Chapter I
Jewel trailed behind the man like a dog on a leash, keeping her silver eyes down so as he wouldn't feel her watching him. For some, awkward reason, she felt shy and uncomfortable in his presence. It was probably because he had almost taken her life and was now forcing her to serve him, or else the children would pay. As the three of them, the man, the red haired woman, and Jewel, crossed the field leading up to the mountains, Jewel suddenly realized she did not know her new comrades names. She stopped in her tracks, keeping her eyes lowered, but she heard and felt the eyes of the woman turn to her.
"What's wrong?" she asked in that mature, strong voice.
"It's just...if I'm going to be working for you, the least you could do is tell me your name," this was directed to the man. He stopped in his tracks and turned to Jewel. Those yellow, cat-like eyes burning into her silver ones and she returned the glare, not willing to show any fear or confusion before him.
"It's Chase Young. And I would also like to know yours," he spoke, replying back her own question.
"It's Jewel," she responded to him.
"Just Jewel? No last name?" the woman asked. She turned to her, and, although holding the glaring mask on her face, Jewel felt that sharp, familiar pain in her heart. Jewel had no last name, because she had no family.
"Yes, it's just Jewel. No last name," she remarked to her.
"Well, then, I'm Wuya," the woman spoke. Jewel did not recall asking her what her name was. She was more interested in his. Chase Young, huh? Interesting...
"Are we going up to the mountain, or...what?" Jewel asked coldly to him, giving him a reflection of his own, cold glares.
"No, we're not. Wuya is, but you and I are going to fight," Chase announced.
"Fight?" she asked. "Why are we going to fight? I already swore I would serve you."
"Yes, but when we fought earlier, you were not giving me your all. You were too concerned about the children and whether they would live. This time, we would fight with no strings attached."
Jewel was nervous. Fighting him meant she might die again. She was not scared of what he could do, more of what she could do. She had the occasional street fights, but this was on another level. This was on the level of out of street fighting, out of wrestling, out of...out of the normal fights she had.
What is normal? That was her thought constantly. Well, now, her life was far from normal. However, she was confused...
"Why do you want to fight me, sir?" Jewel asked him.
"To see your true inner strength. To see...what it was that I sensed. I can sense a great power in you, a power unlike any other. And I would like to experience it. The only way to do so is to fight you," he explained. He approached her, and his hand came up to her face, and Jewel would have winced if she did not want to appear strong and brave. However, his touch was different from what she expected. Warm, comforting, soft...almost hypnotic...She closed her eyes softly as she felt his power flowing through his touch, and she felt that strength in his fingertips. She wanted to say something. She wanted to say anything. But the only thing she could do was feel and sense his power and strength through how he touched her. She sighed when he pulled away, and only one word came to her mouth.
"Wow..."
"What?" Chase Young asked her, and Jewel opened her eyes to be staring directly into his yellow eyes. She couldn't speak. She was too ashamed of what she had just done. Jewel turned from him, and looked at Wuya, but she was already heading up the mountain.
"So, you will fight me, and you will show me how powerful you truly are," he spoke, walking away from Jewel. She was stunned by his actions, but she suddenly felt this warm feeling flood through her. Jewel felt strong all of a sudden, and she started to embrace this feeling. This warm, powerful feeling inside her that only grew warmer and stronger with each passing second.
She sighed, and looked up at him.
"Fine, I will fight you, Chase Young," she spoke to him. He nodded at her, and pulled out a spear. Jewel did not expect that. She prepared herself for the fight, and he made the first move.
He flew at Jewel with his spear, swinging it over his head and preparing to strike her, but her eyes flashed red, and she caught the spear between her hands, and jumped back.
Jewel imagined the ground moving under Chase, causing him to fall, and sure enough, it began to quiver. However, he expected this, as well, jumped up, and caught her around the head with his foot. At once, she fell to the ground, feeling blood on her face. Jewel heard him laughing mockingly.
"I thought you were strong. Apparently, I was wrong," he mocked.
That sent chills through her, but hot, flaming chills. Chills of pure hate and rage in her. Jewel stood up, and, faster than she could believe she could run, Jewel charged at him, and swung a fist at him, he caught it with one hand, but she broke that grip, swung in the air, and caught him in the abdomen with her own foot. He gasped, and went down slightly, and she jumped far from him, watching him shaking on the ground. He stood back up, and glowered at her with an evil smile. A handsome smile, nonetheless.
"Good. You're strong and quick with your reflexes. But I already knew that. I want to see your powers. I want to see how you manipulate objects," he spoke.
Jewel sighed, and, while her eyes were burning, she looked at his spear. She tried to imagine having one. That would be her plan. Knocking him down hard enough to where he would drop the spear, and she could obtain it. But how could she knock him down. He was strong. Too strong.
She then looked at her surroundings. The mountain. That's it!
Jewel saw him coming at her, trying to strike her again, but she jumped up and over him, and at once, her eyes burned painfully, but she stared at the boulders on the side the mountain. If only she could move them.
At the thought, they began to tremble, and she knew that she could move them. Jewel flipped around, and struck her hands out like claws, and at once, the boulders flew at Chase from behind her, and was about to hit him...
Until he jumped up and kicked at them, shattering them, and the remains of them fell to the ground. She stumbled at the sight of that, and backed up. He was strong, and he turned his head on his shoulders, like as if that was a warm-up, and scowled at her.
"Is that all?" he asked. Now Jewel was terrified. All of a sudden, her plan had come down crashing. The main thing on her mind was trying to beat him, try to win her escape.
Jewel suddenly felt her body losing control. She felt instinct take over her, and she was racing towards him.
Firefly of the Shadows!
At once, darkness covered Jewel's sight, but sounds and touch and scents grew even stronger than ever. Next thing she knew, she was flying, and she could smell something. Something strong, abnormal, musty...armor. Next thing she knew, her head had hit something hard in the chest, Jewel heard a groan as the wind around her, and then finally, she hit ground, and felt the cool, soft grass beneath her. Jewel heard the cool wind blow over her, and she could smell the wonderful scent of the ground. This happened, and then her sight returned. She was lying on the ground, and she felt something trickle down her face from her head. It took her a long moment before she reached up and touched what it was. It was blood, and when she followed the trail to her head, it was her blood. Whatever had happened, she had apparently done more damage to herself than to him.
He was on the ground, getting back up, and picked up his spear. He then turned to Jewel, and she saw what she had done to him. There was a large crack in his chest plate of his armor, and seeping through it was a little of his own blood. She had done some harm to him, but he did not seem nearly as affected to it as she was.
What did happen?
He approached Jewel, and she wanted to get up, but her body was hurting far more than she realized. Pain surged throughout her arms and legs, and she wanted to stand up, but she could not. She could only lay there in that position. He leaned down, and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"What...what happened?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. You became something. Something strong and powerful enough to harm me. Are you alright?" he asked. Jewel did not know what to say. Not only was she stunned by the concern in his voice, but also she was stunned by the fact she had done such damage to him.
"Yeah. Just tired," she spoke honestly to him.
"So am I," he sighed, and fell back into the grass beside her. He looked at Jewel with those yellow eyes of his, and, for the first time she saw it, he smiled.
"You're strong, Jewel. Very strong, and very powerful. I am pleased that you are willing to serve me, to fight for me, by my side," he spoke. She did not respond, but allowed the darkness to flush over her once more...
Jewel just laid there in the grass, slumbering, like as if this fight of theirs had taken a lot out of her. She was pale, and her eyes had changed back to silver. As she slept, her mouth parted slightly, and she seemed to glow beautifully in the falling, setting, sunlight, even though she was dressed in mostly dark attire. Chase could see the damage done to her life by the way she slept. So peacefully, so calmly, it was as if this was her first true, full sleep. He reached over, brushed back a few stray strands of her hair, and caught a full glimpse of her appearance. Yes, she was beautiful, but she was also scarred. Not physically, but Chase could tell she was scarred mentally and emotionally. She must have spent her whole life in that place, never wandering too far from it. She would give her life to those children. They must have been the most important people in her life.
Something came over Chase at that moment. He leaned against one of the boulders that had not been shattered, and, careful so not to wake her up, he lifted the girl up and placed her against the boulder. She must have been a heavy slumberer, because she did not stir once.
He placed her beside him and allowed her head to fall onto his chest, watching her slumber. For some reason, and he cannot explain why, but he felt that this was the right way. She just felt so perfect in his arms, so right on his chest, and so warm around him. Even though she was pale, she was warm. Possibly as warm as the sun. And that was what made it all better.
"Sleep well, Young Jewel..."
"Wake up, my little Jewel..."
"Momma?"
"Wake up, Young Jewel..."
"Please, don't go, Mama..."
"I'll never go, Jewel. She is my Jewel..."
Jewel opened her eyes to find herself lying in a bed. The room surrounding her was dark, and there was no window or light streaming in. She was trying hard to remember what happened, or, more important, how she got here, but nothing came to mind. All she remembered was fighting Chase Young, and then passing out in the grass. However, everything after that seemed a complete blank. Suddenly, though, the thoughts of another reached her mind. The thoughts of someone, the only person, she did care about.
Ricky...
How was Jewel going to stay in contact with him? How was she going to keep going out with him? Wait, wasn't she the one planning to break-up with him? This was confusing, and to make things even more confusing, she was a slave to a boy that appeared no older than herself. What would Ricky think if he knew this? How would she tell him this?
"Hey, Ricky, guess what? I'm a slave to a powerful and strong man named Chase Young who threatened the lives of the children at the orphanage! How about that?"
Oh, yeah, he will like that. And maybe he won't just happen to come over here, and he won't just happen to try and beat Chase up, and he won't just happen to lose his life in the process. That was when Jewel made a vow to herself. She would not tell him anything about this. She would pretend that everything is normal, everything is fine, and that nothing weird was going on. That was how he liked it, which was how everyone Jewel knew liked it. Nice and normal.
But what is normal, anyway?
As she thought this, she looked up as the door opened, and there stood that woman, Wuya was her name. Jewel looked at her, confused of what had happened, but she smirked and spoke.
"Good, you're awake. We were starting to worry you were dead," she spoke to Jewel darkly. Jewel glared at her, and turned her silver eyes away from Wuya.
"Then I guess you guys really don't care for me, then. I'm just some pawn to work for you," Jewel spoke coldly to her.
"Oh no, we care. At least, I do. I'm not sure about Chase. You see, like him, I can see that hidden power in you. A power that is probably far greater than any I had seen. And, like him, I would like to see that power," she explained.
"So, you only want me because there might be a power in me?" Jewel asked.
Wuya looked at her, concern on her face. Then that look of concern quickly disappeared into an evil glare.
"Come now, get up, get dressed, because Chase would like to see you as soon as possible," she spoke. Jewel glared after her, and then got up. She quickly realized that she was wearing the same halter-top and jeans as yesterday. She quickly grabbed Ricky's jacket, and rushed on out of the room, and into a hallway. Immediately Jewel was stunned.
This was no ordinary place. It was like a castle filled with statues and fountains. The stairway leading down was made entirely of glass, and she was frightened that it would crack and Jewel would fall those fifty stories into the water. It was a serene place.
Jewel looked down at the large pool of water below, flowing along shrubbery and plants, and saw Chase Young below, sitting cross-legged on the grass, eyes closed, and arms crossed. He must have been meditating.
Cautiously, Jewel walked down along the steps, careful not to slip and fall. And as she did so, she felt her body shaking. Jewel was still weak and tired from the fight she had with him. She was praying inside that he would not want to fight her again.
As Jewel came onto the last step, her body trembled as she finally stepped onto solid ground, and that was when Chase moved. He looked up, and saw her standing there, confusion on her face.
"I was waiting for you. I wonder...have you ever heard of Shen Gong Wu?" he asked her.
"What?" she asked...
"What is it this time, Dojo?" asked Raimundo as the four of the Xiaolin monks approached the small dragon holding up a scroll. "Another Shen Gong Wu was activated?"
Of course, another Shen Gong Wu activated. Why else would Dojo be holding up the scroll like that?
"Actually kids, two Shen Gong Wu have been activated at the same time," Dojo spoke, unrolling the scroll to where they saw a blue circle in the center, spinning dark figures. "The first to activate was the Charm of Life. It brings back anything that has died back to life."
"And what is the other one?" Kimiko asked. Omi, the smaller one with the bald, circular head, blushed when he looked up at her. She was cute.
"The other is the Sunstone of Ra. It basically shows off such a strong light it will blind your enemy, but not permanently," Dojo explained.
"Okay, only one problem. How are we going to get two Shen Gong Wu at once?" Raimundo asked.
"That'll be tougher than wrestling a bull," Clay, a Texan cowboy, spoke from behind Omi, who did not understand a word he said.
"Well, we'll have to split up. I'll drop off Kimiko and Omi to get the Charm of Life, and then Clay and Raimundo will get the Sunstone of Ra. That sound good to you kids?" Dojo asked. They all nodded in agreement.
The place where the Charm of Life had been hidden was actually deep in a southern jungle of Brazil. Kimiko, the only female monk, was starting to wonder what Raimundo would do to be back home here. It would be interesting. As for her and Omi walked through the trees, they at once saw the charm hanging from a tree branch above in a large oak. Kimiko looked at Omi, who already was jumping up along the trunk of the tree to get it.
But the moment his hand was barely inches from the charm, something weird happened. In a flash, it was gone. Omi fell from the trees, and, although Kimiko rushed to his side, she looked up to see an unfamiliar girl standing on one of the branches smiling down at them.
She had long black hair, silver eyes that, for a brief moment, flashed red, and wore a black biker jacket, black jeans, black boots, and a black halter-top. She wore black eyeliner, and dark lipstick.
"Who are you?" Kimiko demanded from her.
"You may call me Jewel," she responded. "Then I'm guessing you must the Xiaolin Monks, huh? You must Kimiko, and you must be Omi. Chase has told me a lot about you."
"You know Chase Young?" Omi asked from the ground.
"Know him? I work for him. Anyway, I'm off to get the Sunstone of Ra. See ya!" in a flash, she was gone. How could she do something like that? Even more, how could she be working for Chase Young?
The Sunstone of Ra was actually hidden within one of the pyramids in Egypt. Guess which one. That's right, the Pyramid of Ra. On Raimundo and Clay's way there, Dojo was telling them about Ra, the Egyptian god of the sun. He thought it would be easy to remember where it was if it was in the Pyramid of Ra. However, he should've realized that it would be easy for their enemies, as well.
While Rai and Clay walked through the passageways of the pyramid, they began to get a little interested in the mummies and carvings on the wall. And in the center of the pyramid...there it was. A large, yellow and orange stone glowing right there in the darkness. Raimundo raced up to get it, but then heard a familiar voice.
"Aha! The Sunstone of Ra is mine!"
That was probably the most annoying person in the world. Supposed "evil boy genius," Jack Spicer. He flew in the air, along with his ugly Jackbots. He flew so close to the stone, he almost grabbed it, until...
The was a flash, and at once, the Sunstone of Ra was gone. Jack was sent hurtling to the ground, and in a moment, all his Jackbots exploded.
"Hey, what happened!" he called from the ground, glaring at Rai.
That was what he wanted to know. Rai exchanged confused looks with Clay, and then heard another familiar voice.
"Jack Spicer, you are as pathetic as ever."
At once, they all turned around to see three people standing behind a sarcophagus. Wuya, in her physical form, Chase Young, and an unfamiliar girl. This girl had long black hair, silver eyes covered by black eyeliner, dark lips, and she wore a black biker jacket, black jeans, black boots, black biker gloves, and a black halter-top. She was hot.
"Oh! Cutie alert!" Jack Spicer cried from behind the monks.
"Who is this? Your new girlfriend, Chase?" Rai asked mockingly to him, preparing to fight. Chase glared evilly at him, but responded.
"No, she is my new minion," he spoke.
"The name's Jewel. And I'm guessing you three morons are Raimundo, Clay, and Jack Spicer," the girl spoke.
"Oh, has Chase told you all about me?" Jack asked. He was now floating beside her, hearts in his eyes...and around him.
"No, Wuya did. And she was right. You are a pathetic loser who can't accomplish anything," ooh, the new girl just burned him.
"Ouch, that hurts," Jack glared at Wuya, who just smiled.
The girl, Jewel, then flipped around, and struck Jack in the abdomen. He flew across the room and into a pile of old, dusty antiques. Probably buried with the pharaoh. Raimundo and Clay was prepared to fight.
"Honestly, I don't see what the point is in fighting. I already have the Shen Gong Wu," Jewel said.
Too late. Clay and Rai were ready to fight. They lunged at the girl, and activated their Wu.
"Big Bang Meteorang-Earth!"
"Blade of the Nebula-Wind!"
However, she dodged each one of those attacks. And what was worse, her eyes had flashed red, and the ground below them started to rumble. Then it opened up, and Clay and Raimundo fell into the dark abyss below.
"Bye-bye!" they heard her call before darkness covered their eyes.