W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria
By Galistar07water
Chapter 09: Skeletons in the Closet pt. I
"Do not trust the one who hides in the shadows," Zhu Que's voice echoed in Kimi's mind as she slumbers.
Kimi's nightmare was full of darkness that left her breathless and shaking.
In her dream, Kimi found herself standing on a black, cold, and smooth surface. It seemed to be made of polished obsidian, yet it felt more fragile. The ground stretched on forever with neither foliage nor buildings in sight. Above her was an endless dome of space, dotted with stars and nebulae of various colors. Black holes were sucking away the light of a nearby sun. Kimi knew that in reality, a black hole that near would no doubt kill her, yet she felt no real threat from it.
"Hello?" Kimi said. Her voice echoed throughout the vast plain of darkness, yet her voice was distorted as if she was a spirit trying to speak through to the other side. "Hello? Where am I? Is anyone there?"
There was no answer and Kimi felt alone.
Suddenly, an image flickered before her several yards away. It was distorted at first, but then it flickered into a silhouette of a person. Kimi strained her eyes and managed to make out the figure as a male in dark robes. His face was hidden in the shadows, but she didn't have to see to tell it was her twin brother. She recognized his built and that tuff of slightly messy hair anywhere.
Kimi gasped. "Nii-san? Kyochi!"
"Kimi…" Kyochi's voice echoed distortedly.
Kimi broke into a run towards him. After several months apart, she desperately wanted to touch him, to feel his arms around her in a tight embrace, to dive into that familiar scent of his that reminded her of the freshest wild mint in the forest. Oh, how she misses him. But as Kimi tried to get closer, Kyochi seemed to be moving farther away from her grasp, although his legs weren't moving. He raised a hand out towards her as if he, too, was desperate to touch her. Kimi wanted to scream and cry. It was as if some form of darkness was keeping him away from her. If so, this was perhaps one of the cruelest tricks Kimi had to endure.
"Kyochi! I'm here! I will find you!" Kimi cried.
The wind seemed to pick up as she tries to chase her brother down, preventing her from coming close to him.
"Kimi…I need…tell you…important…" The wind distorted Kyochi's voice, making it sound hollow.
Kimi tried to push forward, but the strong wind kept her back. She looked up to see her brother was getting farther away from her grasp. She didn't stop. She had to get to him. Kyochi was so close! Kimi strained to hear what he was trying to say as she ran, but his sentences were broken and scattered to the wind.
"Nii-san! What are you trying to say?"
"Imposter…not trust…Heart was taken…near death…" Kyochi tried to tell her. "Hides in the shadows…my essence…lost…depth…dream realm. Gate of Oblivion…! All…scheme…true Darkness…Guardians being…plot…ancient evil…"
"KYOCHI!" Kimi cried. She leaped forward and for a moment, the tips of their fingers touched before Kyochi's image dissolved away into black smoke. Kimi fell towards the ground where he was moments ago. The ground beneath her began to crack and shatter like glass. Kimi felt the rushing whirl of wind as she fell into endless space. The wind shrilled sharply like a woman's cold laughter. It taunted her desperation to find her brother beyond her reach.
Kimi woke up gasping for air. She looked around and realized she was in her bedroom. It was mostly empty with only a small cabinet and drawer. The only decorations were several of Kimi's calligraphies hanging on the walls, and a few personal belongings resting on the drawer. Sunlight filtered through the windows, accompanied by the birdsongs. Kimi sighed and wiped the sweats off her brow. Glancing at the clock, she saw it read 08:57. She couldn't remember the last time she had overslept. The final battle against Zhu Que's army followed by her final match in the Winter Tournament had left Kimi exhausted.
Kimi glanced at the framed photos next to her clock. One was recently taken last night, showing Kimi and her friends holding their silver medals. Takuya had a stupid grin that made Kimi's lips curled into a smile. He's a strange kid. Always joking in an annoying way and he has a mouth that can get him into trouble, but he has a good heart. His girlfriend, Zoë, is the confident and outspoken girl who excels in kicks and twirls. She held her medal proudly in one hand while the other is wrapped around Kimi's shoulder as if to say "Yeah, we girls can kick butts". The others, Jean Phillip, Michael, Tommy, and Troy, the kid who's obviously infatuated with Kimi, surrounded the three of them on both sides.
The second photo is a black-and-white picture as if preserved in historical archives; its rims turned yellow and fragile with age. Kimi crawled out of her futons to get a better look. It was taken sixteen years ago when she and her brother were toddlers and not long before that tragic night when her mother died. As she got closer, she could see her parents. Since her mother's death, her paternal grandfather ordered all photos of his daughter burned because it gave him and his wife nothing but grief. However, Komei managed to save a few and recently gave Kimi this one during his last visit. It is one of her most cherished possessions as Kimi could barely remember her mother's face.
Kimi held it in her hands tenderly. Kotone Kinomoto, wore a beautiful kimono while sitting on an equally beautiful chair. On her lap sat a three-year-old Kimi in her own kimono while Kyochi stood to her right in front of their father. Kimi had often heard whispers behind her back about her mother's beauty and looking at this photo, she could understand why. Kotone's face was absolutely divine! She hardly wore any cosmetic. She was simply beautiful without effort, a gift often envious of others. Her hair was coifed and pinned intricately in the traditional Nihon style. However, Kotone's expression and eyes were sad, but they were still beautiful. Her uncle told her they were a shade of aqua-green water like the sea of Nihon's southern tropics.
To Kotone's right and standing behind Kyochi was her father, Kohaku Watsuki. His face was slightly younger and less gaunt than when Kimi remembered him last. He had a full set of hair tied back, much longer than when Byakko gave him a magical makeover. He was, Kimi admitted to herself, very handsome in his youth. While one hand rested on his wife's shoulder in a somewhat protective manner, Kohaku himself seemed indifferent. His expression was stoic and his eyes cold like a shard of ice. It was intimidating. He looked like a man who could crush you as if you were nothing more than an ant.
Kimi wished the photo was more like one of those "happy family" types she'd seen in her friends' cell phones. This black-and-white relic wasn't one of the happiest moments in her life, but photos are rare and expensive back on Lusteria back then. Kimi had to remind herself how fortunate it was that Komei could save this one photo showing all four of them together at all, smiling or not.
"Right," Kimi sighed, giving the photo one last look before placing it back on top of the drawer. She grabbed the hair sticks, a gift from her father before he died that once belonged to her mother. "Time to get up."
By the time Kimi finished bathing and went downstairs, she found herself ambushed by a wall of black smoke. Panicked and alert, Kimi held her breath and jumped into the kitchen, expecting an intruder. A knife construct manifested in her hand. Kimi lunged but it bounced off of a steel frying pan. There was no intruder, only Orube trying and failing at making breakfast.
"Orube?" Kimi blinked the stinging tears from her eyes. "What—?"
Orube frowned at her disapprovingly. "Honestly, Kimi? Bringing a knife to the table? There are no intruders! We have a magical barrier around the perimeter of this house protecting us, remember?"
Kimi ran to the windows and opened them to air out the kitchen. Too late, the smoke detector on the ceiling started beeping furiously. Annoyed, Kimi manifested another knife construct and threw it at the device.
"Blast this inferno stove!" Orube cried as she threw the flaming frying pan into the sink. Quickly, she helped Kimi opened the remaining windows before moving on to throw out the burnt food.
"Orube-neechan! What is going on?"
"I was trying to make pancakes," Orube replied.
Kimi blinked. "Why would you eat cakes in the morning?"
"They're a type of sweet breakfast the Earthlings eat. Irma showed it to me last time and I thought it looked simple enough to try, but the skill to master it continues to elude me!" She brushed herself and took off the apron. She sighed with frustration as she took a seat. "I am an expert in martial arts but when it comes to culinary arts, I am the worst."
"Perhaps you should pray to the kitchen god and hopes he'll grant you the skills?" Kimi suggested. Orube could detect the sarcasm in her voice.
"Lady Ngọc Long has been doing the cooking since we came here. But now that she's bereaving," Orube paused. "I'm sorry, Kimi. I'm really trying my best here."
Kimi said nothing more about Orube's terrible cooking skill. She most certainly didn't need Orube to apologize for it. No, what Kimi needed right now was to find a way to help her host mother.
Orube turned to clean the mess she's made. "Listen, Will and the others will be here shortly. Since the pancakes are soggy wastes, perhaps we should ask the girls if we could find a place to eat first before we plan our next move."
There was no answer. Orube glanced over her shoulders and saw that Kimi was gone. "Kimi?" Orube's keen ears picked up a knocking sound. Her eyes widen as she rushed upstairs.
"Lady Ngọc Long! Please open this door! It's me, Kimi."
"Kimi, what are you doing?" Orube hissed, mindful to keep her voice low should the Jade Dragon hear.
"I'm trying to get our mentor to open this door," Kimi replied dryly. She knocked on the door again, this time a little louder. Still no answer.
Orube sighed in exasperation and grabbed Kimi's wrists, pulling her to the side. "Kimi, Ngọc Long needs time to mourn over her husband's death! I thought you of all people should understand her enough to leave her alone! After what happened to your father—"
Kimi gave her a hard glare as she yanked her hand back. "Precisely why I'm doing this! Orube, have you forgotten that my father's murder gave me a reason to turn cruel and vengeful? I wanted nothing more than to hunt down that witch and make her suffer, not out of a sense of justice or morality, but revenge!"
"Kimi, what are you—"
"Do you think Zhu Que's death wouldn't trigger something similar in Ngọc Long?"
Orube's words failed her. She hadn't thought about it. The idea of Ngọc Long turning into a revengeful dragon is too preposterous! "Kimi, what you're suggesting is unthinkable! Ngọc Long is an immortal dragon goddess!"
"Are gods above such dark feelings?" Kimi retorted. "Gods and mortals, spirits and monsters, they all have light and darkness within them. Have you forgotten all the dark spirits we've fought against? The ones corrupted by the Deadly Sins?"
Orube couldn't argue with her. She remembered the White Snake and many spirits and humans they've encountered thus far since the start of this mission. How easily they had succumbed to the might of the Deadly Sins. Orube remembered the day they first ran into Kimi who saved them from that tengu. She thought about how easily Irma and Taranee started to fight due to the influences of Wrath coming from him. And the Celestial Warriors! For a long time, the Guardians had assumed they were the cause of the Deadly Sins, but Zhu Que proved that he was also a slave to his own Wrath. If powerful godlings such as him could be turned evil, why not Ngọc Long? All it would take was to kill the love of her life.
"I need to see if Ngọc Long is coping," Kimi said more gently this time. "I know she's not alright, but I want to be certain that she won't turn murderous. She's done much for me. Now, I must pay her in kind."
Orube wanted to object but knew that Kimi had a point. "Alright, do what you must, but exercise caution. I'll go and let the others in."
Kimi didn't wait to see Orube disappears down the stairs to return her attention back to Ngọc Long's door. She gazed down and could practically see a dark aura seeping under the crack. Kimi had every right to be worried. Dark auras such as this can't be compared to shadow-wielders as her brother and father. An aura with a hue as dark and coagulated as this usually signifies those near death or in utter despair. Kimi knocked again, this time more insistently.
"Lady Ngọc Long? Please let me in."
There was still no answer. Very faintly, Kimi heard a shuffling sound as if something was being dragged across the floor. For a moment, Kimi hesitated, wondering if she should back out now and return later with her friends. A part of her warned her to get away as far as possible. She was tempted but decided against it. Running would be cowardly.
Kimi placed a hand on the doorknob. It wasn't locked, which was strange. Slowly, Kimi pushed the door open and found herself in the darkness. The only source of light was from the hallway behind her. Kimi glanced around. She couldn't see Ngọc Long, but she could still feel the dark aura coming from inside. She tried to listen for the shuffling sound she heard earlier. All was quiet.
Kimi held out a hand and summoned a small orb of light, dimming softly like a firefly. Still no mentor. Whether that was good or bad, she couldn't tell. Kimi never realized how large this bedroom was.
Kimi inched closer. "Ngọc Long? I know you're in here. Stop hiding in the dark. I—"
The soft light from her orb caught something. Kimi paused. She came closer, expecting to find her host mother lying on her bed face down. To her surprise, it was the shining blade of a sword leaning against a wall. Zhu Que's sword! She gazed, transfixed by its beauty. Kimi hadn't expected to see the last remnant of the fallen demigod. His sword should have disappeared with him, yet strangely it survived. Kimi didn't know whether it was divine intervention or Zhu Que's willpower that it remained. Either way, at least Ngọc Long now has something of her late husband to cherish.
The hilt was a deep crimson color topped with a golden ring as a pommel. The blade appeared to be made of gold as well, carved with some of the most intricate designs barely visible from afar, still gleaming like sunlight. In the center of the cross-guard reveal a ruby the size of a small egg. A metal sculpture of a phoenix intertwined along the hilt, the cross-guard, and the upper part of the blade. It was truly a beautiful sword. Without realizing it, Kimi reached out and grabbed it.
To her surprise, the sword wasn't as heavy as she thought. It wasn't anything like the katana swords she had wielded before; rather it required both hands like her naginata. The sculpture piece should have rendered the sword impractical, yet the balance was perfect; it felt like an extension of her arms and she knew she could swing it gracefully in the air if she tries. Kimi could sense an aura of power emitting from it as if an unstoppable force resides in its heart. The blade still has a faint crack along its fuller. Kimi was amazed that it hadn't shattered into pieces like Xuan Wu's spear. This sword managed to survive the most powerful blast from the Guardians' attacks. What made it more enduring than the talisman possessed by Byakko and Xuan Wu?
Kimi had been so engrossed with the weapon that she failed to sense danger glaring down at her. The door slammed shut.
"Wha—"
Something big and scaly ran at her, pinning her down, the sword clattered to the floor. Gasping, Kimi blinked. The sudden rush caused the curtains to flutter, letting in a slit of light into the room. No words uttered from Kimi's lips as she found herself before—no, pinned under Ngọc Long's claws.
Ngọc Long's eyes gleamed dangerously as she loomed over Kimi, more intensely than Kimi could understand. Her scales glistened like sparkling emeralds, her eyes captivating and frightening at once, and her bared fangs white and serrated like knives. Kimi had seen Ngọc Long in her draconic form before, but up close, the Jade Dragon never looked so intimidating.
"THIEF! HOW DARE YOU?!" Ngọc Long hissed menacingly. There was an acidic tone in her voice. "HOW DARE YOU TOUCH WHAT IS MINE?!"
Kimi opened her mouth but couldn't speak. She was trapped in the lair of a dragon who could kill her as easily as she could a deer! Kimi felt her heart thumping against her chest frantically and realized how terrified she was being the prey.
"SPEAK, YOU VILE INSECT! WHAT BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE IN MY LAIR?!"
Kimi's voice failed her. "I…I…"
Suddenly, she heard footsteps. Orube and the others must have heard the commotion and ran upstairs.
"Kimi?! What's going on in there?!" Will's voice shouted from behind the door.
"Kimi, are you okay? Answer us?" cried Taranee.
"Ngọc Long! Kimi! Open this door right now!" Orube ordered. She tried the handle. When it wouldn't budge, she pounded on the door, hoping to knock it down with her superhuman strength. To Orube's surprise, it stubbornly refused.
Ngọc Long glared at the door and gave a deafening roar. Kimi trembled. She tried to move, but the dragon goddess tightened her grip. Kimi yelped, feeling the large talons digging into her skin. Any tighter her blood would be drawn.
"BEGONE WITH YOU THIEVES! MURDERERS! ANARCHISTS! DESTROYER OF WORLDS! ELSE I SHALL TEAR YOU ALL TO SHREDS!" Ngọc Long roared.
Kimi had to escape somehow! Although terrified, she tried to steady her breathing and found her voice again. "Ngọc Long, stop! You're hurting me!"
The dragon turned her attention back down on Kimi and snarled, causing her to wince.
"HURTING YOU?" Ngọc Long scoffed. "THE PAIN YOU'RE FEELING IS MERELY PHYSICAL! IT IS NOTHING COMPARE TO THE PAIN THAT I FEEL IN MY HEART! YOU ARE A THIEF AND A MURDERER! YOU'VE COME TO TAKE AWAY THE LAST REMNANT OF MY LOST LOVE! I SHALL KILL YOU FOR YOUR TREACHERY!"
Kimi screamed as Ngọc Long gave another deafening roar as she bared her teeth. With horror, Kimi realized how foolish she was for coming in here. Ngọc Long doesn't recognize her! In her despair, she is too blind to see her as anything but a threat.
"Ngọc Long, stop it! It's me! Kimi!" Kimi cried desperately. She could still feel the tips of the Jade Dragon's claws digging into her arms. "You and I have both lost someone we loved—"
"UNFORTUNATELY FOR YOU, NOTHING YOU SAY WILL STOP ME FROM RIPPING YOUR SPINE OUT!"
NO! I can't and I won't die like this! Desperately, Kimi tried to grab something to free herself. Her fingers brushed against Zhu Que's sword. She grabbed it and swung hard, slamming it to the side of the dragon's face. The Jade Dragon roared furiously, shaking the entire house. Quickly, Kimi crawled out from under her attacker. She hoped she hadn't hurt her host mother too badly, but that was the least of her worry. Kimi tried to bolt for the door, but Ngọc Long's serpentine body stretched out for many meters. She slammed her tail down, blocking Kimi from her exit.
"YOU DARE STRIKE ME? YOU DARE USE MY HUSBAND'S SWORD AGAINST ME?! YOU FILTHY, VILE, WORTHLESS BITCH! I WILL SEE TO IT THAT YOUR HIDE BE DELIVERED TO YOUR MISTRESS BEFORE I KILL HER MYSELF!"
Kimi turned to face the dragon, point the sword at her mentor for defense. She considered transforming, but that might agitate Ngọc Long even more. Kimi may be the Guardian of Light, but she knew it would be foolish of her to fight against a mighty Lusterian dragon on her own.
"NOWHERE TO RUN OR HIDE, VIXEN!" Ngọc Long growled, leaning in closer. "I'LL BE CERTAIN TO TAKE PLEASURE IN SKINNING YOU ALIVE, KITSUNE! YOUR MISTRESS WON'T HAVE LONG TO ENJOY HAVING YOUR HIDE DECORATE HER PALACE ONCE I THRUST MY HUSBAND'S SWORD THROUGH HER HEART!"
Kimi gulped nervously. She had never heard Ngọc Long sound so vindictive and cruel before.
"Ngọc Long, this isn't like you—"
"AND WHY NOT?!" Ngọc Long snapped.
"Because you're the Jade Dragon! You are kind and virtuous and you always pushed us to do what is right. You tried to stop me from seeking revenge! You were there for me when I mourn for my father! You even risked Zhu Que's Wrath if it meant saving me! I realized that I've never shown you how grateful I am for your selfless service. Stopping you from taking revenge is the least I could you for all you've done for me!"
"IT IS POINTLESS TO USE YOUR SILVERTONGUE ON ME. ENOUGH DELAY! YOU WILL DIE NOW!"
Kimi screamed as she tried to pull up a light barrier to protect herself. It barely formed when Ngọc Long crashed into it and opened her jaws. At that moment, a blinding flash of light emitted between them. At first, it was as if nothing exists. Kimi felt pinned down once again by Ngọc Long. She gazed into Ngọc Long's eyes, expecting to see fury and despair. She couldn't because the Jewel of Light was hovering between them, its light flashing brightly. Kimi gasped, realizing that she had summoned the Jewel of Life to protect her. The crystal gave off a warm and reassuring glow before disappearing back into Kimi's heart.
"Kimi?" Ngọc Long's voice whispered. She gazed down, expecting to see Kitsune in her clutches. Instead, it was her ward, Kimi, trembling from fright. Next to her lay Zhu Que's sword. Ngọc Long loosened her hold and Kimi quickly crawled out. Even in the dim light, Ngọc Long saw a small trickle of blood running down Kimi's shoulder. Even worse, Kimi looked scared of her! No, what had she done? What did she do? Her motherly instinct kicked in as she held out her claw. Kimi cried, frantically backing away from her.
"Kimi, I…I didn't mean…I'm sorry…I…oh…"
Before Kimi could reply, the door blasted down and in charged Orube fully clad in her battle attires with Will and the others flying with their magic at the ready.
"Kimi! We're here!" Hay Lin cried.
Orube brandished her sword, glaring at the Jade Dragon. "Ngọc Long, stay back!"
Will and Cornelia quickly grabbed Kimi, dragging her into the safety of their numbers.
"Do what Orube says, Ngọc Long. We really don't want to hurt you!" Will warned, her hands held, ready to wedge an energy barrier between Kimi and the dragon.
Ngọc Long growled dangerously, causing Orube and the Guardians to tense.
"Girls, stop!" Kimi protested although she couldn't stop gasping from the shock of the ordeal. "I'm…I'm alright. Ngọc Long, she didn't…the Jewel of Life…it…"
"Kimi, you're bleeding!" Cornelia protested. She shot Ngọc Long a disapproving glare.
"Kimi, you are so stupid sometime!" Irma seethed. "When are you going to stop going into things on your own?! Ngọc Long could have killed you!"
Ngọc Long gazed around the room. For a moment, the air tensed. Will could feel sparks of electricity dancing around her. She mentally plotted a way to pull Kimi out should their mentor attack them first. The Guardians tensed as Ngọc Long grabbed Zhu Que's sword.
"Look out, she's going to attack!" Taranee warned, readying her fireballs.
"Ngọc Long, what are you—" Orube hissed, pointing her sword.
Ngọc Long shook her head. Tears welled up in her eyes, her voice broke from despair and guilt.
Kimi gasped, reaching out to her but the others pulled her back. "Ngọc Long!"
"I can't stay here! I almost killed you, child! I can't stay with you anymore! I must…I must leave! I'm sorry, Kimi. I'm sorry, girls. You'll have to continue on without me!"
Ngọc Long lifted her head higher, but instead of unleashing a water attack, she puffed steam from her nostril, filling the room with a blanket of cloud.
"What's going on?!" Taranee cried.
"Hang on, girls! I'll take care of this!" Hay Lin said.
A small gust of wind picked up around them. Swirling gently, it sucked up the vapors as it goes. Hay Lin raised her hands and the small tornado dispelled Ngọc Long's cloud. Before them, Ngọc Long stood in her human form still clutching Zhu Que's sword. She gave them one last sad smile as she is enveloped in emerald flames. Her form turned into a scattering cloud of dragon scales heading out the window and into the sky. For a moment, the Guardians and Orube were too surprised by Ngọc Long's exit to say anything.
Finally, Irma spoke. "She's gone. Ngọc Long abandoned us!"
Taranee, Hay Lin, and Cornelia exchanged a worried glance. Kimi sighed sadly, turning her head away.
Orube sheathed her sword and turned to Will. "What does this mean for us?"
Will sighed as she reverted back to her human form. "It means for the first time since our mission began, we are on our own, girls."
The seven girls were mostly quiet during their walk to the diner. After what just happened, they thought it was best to at least get some food in their stomach. Irma quickly patched Kimi's wound which was thankfully minor. Will and Hay Lin ducked into a spare room, trying to contact both Matt and Yan Lin, telling the former to meet up at Golden. As they made their way through the city, light snow continued to fall, yet there still wasn't enough to be considered a blanket of white.
"I told Matt to meet us at Golden," said Will, her boots trudging through the sludge. "He said he'll be there in a few minutes."
"Why are you involving him?" Kimi asked in a deadpanned voice. "This mission doesn't concern him."
Will gave her a dry look as she opened the door into the diner. Blissfully, it was warmed inside and not too crowded. They found the biggest booth by the windows in the corner where they could all talk in private. Half of them took their seats while the others went to order breakfast.
"Matt's my boyfriend and I like to share parts of my life with him, both normal and magical. Besides, he has proven himself trustworthy as well as helpful. Don't underestimate him. He's been trained in Kandrakar and is a respected captain."
"A captain of what, may I ask? Getting captured by the enemies several times? Yes, I'm certain he's been very useful."
"Kimi, be nice," Orube chided. "Matt's not so bad once you get to know him. He helped me when I was working in his grandfather's pet shop. He's a good listener and a good friend. Besides, you're not the only one who showed him a thing or two during the first meeting."
Kimi blinked. Orube laughed. "I punched him hard when I was trying to say hello, but your attempt to impale him with your naginata was a bit more memorable."
Will scowled, folding her arms while Irma and Hay Lin stifled their giggles.
"That still wasn't funny, Orube. You could have hurt him!"
Kimi leaned over to Orube and whispered, "I will pay you in gold if you could show me that memory later."
"I heard that! Orube, don't you dare give her any ideas!"
"The only thing I'm hearing right now are several stomachs growling!" Irma chirped.
"Breakfast!" said Cornelia as she and the others came over ladened with trays of food.
The thoughts of punching Will's boyfriend quickly subsided as the Guardians devoured their food with relish. Orube, however, maintained her dignity by taking small bites and sipping her hot chocolate. Kimi stared down at her food, a stack of round flat cakes topped with a runny substance, accompanied by long strips of pork and shredded potatoes. Kimi poked her hashbrown, and said, "I will never understand why you must deep-fry nearly everything in vats of oil."
"Because it makes everything taste better!" Irma said with her mouth full.
If Kimi was disgusted by the ketchup and syrups dripping down her friends' mouths, she didn't show it. "I supposed filling your bodies with unhealthy sustenance is one reason why you have trouble keeping up with Lusterians."
"Oh just shut up and eat, Kimi! Besides, it's not like we eat fast food every single day. you'll need the extra calories after what happened yesterday and this morning. Besides, I ordered you the nongluten pancakes."
Kimi seemed unconvinced. She glanced around to see a few students from their same school eating at their own tables. "Are you certain it is wise to talk here? Someone could eavesdrop on us."
"Kimi, don't worry, " Cornelia assured her. "Everyone is too preoccupied talking about the upcoming Winter Festival to even care."
"Plus, if they do eavesdrop on us, they'll just think we're discussing a video game or a fantasy novel," said Will.
Kimi said nothing more as she took her fork and scrapped the excess butter and syrup off her pancakes and ate. A few minutes later, the bell over the door rang.
"Hello, welcome to Golden! Please take a seat!" said a waitress.
The newcomer brushed the light snow off his head, scanning the restaurant for his friends.
"It's Matt!" Will said, putting down her cup of orange juice to wave him over. He quickly spotted her and made his way to their booth. "Matt, you're here!"
"Sorry, I couldn't come any sooner," Matt said. He took off his coat and slid in next to Will. "I had to finish rehearsal with the guys. Hello, girls. Hi, Rebec—I mean, Orube. Sorry, I keep forgetting that Rebecca isn't your real name."
Orube smiled. "You should still call me that when we're in public." Orube offered him her extra sausage and egg breakfast sandwich, but he declined, saying that he had a big meal earlier that morning. Instead, he accepted the cup of coffee from Taranee, still hot and fresh thanks to her fire magic.
"Hell, Matt-boy," said Kimi incredulously. Instantly, a shiver ran down Matt's spine and he nearly spilled the hot beverage in his lap. He failed to notice Kimi sitting at the far end corner of the booth when he came in. He quickly regained his composure and put on his most professional tone. He wasn't going to give Kimi the satisfaction that she makes him unnerving. "Oh, hello, Kimi—"
"Watsuki-san," Kimi corrected. "You will address me either as Watsuki-san or Miss Watsuki if you'd prefer your Earth terms. Do I make myself clear, Matt-boy."
Matt wrinkled his nose. "Why do I have you call you Miss if you get to insult me?"
Kimi grabbed for her cup of tea and acted as though she was appreciating its worth more than Matt. "I currently know seven different ways to inflict pain on your with just my thumb and index finger, so unless you don't want to find out, you will address me as either Watsuki-san or Miss Watsuki. Do I make myself clear,Matt-boy?"
Matt's face reddened. "That's totally unfair—"
"I'll make a deal with you. If you don't like Matt-boy, I could shorten it to something more playful like Ma-Bo. Or would you prefer fruitcup?"
"Fruitcup?!" As Matt fumed, The other Guardians, saved for Will, giggled as they remembered when Kimi first demeaned them with a word they now find so childish.
"Fruitcup it is then!" Kimi smiled, sipping her tea nonchalantly.
The others burst into laughter, ignoring the glare Will's giving them. Matt glowered at Kimi who returned it with a sly smile.
"I walked right into that one, didn't I?" Matt internally cursed himself. The thought of Kimi calling him fruitcup sounded more demeaning and torturous than Matt-boy. At least with Matt-boy, she was still using his name.
"Okay, cool it you two!" Will warned. She shot Kimi a look and mouthed, "Be nice to him, please!"
Kimi noticed Orube eyeing her suspiciously and yielded temporarily with a shrug as she casually drank her tea.
Matt cleared his voice again. "Yeah, anyway…Will called and asked me to come over. She said it was important."
"It is!" Hay Lin nodded, poking at her remaining scrambled eggs with a knife. "I just finished contacting Kandrakar and told them what just happened. Will was right, we're on our own!"
Jokes aside, the girls exchanged worried glances. Matt blinked. "Okay, wait. You might want to back up a little bit. What just happened?"
Will told him the short version of how their mentor had nearly killed Kimi that morning. While Matt was relieved to see Kimi alive, internally, he thought she deserved it with a smug.
"So what did Oracle Yan Lin say?" Matt asked curiously.
Hay Lin sighed sadly. "I wasn't able to talk to my grandmother. She and Lord Araël were too busy. Instead, it was Lady Verlona, you girls remember that elegant elf lady with the moon earring?"
Irma shook her head. "Who is she again?"
"She's the second highest ranking member of the Gemini Council," Kimi replied. "Verlona is Lord Araël's right-hand. Much like Oracle Yan Lin was to Himerish before he left to become an abbott."
Hay Lin nodded. "As I was saying, Verlona was the one who answered my call and she said there's nothing they can do about Ngọc Long! They can't send a search party to go after her or even bother to contact her to see if she's alright! They can't even spare us anyone as a temporary mentor!"
"Really? Not even our old guide Kandor?" Irma asked.
Hay Lin shook her head sadly. "Even though Kandrakar had put up a new Veil over Lusteria to prevent the Deadly Sins from seeping into the rest of the universe, everyone still has to deal with monsters and those already possessed before the Veil was drawn. Kandrakar has been conducting damage control over this issue since."
A moment of silence fell upon them. Irma broke the silence with a bit of her snarky humor. "Glad to know that those bigwigs aren't just sitting back and watching us do all the work."
Kimi shook her head. "Pawns such as us are sent into the battlefield on behalf of the Oracle and the Elders. We may be Guardians of Kandrakar, but we're not the only warriors at their disposal."
Orube nodded in agreement. "Do not forget that I am one of such warriors serving under Kandrakar."
"The only difference is that we are the most powerful Kandrakar has," Kimi continued. "Only we have the strength to wield the forces of nature. So while each world has their own warriors to fight the Darkness, it is we Guardians who are tasked with the most difficult job of eradicating the source of the problem."
"Wow, and here I thought we're already amazing with our newfound powers," Irma smiled with her usual snarky attitude. She spotted Cornelia's untouched chocolate croissant and quickly snatched it. Cornelia gave her an annoyed look and snatched Irma's remaining hashbrown. "Hey!"
Wanting to get back on track, Cornelia asked, "What about Elyon, Caleb, and everyone on Matamoor? Please tell me they're not still dealing with Sins-induced creatures like Miranda and the Tracker."
Hay Lin shook her head. "That's one bit of good news. Ever since Byakko, Xuan Wu, and Zhu Que died, the influence of their Deadly Sins disappeared across all worlds! Elyon and the other planets' leaders don't have to worry about the constant attacks each time we defeated a Celestial Warrior!"
Relief washes over everyone's face. Even Kimi and Orube gave a small smile. "Hay Lin, that's great news!" said Will.
"Wait, are you telling me that you girls have only managed to defeat three Deadly Sins up to this point?" Matt asked.
"Way to kill the mood, Matt." Irma huffed. "Do you realized how hard it was? We were fighting against over-powered alien demigods and nearly died each time!"
"Matt does have a point, girls," Will interjected. "The longer it takes for us to defeat one Celestial Warrior, the longer the other planets must endure their Deadly Sins! We may have gotten rid of three, but we still have two more to face and I'll bet it will be harder than our last battles."
"We had Lady Ngọc Long's help before," Cornelia pointed out. "She was the one who trained us, and she briefed us with important background information before we go into battle."
Irma turned to glance at Hay Lin. "And you're saying that Kandrakar is too busy to help us because they have their own problems?" Hay Lin nodded. Irma sighed and leaned back against her seat, staring up at the ceiling. "Let's see, our mentor just disappeared on us and we don't know if she's okay. Without Kandrakar, we're basically going to go into our next battle blind. And to make it worse, we still don't know how to free Kimi's brother, and we still have to deal with Kimi's treacherous cousin. Anything else? I'm pretty sure I'm forgetting several more things, but right now those are the basics." Irma's sarcasm hummed in the air as the realization sank in.
Undeterred, Will clenched her fists, "C'mon, girls! Remember when we first became Guardians? We practically had to figure how to do everything on our own after Yan Lin ascended into Kandrakar! Half the time, we had no idea what we were doing or knew much about Phobos and his evil plot! All we had was a magical map, the Heart of Kandrakar, and powers we barely knew how to control! And yet, we're still here after all these years! We've come across powerful and clever adversaries before and we still defeated them all in the end. If we can handle it back then, I'm certain we can do it again. We just need to be creative and smart as we go along. So let's compare our notes and see what challenges await us."
The others nodded in agreement. Will saw Orube's smiling in admiration out of the corner of her eyes.
"You impressed me more each day that I'm here, Will," Kimi said.
Taranee leaned over and pulled out her laptop from her backpack.
"Will's right, we can do our job, with or without Kandrakar's help. Clear the table for me, please," Taranee began to type furiously on her laptop as the others did what she asked.
"Taranee, what are you doing?" Hay Lin asked curiously as she and Cornelia leaned in to glance over Taranee's shoulders.
"I'm trying to pull up files and information both from the internet and my personal files. I've been collecting all sorts of information since this whole mess with the Celestial Warriors started months ago."
Taranee turned the laptop so that everyone can see what she has on her screen. She pointed to a color-coded chart that looked like:
Will with the Heart of Kandrakar (Energy and Temperance) - Byakko (Earth and Gluttony)
Cornelia with the Heart of Nature (Earth and Diligence) - Xuan Wu (Water and Sloth)
Irma with the Heart of Waves (Water and Patience) - Zhu Que (Fire and Wrath)
Taranee with the Heart of? (Fire and ?) - Seiryuu? (Air and Lust)
Hay Lin with the Heart of? (Air and ?) - Hwang-Ryong? (Energy and Greed)
"Notice anything?" Taranee asked. "Based on this pattern, I'm the fire-wielder and it will be my turn to face Seiryuu because my element is the only one that can counter hers."
"Do you have an idea what your Virtue is supposed to be?" Matt asked.
Taranee blushed. "Yes, but I'd rather not get into details now."
"Why? It could be important," said Cornelia.
"Yes, but the three of you," Taranee gestured at her, Will, and Irma, "didn't know what your Virtue was going to be when you went through your ordeal. I have a vague idea of what mine is, but I think it is better that I keep it to myself for now. I think when it's my turn to look for my Heart and Virtue, it has to feel genuine, not something manufactured based on predetermined knowledge."
"Okay, fine but do you have some sort of contingency in case you don't get your new power?"
"Let's back up a minute here. We know that one of the few ways to defeat a Celestial Warriors is to counter their elements with our very own and it must be consecrated with the right Virtue."
"And if you don't?" Matt asked.
"Disastrous! We found that out the hard way when Will and Cornelia used their Hearts to combine their pure elements and Virtues against Zhu Que's fiery Wrath." Everyone shuddered at the recent memory. "Anyway, that's how Will was able to kill Byakko when she impaled him with her lightning claymore. Her element naturally counters his earth and by converging it with her Virtue of Diligence, he was purified and defeated in the end."
"But what about me?" Cornelia asked. "I wasn't the one who killed Xuan Wu. That was Zhu Que himself."
"But he did it by breaking off one of your crystals and stabbing her in the heart! Your magic crystals were consecrated with your Virtue of Diligence! As for Irma, she didn't have to kill Zhu Que in order to purify him. Her water sphere was imbued with the power of the Virtue of Patience. Sadly, he was killed by that fox spirit not long afterward, and that's the second way to kill a Celestial Warriors: strike their weak chakra."
Taranee pulled up another chart, this time of the human body with seven spots from the crown of the head to the base of the spin. Each chakra was color-coded and listed their locations as well as their representations and reasons for their weaknesses. Taranee pointed to the yellow one located in the solar plexus.
"Kimi figured out that the third chakra, also called the manipura, is Zhu Que's weak point because it deals with things like self-esteem, pleasure, willpower, and personal responsibilities. From what we've learned of Zhu Que's history with Ngọc Long, this becomes his weak points because of his misuse of power, and he was manipulative."
"Great, so how can we use this Buddha-meditation-training-thing against our remaining opponents?" Irma asked.
Taranee sighed. "I haven't figured that out yet."
"The heart," Kimi replied nonchalantly. The others turned to look at her. "That's Seiryuu's weakness. The heart represents love, compassion, and it governs relationships. Seiryuu has no heart, so if you strike her there, she'll die."
"But couldn't you say the same thing for any of the other demigods?" Will asked. "Aside from Zhu Que, the others were also pretty heartless."
Taranee's eyes widen, realizing something. "Kimi's right! Of course, the fourth chakra in the heart is also the air chakra and that's Seiryuu's element! Just like the third chakra is associated with Zhu Que's fire element! I should have realized that!"
Taranee began typing furiously as she added this new information into her notes.
"There's something I don't get," Matt interrupted. "There are seven Deadly Sins, but you only wrote down five. What about the other two? Who or what is corrupted by them? And where did these Deadly Sins come from in the first place? From what you've been telling me, Lusteria seemed to be an Asian world." He turned to Kimi. "Will told me your Zhong-guo is like our China, your Joseon is like our Korea, and so on and so forth. But the Deadly Sins and Virtues are something that comes from Christianity and I doubt you have that on your world."
"Lusterians worship many gods as well as ancestors and other unworldly things," Kimi replied as-a-matter-of-factly.
"Right, so my point is how something like the Deadly Sins ended up on Lusteria? Who or what sent them and why?"
There was a dead silence amongst them as Matt's words sank in.
"Matt's right," Hay Lin said. "We only know of five Deadly Sins so far and even though we've managed to destroy three, wouldn't we still have to deal with four more instead of just two?"
"Four more?! I feel like this mission is never going to end!" Irma slapped her forehead.
Cornelia huffed indignantly. "Aren't you supposed to represent the Virtue of Patience, Irma?"
"Taranee, what are the other two Sins?" Will asked.
Taranee looked up on her laptop. "Let's see, we're currently missing Envy and Pride."
"So we don't know who or what these Sins are infecting?"
Orube thought for a moment and said, "You don't think Envy and Pride are still with whoever unleashed the other five Deadly Sins to begin with?"
Everyone glanced at Orube as if she just delivered the most shocking news.
"Lady Ngọc Long mentioned her husband going to the Gate of Oblivion centuries ago," Kimi said. "And Zhu Que said that the Darkness corrupted him and his siblings."
"Kimi, we've been hearing about this Gate of Oblivion for quite some time. What is it? A place of pure darkness and evil? Is that how and where the Celestial Warriors were corrupted?"
Kimi frowned as she pondered the thought. "My knowledge of the Gate of Oblivion is limited. As a child, I was told that I would be sent there if I didn't behave. As I grew older, I began to hear other rumors and tales about it. Some say it's a prison where they incarcerate the most evil and dangerous beings ever to exist. Others say it's a portal to another dimension. Some say that it doesn't exist, merely an obscure legend passed down by those who enjoy a little spook."
"Well, it's obviously real if the Celestial Warriors really did go there," said Irma.
Kimi pressed her fingers together and began to think. "Last year when Kyochi and I were tasked with a mission on another world, I met a very strange person."
"An alien?" Hay Lin perked up.
Kimi nodded. "Yes, but he looked like a regular human from Earth. Very eccentric. I thought he was a sorcerer of some sort because he wielded a silver wand. He took one glance at us and immediately recognized us as Lusterians and Guardians despite our disguises. He displayed a very childlike euphemism and began rambling, mostly of Lusteria and its ancient history. In between his jumbling words, he mentioned the Gate of Oblivion and said how our gods should have created a better security system as well as a failsafe if they don't want anyone to break into it. He also said it was such a dull and boring place that he was glad he ran into someone there, but as soon as he tried talking to him, the man disappeared."
"Wait, so the Gate of Oblivion is really a prison?" Will asked.
"He wasn't clear on it. He said the place also made his spine chilled, yet he described it in such a carefree and cheerful manner, I thought he was insane at first! He shook our hands and told us to give Lord Araël his greetings before darting off with a companion."
"You don't think he's a member of the Gemini Council, do you?" Orube asked.
Kimi shook her head. "I've never seen him before until then."
"He said he met someone there," Orube pointed out. "Was it Zhu Que or any one of the other demigods?"
"No, when he shook my hand, I tried to read his aura and saw the figure he met at the Gate. It wasn't Zhu Que or any of his siblings. I couldn't gleam into the rest of his past. It was as if he knew I was an auraseer and somehow blocked it!"
"Or maybe he ran into the real culprit who's responsible for the Deadly Sins!" Cornelia suggested. "Think about it, if the Gate of Oblivion is some sort of secured prison or a vault, this person must have been trying to break in or just broken out!"
Taranee's eyes brighten as she adjusted her glasses. "Or maybe the ancient gods of Lusteria locked the Deadly Sins up behind the Gate of Oblivion! Maybe that person, whoever he was, managed to find a way to break into it and stole the Sins, but he ran off when Kimi's new friend—"
"He's not my friend."
Taranee ignored her. "—saw him! And maybe the Celestial Warriors were tasked with checking up on the Gate of Oblivion. Maybe they discovered a breach and that's when that mysterious thief attacked!"
"He infected them with five of the seven Deadly Sins, turning them evil! If there really are two more, he must still have hung on to them!" Irma added.
"But that is a lot of maybes. We don't know any of this for certain!" Matt protested.
"No, but it is a good theory," Cornelia said.
"But Ngọc Long said her husband disappeared centuries ago," Hay Lin pointed out. She turned to Kimi. "You said you met this sorcerer last year, so how could he have been at the Gate of Oblivion centuries ago before the Celestial Warriors were corrupted?"
"If this sorcerer is actually a member of Kandrakar, it would explain his longevity and his knowledge of Lord Araël," Orube said.
Kimi nodded and frowned. "This so-called villain the sorcerer saw at the Gate, I couldn't make out his face, but his silhouette…I can't remember where specifically but it feels as if I've seen him before, whether in real life or from a history scroll, I don't know."
Irma rubbed her fingers against her temples. "Ah! This is all too much at once! The more we try to figure everything out, the more questions we have! Plus, we still have other problems to deal with! I feel like I'm playing a video game that comes with a very long and complicated story mode! My head hurts!"
"Let's get back on a subject that's more realistic than speculation, shall we?" Orube suggested, her expression turning dark. "Like the war in Nihon and the fact that we have a traitor?"
Hearing this, Irma's expression turned serious again. She turned to glance at Kimi since this involves not just her native country but also her family. "Kimi?" she asked.
"Tell us what happened in that cave first, Irma," Kimi said calmly.
Irma began to tell them everything from the two mermaids she saved and who froze and trapped them.
Orube frowned as she stared down into her cup of lukewarm chocolate. "I thought so. That explains how he became so powerful during our last encounter."
Kimi scoffed." Kenji didn't need a mermaid's tear to undermine us."
"Yeah, I'd say he's pretty good at scheming before his own power boost," Irma agreed.
Matt glanced at Will. "Who is this Kenji? And why haven't you told me about him before?"
"Because none of us realized he's a traitor working with the Celestial Warriors until yesterday!" Will protested. "Anyway, he's Kimi's cousin—"
"Why am I not surprised?" Matt rolled his eyes, glaring at Kimi.
"Foster cousin," Kimi corrected. "In any case, I was a fool to underestimate him."
"We all did at first," Cornelia said wearily. She glanced at Orube. "So how did you figure out that Kenji's the spy?"
Orube folded her arms. "He knew the details of how the Champa king died before he supposedly left the ceremony! If what Irma said is true, that means Kenji used his newfound power to discreetly murder King Jaya and used the Guardians as his scapegoats. He wanted to cause an international incident between the Annamites and the Champa so that they would be too weak and distracted from Zhu Que's invasion. In some sense, he succeeded. Without joining forces with the Champa, the Annamites nearly lost to Zhu Que. We were fortunate that our mentor brought reinforcement from the sea."
"But even if Annam is free from whatever is left of Zhu Que's army, they have to worry about an upcoming war with Champa. Which means we won't have any help from them for the current war against Seiryuu," Kimi noted.
"What about Joseon and Zhong-guo?" Hay Lin asked.
"Last I heard, my distant relatives there are helping Emperor Sheng-tsu rebuild his palace and his army. As for Abbott Himerish and the monks, they're busy trying to re-cultivate the fields so the populace will not starve."
"Well, we did blow up the old man's palace," Irma said sheepishly.
"As for Joseon, they're also occupied with reinforcing their kingdom's security. In truth, they're not very fond of Nihon. Our two kingdoms had been rivals since the ancient war millennia ago. Although their queen respects the Guardians, even she will not sacrifice what little she has left for our kingdom," Kimi continued. "Kenji has certainly done a lot of damage by helping the Celestial Warriors."
Orube sighed as she rested her chin on her intertwined fingers. "I had my suspicion on Kenji for quite a while, actually. I did try to warn Chancellor Komei. After we left Nihon a few months ago, Kenji graduated from the university and asked to be sent to Queen Sŏndŏk's court in Joseon."
Will blinked. "Really? But I don't remember seeing him there."
"No, but we ran into his bride and her twin!" Taranee reminded her. "Kiyomi and Kazumi tried to stop us twice in Joseon. Remember back when we had to split up and half of us had to stop the dam from flooding the city? They were the ones who set up the explosion!"
"What?! Why would they do that?" Matt asked, horrified.
"They were brainwashed by Xuan Wu! She has the power to compel most people to do her bidding," Taranee said firmly. "I couldn't read their minds. It was as if something clouding their better judgment. They accused us of siding with the Celestial Warriors and thought they were doing some good by purging a city of corruption!"
"But what about recently when we were in Annam? Xuan Wu was already dead, so shouldn't her influence disappear?" Cornelia asked. "Surely, they can't still be under her influences?"
"No, they weren't," Kimi sighed sadly. "When I came to Orube's side and fought against them, I felt their anger and frustration and none of it was from some dead demigod's power. Especially, Kazumi. All the hatred and anger she channeled towards you is because of me." Kimi clenched her fists. "Kenji knew this and used it as ammunition to use her and her sister against us. I'm more concern for those girls than I do with Kenji," Kimi said. There was a hint of sadness in her voice. She glanced out the window, wondering how her cousins are doing right now. When they last fought, Kazumi was dead set on killing her and Orube, but Kimi managed to talk some sense into her right before Zhu Que's Deadly Sin came in and infected her. Kimi hadn't doubt that Kazumi would have done some irreversible damage on them had the Jewel of Life not interfered. Whatever the Jewel did, it left Kazumi in shock, crying in her sister's arms.
A thought came to Kimi. Could the Jewel have shown her the truth of what happened that night?
"Kimi?" said someone. Kimi turned back to her friends.
"There's something that's been bothering us for a while," Will began. "It has something to do with your cousin, Kazumi: she claims that you killed her husband."
Kimi didn't need to rely on her aura reading magic to know that her friends seemed nervous as well as skeptical.
"Kimi, we've been through a lot together, and we do believe you," Orube began. "But we also need to know what really happened to him and we need you to be honest with us. How did Kazumi's husband die and why does she still hate you for his death?"
Kimi sighed and took a deep breath. She never wanted to share the truth with anyone. It had been a secret she'd kept at her expense all these years. But a part of her knew that it was time to trust in these girls and revealed to them what really happened.
"Not here," Kimi began glancing around the diner. They had been conversing so long that most customers were already starting to show up for an early lunch. They all quickly got up. They were all about to pull their wallets out and pay for their portions but Kimi quickly walked to the cashier and overpaid for their table. "Keep the rest," she said and motioned for everyone to follower her out the doors.
"Where did you get that much Earth money?" Irma asked.
"My uncle left me a large sum of money when he last visited," Kimi replied. "Ngọc Long converted it to your currency standard. Now hush!"
They all headed towards the empty alley behind the restaurant. Once they were certain that no one is watching, all eight of them disappeared in a flash of light only to reappear again in Ngọc Long's living room.
Kimi waited for everyone to get comfortable before she took her own seat.
"Alright, we're alone," Will said.
Kimi sighed and began her story. "I didn't kill Seiji, but he did die by my hands."
To be continued…
Author's note: I apologize for another long hiatus. Life has been busy. But I thank you all for your patience and for sticking around all these years. Please support by leaving feedbacks in your reviews. Also, Yen Press, the manga distributing company, is re-releasing the W.I.T.C.H. comic series for English speakers! So far, they've re-released the first 4 sagas. If you're W.I.T.C.H. comic fan and if you want to show your support, you can purchase them via Amazon or any other online retailers.
Cultural notes: Yes, you'll notice that I've been referencing things that actually happened in the comic series, such as Orube punching Matt. The mysterious man that Kimi and Kyochi met the year before is actually the 10th Doctor from Doctor Who!