That these fleeting thoughts
Would reach you...
Opening his amethyst eyes and closing his eyes once again, he urged himself go even faster than jet plane. He needed get there before something worse as he had just feeling there would be.
The girl's shadow face still stuck in his mind as he cursed softly, he can't get her out of his mind. He had forgotten her but now why she had suddenly appeared in his mind two years later?
I've known all too well about pretending to be strong.
But since then, my doubts have vanished.
He had been pretending to be strong for his teammates but since then, his all doubts had been vanished by one person he'd came to know…
When he had returned from his journey, the girl he saw earlier was nowhere in sight. He had been searching of her and realizes he never knew of her name…
There's definitely things I want to show you
And so many words I want to hear
I want to see all sides of you, when you laugh and cry
So I'll stop waiting
And seize my "chance."
He closed his rare amethyst eyes as he thought of the girl with a shadow face he had hardly recalled what her face looks like before he left to visit his older brother and his parents…
He cannot wait any more so he can have his chance to end it all, just to see her for one more time…His amethyst eyes opened again.
I think of you,
And I feel like that alone is enough
To make my heart grow stronger.
I always, always wish
That these fleeting thoughts
Would reach you...
He sees the light at the end of the purple void as he braced himself for being thrown out. The familiar aura of feeling inside his chest stirred every time when he reached the light…
I think of you
And that alone is enough
To make the tears start to flow now
My distant voice can't reach you now, but so that someday
It definitely will...
As he entered the light, clutching his fists tightly and his amethyst shut tightly. The last thought of the beautiful girl remains in his mind.
Believe. la la la la la la...
Believe. la la la la la la...
Believe. la la la la la la...
The big flash snapped before the youth disappeared into the light. The blue feather floating in the black void…
---
He felt like he was collided into something, gasping for air as he clawed at something shut his windpipe off. What's going on!
His amethyst eyes snapped opened, to see the glowing crimson eyes as he realized he was looking at the monster. He gritted his teeth when his air was dangerously running out!
Ah, you're awake!
Who…who the hell are you! He struggled, clutching on the silver scale waists he was choking to death.
My, my, my, how rude! You surely don't recognize me?
I don't…? He asked mentally, until something hit him on full head. ARIKO!
Wow. It surely took you a long time to shake break my grasp.
I will not give in to the likes of you! You had overpowered Xuan before, but you will not overpowered over me! He yelled as he flipped Yamato in the beast form over him and throws him any far yard away from him.
As at same time he flipped over and landed on his knees on the black ground, watching the beast arose from the ground.
When he had a glimpse of the familiar eyes and hair as he watched the beast turned to face him. He realized the beast was in front of him was his second-command friend, Yamato.
"Yamato…"
The beast lungs forward at him, raising his left fist in the air as he ran like a wind. The burning glare pierced through the leader's heart, moving into the battle position.
"Aseso… The spirit of Yamato's ancestor will not rest until he had completed what he wish before his death… He wants the final battle before his death which he never gotten a chance to fight me."
Khu's eyes widened when he heard his ancestor spoke in his mind. So that what Zalo wants… All right, let's give him what he wants.
"I hope I'd do what was right thing to do, Xuan…" He said, running toward the beast as same time he raised his left fist in air.
They run at each other at same time as their fists collided against their cheeks and Marcos's own eyes widened when both of young boys remain where they stood with their fists remain where they had hit.
Then suddenly, both of them fell backward in the slow motion like a slow rain in slow play forward.
Yamato's crimson eyes were clutched shut tightly as he slowly transformed back to his human being and gasped when his back hits the black ground.
Khu's amethyst eyes glazed over and smiled like as if something he had completed had been successfully over as his back landed on the ground like a heavy sack without a noise, the wounds on his chest still bleeding heavily over his chest to the ground.
As he felt something in his hand, he lifted his head weakly and saw the blue feather lying on his palm. Blue feather…
"Pedsora…?"
He looked up at the soft looking on the hotheaded, reckless boy's face as he grinned weakly at him. "Zendi…"
Yamato let out a weak laugh, more like he was let out breathing in relief, as he held out his hand downward at the leader. "Need a hand?"
Khu nodded as his hand reaches out and grab the offered hand and lifted himself up. He turned his head and saw his brother. "Marcos…"
Marcos smiled in relief. "You moron…"
Khu laughed.
---
The angry look in the green eyes, he stood glaring at the spirit. He gripped his Rod of Lightning. The Spirit smirked evilly, "You, child, are like the fool traitor."
Raimundo leaped forward, whirling the Rod of Lighting. "Thunder Stripes Lightning!" He yelled as the golden three lightning bolted from the golden rod at the shape-changing vampire-demon spirit.
The Serpent whirled around, waving his claws as the firewall pulled up in front and collided onto the lightning.
"Wudai Crater Earth!"
The earth tossed toward the spirit as the spirit spins and kick-sliced through the stone, shattering it into pieces.
"Wudai Mars Fire!"
The whirling of fire toward the spirit, over the shattered rocks as the spirit waited when it trapped him inside.
Kimiko landed on the ground, grinning as she cheered in victory but soon her cheering stopped as the spirit stepped unharmed through the flame and the fire were controlling in his claws.
He hurled it back at her, knocking her away and burned her skin badly as she screamed in pain and landed her back on the ground.
"Kimiko!" Raimundo screamed, running over to her.
The spirit watched him as the youth picked up her and held her in his arms, looking down at her face worriedly. "You need to learn to not turn your back on your enemy…" He said trailing as his claws flaming blue.
"Wudai Neptune Water!"
He was thrown backward, stumped in surprise and anger at the monk. He lashed out his claws and seized the control of water as he smiled when the monk gaped at him. He clutched the water attack and throws it back at the monk, knocking his balance away and strings his face as he cried out in pain.
The spirit breath the ice beam at the monk again.
"Wudai Pluto Spirit!"
The monk gasped in surprise as the familiar foe stepped in the way and saving his life from the stringing of ice.
"Jermaine!"
Jermaine gives him a thumb up, grinning widely at the monk. The black dragon landed on the ground next to the Xiaolin Dragons as the familiar villain-wannabe foe leaped off the dragon's back and landed on the ground, grinning at the Dragons
The Dragons grinned back.
"Wudai Nature Wood!"
The brown-like snake striking toward the Serpent but he grabbed it and clutching the neck of the snake and pulled back as the Heylin Tiger of Wood stumped forward, gasping in horror and surprised at same time.
His glowing dull yellow eyes seem amused, he pulled the snake again and whirling above his head as he grinned when he heard the screaming of the girl. As when he decided his fun was over, he slams the snake downward on the ground as the girl was thrown onto the ground, whimpering in pain.
"Wudai Space Shadow!"
The black covering shadow trapped him inside, pinning him down onto the ground as Lobo panted, grinning in victory.
But then his grin fell as the shadow shield was torn in half as the spirit stepped out, snarling at the children.
"No matter how many times you, weaklings, have no chance to beat me!" The Serpent hissed, stepping forward as the children stepped backward in fear.
"You have forgotten about me! Wudai Death Immortal!"
The Serpent turned his head to see the bluish silver collided against his face as he yelped in surprise and stumped backward, seeing the mistress. "Liz Gon…"
The mistress huffed, glaring at the spirit as the spirit regains his balance and grinning down at her. "You're going to pay for killing my stepbrother twice! I will not stand while you're killing all of innocent children, including others!"
The Serpent chuckled, wiping away the silver blood from his lip as he grinned cockily, "I'm not surprise, your temper always the same…that amused me a lot."
The mistress fumed, growling lowly at the spirit. "Wudai Death Immortal!"
The Serpent breathed deeply and releasing the wind power back at the mistress, startling her and knocked her away from her spot.
"Wudai Jupiter Lightning!"
The powerful force hits the spirit's jaws, spent him stumping back once again and leaped back on his feet, snarling at the young rebellious boy. As he caught the familiar glimpse behind the youth, to his own surprise when he recognized the non-solid person, stepped backward almost stumped in surprise.
"Shinyu!" He roared.
---
Khu dashed forward like lightning as Yamato controlled the metal under his feet, along with Marcos on the metal like riding the waves.
"Did you feeling something, Pedsora!" Yamato yelled down at his leader, looking at the distance with his cold crimson eyes.
Khu nodded silently as he gains his speed and continued running forward, hoping he wasn't too late when he arrived there….
---
The Serpent roared as the young rebel was hurled against the rock, gasping for air as the claws smashed onto his chest painfully. "I should have you killed first, you pest!"
"Wudai Aurora Light!"
The pure white light collided onto the snake's back as the spirit beast roared in pain and turned around, glaring down at the child. He stepped forward as the tail lashed from the side and smacked the child as the young youth bit his lips in pain and landed on the ground, rolling to his side motionlessly.
"Kobo!" Lobo yelled in horror as he dashed to his young brother. "Kobo!"
The Serpent turned back to the rebel boy, crushing the small boy under his claws as the boy cried out weakly. "Foolish boy, your power is not as power as the traitor's. Your life is about to end."
As he raises his other claws, the sparkles reflected his deadly, black talons in the air. "Farewell…"
"No! Wudai Comet Darkness!"
"Wudai Meteor Metal!"
The two powerful forces knocked him away from the Dragon of Wind and stumped onto the ground, growling in pain as the Tiger of Darkness ran over to the injured cousin.
"You're okay, Cousin?" Khu asked, gazing down at his cousin worriedly as the rebel smirked weakly and nodded slowly at the strong warrior. Khu smiled back at him, helping him up on his feet as he heard his older brother yelled.
"Look! He's… He's… healing!"
The Xiaolin Dragons and Heylin Tigers looked over and saw what Marcos had yell about, the spirit had healed but in disgust way as his broken skins was peeping off from the bones and the silver liquid-like blood shifted into the disgusting, black scales on the bones.
The silver blood dripping from his fangs and his dragonish face as his lip turns upward lazily, as he slowly standing up and watching calmly at the frightening and braving children. "Don't you understand? I'm the Death. I'm the Immortal… I cannot be killed."
Yamato growled softly, "Shut up you yapping ugly oversized lizard!"
The Serpent snorted, swapping away the flying robots like flies and smashed them into pieces while he walked toward the Heylin Tigers, ignoring the cries of the red-haired boy to the shattered toys.
Suddenly, he felt the stringing of burns on his back and he turned to the witch. "Wuya… Geez, how many times I must tell you… You can't kill me no matter how powerful you are."
Wuya narrowed her cold icy green eyes at the spirit as her hands flaming green brightly.
Without a relay, the spirit whirled around as his tail smashed onto Wuya's body but not only her body as well with Chase's.
A cry of pain from the reptile-man as the witch's eyes widened in surprise, her so called new"master" had saved her life no matter how many times she tried to luring him to the key to her victory.
The spirit scoffed and glaring the returning reunion of the group, mocking in his hatred voice. "Well, well, well, how surprising, to see you all reunited together just like Traitor Shinyu and Kisara wench."
"She's not a wench, Ariko…"
The Serpent glanced past the young rebel, glaring at the spirit of Lightning. "Ah, Shinyu… How surprise to see you join our party."
The spirit of Lightning scowled darkly, narrowing his dark forest eyes at the spirit. "I won't let you get away, Ariko."
The Serpent threw his head back and laughing menacingly, flashing the dull yellow eyes still set on the spirit of Lightning. "You really do not realize what I am going to do."
Before the spirit of Lightning could say something, the demi-spirit threw his arms upward and yelled. "Wudai Death Darkness!"
The Mistress gasped in horror. "That's immortal! That's Xuan's powerful higher attack!"
"There's no way for the spirit to get it when the souls was split into half!" Chase Young replied, groaning in pain as he clutched his sides and huffed quietly.
Khu's eyes widened in realization as he looked down at his palm and saw there was no blue feather! No…
Pain…
He clutched his chest where his heart, closing his eyes as he ignored the yells around him.
Void…
It wasn't the same he had gotten few hours ago; it was like something draining away his power….
Death...
Everyone watched in horror as the void grew bigger and bigger, the spirit laughing darkly as the black wind trashing violently, the earth shattered while the silver liquid spiking upward, tearing over the black ground. At same time, the lava flowing from the mountain's peak and the water floods over the ground, freezing all trees and some still living creatures to death. The Wood grew bigger and black, with deadly thorns all over the ground like a black plague. The ice dropped the warmth of bodies into the deadly low, freezing the lungs inside slowly. The Light was blocked out as long as the sun never rises again. The darkness, shadow, and the immortal death covered the earth, transferring the true fear and death into the humans' very soul.
The children stepped backward in horror and fearfully at the sudden change. They had heard the voice of the Lightning spirit.
"No! A half-soul is taken!" The rebellious spirit yelled his green eyes widened as he stared in horror at the beginning of destruction.
The End of the World…
The Beginning of the Apocalypse!
End of Chapter 25
Time for Sneak Peek!
He gripped the sword as he leaped forward the nearing immortal spirit and fling his sword over his shoulder.
---
The youth rebel yelled, reaching for the hand but too late, as the void of death swallowed the body from him.
The sad eyes watered up in tearfully as he cried out, as the medallion glowered brightly in slow motion.
---
The creature nuzzled the sleeping form, glazing down at the lifeless body. "Time to wake up, child…"
End of Sneak Peek, and please read and reviews, thank you!