Hi everyone, thanks for your patience. So, last where we left off, Elyon is now protected by Uncle's Chi-Spell, and the Guardians and Jackie have exposed Cedric. However, that doesn't mean Elyon is out of danger as this chapter will now prove. So, with that being said, let us begin.
Stop the Presses
"How could they have discovered you?!" Phobos exclaimed to Cedric as he was in his human form and kneeled to his prince, with Daolon Wong by his side.
"I've underestimated not only Jackie Chan, but the forces of Earth as well." Cedric said as he kept his head bowed. "Even without magic, they are formidable. But, while I have successfully captured the princess' trust, I'm afraid that I am unable to touch her."
"What do you mean?" Phobos narrowed his rage-filled eyes at the shapeshifter who revealed his hand to show some minor burn marks.
"When I attempted to touch young Elyon, some magic force prevented me from doing so." Cedric revealed.
Daolon Wong walked over to inspect Cedric's hand as he waved his scepter, enabling him to see a faint green vapor emanating from the burn marks. "A chi-spell, no doubt the wizard's handy work."
"This is unacceptable!" Phobos exclaimed as he stood by an odd device that had a large glass orb at the top of a small tree-like object, with three smaller orbs around it. "In order for me to acquire my sister's power, I need to perform the Ceremony of Amalgamation! Which I am unable to do if she cannot be touched!"
"I can acquire two of the three items without directly touching the princess herself." Wong proposed. "And I shall get to work on a counter-spell that will enable us to touch her."
"Do what you will, but know this Daolon Wong; if you fail me, there will be dire consequences!" Phobos warned.
Earth – Sheffield Institute
"Is our school paper totally lame?" Elyon asked as she stood in the hallway with Jade, Will, Cornelia, Alchemy, Irma, Taranee, and Hay Lin.
"What's more than totally?" Irma questioned sarcastically.
"How about 'I'd rather listen to Uncle's ramblings than read this'?" Jade said.
"'Teacher parks too close to fire hydrant, almost.'" Will read one section aloud for emphasis and was less than impressed.
"'Wheat roles in the cafeteria, the untold story.'" Hay Lin also read aloud.
"And the photos!" Taranee criticized. "Look at this picture of a wheat role!"
"Um, I think that's a teacher. Mr. Collins, maybe?" Alchemy said, which only further illustrated the lackluster in the rather boring school newspaper.
Taranee suddenly got an idea. "Hey guys, why don't we see if we can help them out on the paper?"
Jade scoffed. "I'd rather be eaten alive by demons."
"You got some crazy imagination Jade." Elyon pointed out as most of the girls winced slightly, knowing it wasn't just Jade's imagination talking.
"Speaking of pictures, how about the ones with me?" Cornelia asked.
"There aren't any." Alchemy said.
"Exactly. They call this a paper?" Cornelia purposely dropped the paper on the floor.
Jade however noticed Mr. Collins coming around the corner. "Guys, incoming teacher!" She warned as the group picked up the papers and tried to act innocent and less critical.
"H… Hey Mr. Collins!" Will greeted. "Nice newspaper!"
"You really think so? I'm the staff supervisor, ya know?" He revealed, as all eight girls looked at the bottom of the paper and only just realized now that he was as his name was typed at the bottom.
Hay Lin tried to come up with a complement. "Oh, we love it at the restaurant for wrapping fish guts!" The other girls winced, including Hay Lin herself who realized what she just said.
However, Collins didn't appear offended and didn't seem all that surprised either. "I had only five students on it, and the editor quit so we're down to four. I don't suppose any of you would…" However, nearly all the girls vanished from sight, all except for Taranee who was eagerly raising her hand, volunteering. Irma had attempted to escape with the other girls but had tripped over her own books.
"Great!" Collins exclaimed with a smile. "Taranee and Irma, consider yourselves the paper's new editors!" He announced as Martin walked onto the scene.
"Sweet!" Taranee smiled.
Irma however sulked as she sat on the floor. "Evenings and weekends at school. Okay, could it get any worse?"
"Greetings madam boss!" Martin walked up to her with a smile. "Now we can be together all the time!"
"Journalism's more than just what happened, it's why." Taranee said to the staff of the school paper consisting of Irma, Martin, Uriah, along with Bess and Courtney Grumper, and some other random girl. "Isn't getting to the truth why we joined the school paper?"
"We wanted to write about clothes." Bess said, referring to herself and her sister.
"I got detention." Uriah said, completely uninterested in what Taranee was saying. "It was this or clean toilets."
"Is that job still open?" Irma asked.
"We need to put out a paper that matters!" Taranee continued. "No more silly things about wheat rolls. Real stories that really matter!"
"Yes!" Martin exclaimed in full agreement.
"Research! Facts checking!" Taranee continued.
"I hear you, sister!" Martin stated with a wide grin and salute.
"Let's get to the truth people!" Taranee finished.
"Halleluiah! I'll do it!" Martin already ran out with his camera.
Irma sulked further into her chair. "Newsflash: I hate my life."
Meanwhile, as the students were all in class, a pair of shadows moved along the floor in the hallway and came to a stop near a certain locker. The shadows morphed and shifted to reveal two Shadowkhan who easily broke the lock off the locker to acquire some of its contents.
Elyon saw that her locker door had been broken and the oddest of things had been taken. "Now who would break into my locker, and then just take my hairbrush and math test I made a perfect score on?"
Will, Jade, Cornelia, and Hay Lin heard what she said as they each gasped. Cornelia put a hand on Will's shoulder and spoke in a tone that Elyon wouldn't hear.
"It's gotta be Phobos, we have to warn her!"
"We're not even sure this has anything to do with him." Will replied.
"Let's just talk with Jackie when we school's out." Jade suggested.
"Yeah, good idea." Hay Lin agreed, while Cornelia looked rather unsure as she glanced at Elyon who continued to look oddly at her broken locker.
Meridian – Phobos' Castle
The two Shadowkhan Daolon Wong had sent were on their knees as they each presented to Wong and Phobos the stolen hairbrush and math test.
"My prince, I have acquired representations of Elyon's mind and body." Wong showed the dark prince.
"Excellent." Phobos smirked as he took the two items and placed them in two of the smaller orbs within the device. "And her spirit? I trust you have a counter-spell in place so that you or Cedric can touch her?"
"That has proven to be more… difficult than I anticipated." Daolon Wong explained as Phobos clenched his fists in anger. "Just from the remnants of the good chi on Cedric's wound, I can tell that the spell placed on the princess is more complexed than I thought. Without knowing the contents of the spell, I cannot make a proper counter-spell. Of course, the only one who knows the contents of the spell is the wizard who cast it."
"Then find that wizard and bring him here!" Phobos ordered. "I will force the information out of him myself if I have to!"
Earth – Silver Dragon
Jade, Will, Cornelia, and Hay Lin met with Jackie, Uncle, Caleb, Tohru, and Yan Lin at the Silver Dragon as the girls told them what had happened at the school, and it seemed that Yan Lin knew exactly what it meant.
"It is beginning." Yan Lin said. "Phobos is preparing for the Ceremony of the Amalgamation."
"What is that?" Jackie asked.
"It is a very potent type of magic that will further attract Elyon to Meridian." Yan Lin explained. "Hair for body, perfect test for her mind; spirit is hardest, he must capture her breath."
"If one of his creatures even thinks he's getting that close to her… just let em try!" Caleb performed a roundhouse kick for emphasis, only to accidentally break a lamp with his kick.
"Smooth move, rebel boy." Jade cracked.
Caleb winced upon his mistake. "Okay, that's five lamps I owe you."
"Caleb, they were all worthy foes." Yan Lin joked slightly before becoming serious as she continued to explain. "But once he's performed the Ceremony, a part of her is already in Meridian. Her resistance to his emissary's appeals will weaken."
"That's why Elyon needs to know!" Cornelia persisted.
"Cornelia we've been over this." Will argued. "If we tell her, she either won't believe us, or she'll believe us and totally freak! How does that help her?"
"Uncle Jackie, can't you get Section 13 to watch her?" Hay Lin asked.
"I already spoke with Captain Black and they have Elyon currently under surveillance." Jackie answered.
"What about Cedric? Has Section 13 found him yet?" Caleb asked.
"No, more than likely he's returned to Meridian." Jackie answered.
"Besides, Elyon's already protected by a chi-spell, right?" Jade asked. "And Phobos has to 'capture her breath' or whatever to complete this Ceremony-thing, but if he and his goon-squad can't touch her, he can't perform the Ceremony."
"Even so, we cannot afford to let our guard down, Jade." Tohru said. "Don't forget, Phobos has a chi-wizard of his own. It is possible for Daolon Wong to create a counter-spell."
"Possible, but not likely." Uncle stated. "Uncle spent weeks toiling over cauldron to make complex protection spell for Elyon. If Daolon Wong wants to create a counter-spell, he must make an equally complex spell himself. But only Uncle knows the contents of the protection spell." He pointed to his head for emphasis.
"Oh, so you guys won't let me warn her, but your relying an old-man's 'protection spell' and letting a government organization watch her like she's a terrorist!" Cornelia protested.
"Uh, uh, uh!" Yan Lin shook her finger. "Cornelia, you must respect Will's instincts and Jackie's experience."
"Yeah, Uncle Jackie and I have been through so much evil shenanigans. Trust us, the Chan Clan knows what we're doing." Jade added.
Cornelia looked as though she was about to protest, but Jackie put a firm yet gentle hand on her shoulder. "Cornelia, I understand you feel concerned for Elyon, and you're right to be concerned. But we can't afford to tell her while her life is in danger, she'll learn the truth eventually, but now is not the time."
The blonde looked toward Caleb for any possible support who could only give a small sigh. "Sorry, but I gotta go with Will and Jackie on this one." This resulted in Cornelia lowering herself in the form of a sad sulk.
"So long as the protection spell remains in place, Elyon is safe." Tohru said. "Out of reach from the Forces of Darkness."
As much as Uncle wanted to believe them, he knew from personal experience that they can't let their guard down. "As long as Phobos, Daolon Wong, and Cedric remain free; nothing is truly safe."
Will suddenly felt a familiar pulsing from her jacket, she took out the Heart of Kandrakar, as well as the map she carried. Once she placed the map on the table and lowered the Heart, an x formed to reveal a newly opened portal.
"Uh oh, looks like we got another portal." Jade said as the group was now on high alert.
"It looks like this one opened up at the school!" Hay Lin observed.
"Phobos is shaping the Veil so all the holes in it are near his sister." Yan Lin said.
"Taranee and Irma are at the school right now!" Will exclaimed.
Sheffield Institute
It was already nighttime as Irma and Taranee were still in the middle of a meeting with most of the school paper's staff trying to find their next story. "Okay, okay, okay, this is really big!" Bess said to Taranee while Irma just looked bored out of her head.
"Gretta Merano wore her blue plaid skirt twice this week!" Courtney said.
Taranee was far from impressed. "Okay that's not exactly a story."
"Ooooh, just print it and let's go!" Irma practically begged as Uriah laughed and chucked a paper ball at her head. Suddenly everyone heard loud crash that pretty much echoed throughout most of the school. "What was that?" Irma questioned.
"Well, Martin said he wasn't coming in until he had a huge story…" Taranee responded. "…which means he's in the cafeteria and that was probably him knocking over all the bunt pans."
Cafeteria
Martin was indeed in the cafeteria, hiding behind the main lunch counter, however, it wasn't him that made all the noise, something else did, and he was going to find out what with his trusty camera.
He peeked out from his hiding spot to see several chairs fall down and move on their own. He almost screamed but covered his own mouth and hid behind the counter again. "A good reporter stays calm." He said to himself as he peeked out to try and take a picture of what he saw but found nothing.
However, Martin heard a crash from the plates in the kitchen behind him before an invisible force shot past him and into the dining area, where it began to knock down all the chairs that it had ran past before rushing out the door, leaving a trail of purple slime. Martin didn't hesitate to take pictures of the whole thing.
Once he had what he needed, he rushed out of the cafeteria. However, Martin failed to notice that this invisible creature had some form of collar around its neck, a collar made out of dark blue energy that chained it to a scepter being held by Daolon Wong who remained in the shadows with an evil smirk.
Martin rushed into the editing room with a triumphant yell. "Exclusive story! School ghost! Photos to come!"
Nobody seemed to believe him, however. "Martin, I told you. That's called air conditioning."
"Uh no, I saw it this time!" Martin said. "Uh well… I didn't see it, but I saw what it did! Or what it had done… but uh… you'll see!" He ran into another room to get the photos developed.
Meanwhile, in the school's basement; Jackie, Will, Jade, Hay Lin, Tohru, Uncle, Cornelia, and Caleb had all arrived at the open porta, and Will was more than ready to use the Heart of Kandrakar to close it.
"Wait! Don't close the portal!" Caleb stated.
"Why not?" Jackie asked.
"Something may have come through, look." Caleb shined a flashlight around the corner to show a trail of purple slime.
"What is it?" Tohru as Caleb kneeled down to inspect the substance.
"This can only come from one thing: a Hermeneuta Beast!" The young rebel revealed.
Jade winced. "I'm afraid to ask."
Uncle suddenly felt a chill go down his spine. "Hermeneuta Beast not important! Daolon Wong is near!" With that revelation, the entire group was on the defensive ready to strike out at anything that might attack them.
"Closer than you think, novice." Daolon Wong stepped out of the shadows, revealing the Hermeneuta Beast he kept chained via his magic to his scepter. The beast looked similar to that of a pig as it squealed in despair, turning visible and invisible over and over.
Hay Lin seemed the most offended by what Wong has done. "Hey! How dare you chain an innocent animal like that!"
"We'll take it back home after we put the smack-down on this guy!" Will stated as she held the Heart of Kandrakar. "Guardians Unite!"
With another flashy transformation; Will, Cornelia, and Hay Lin had transformed into their respective Guardian forms as they stood alongside Jackie, Jade, Caleb, Uncle, and Tohru.
"Gan! Ren! Chui!" Daolon Wong had summoned the Dark Chi Enforcers to his side. "Destroy them!" He ordered his warriors while also letting the Hermeneuta Beast loose. The creature turned invisible as it charged and frightfully knocked down the heroes, giving the Dark Chi Enforcers an opportunity to leap at them while they were down with their respective weapons.
However, the heroes were quick to recover as they engaged the enemy, however Jackie saw the invisible pig-like creature run up the stairs, leaving a trail of purple slime. "Jade! Get the Hermeneuta Beast!" Jackie stated as he avoided slashes from Finn's bladed weapon.
"Got it!" Jade nodded as she ran up the stairs to try and catch up with it. However, Wong smirked in the direction she ran and disappeared in a puff of blue smoke which followed up in the same path.
"He is going after Jade!" Tohru exclaimed as he tried to push Ratso back.
"I will protect Jade!" Uncle quickly said as he ran up the stairs leaving the six heroes to deal with the Dark Chi Enforcers.
Finn threw his bladed weapon towards Will as she tried to fly away, though the weapon tracked her like a homing missile. Jackie tried to attack Finn directly with a flying kick, but the Enforcer was able to block it by crossing his arms and used his own strength as a Dark Chi Warrior to force Jackie back before going on the offensive as his weapon returned. However, this left him open for Will to fly down with a punch to Finn's jaw and knock him back.
Chow circled around Caleb with his staff as the young rebel picked up a stray map and spun it around like a master before motioning with his hand to 'bring it on', which Chow accepted as he swung his staff, which Caleb attempted to parry with his mop. Chow appeared to have the advantage however as he swept his feet to knock Caleb down, but Cornelia quickly flew to his defense as she used her powers over wood to lift Caleb's mop and spin at a rate like a buzz-saw to keep Chow on the defensive as he tried to block it.
Tohru was sent crashing through the wall with a swing from Ratso's hammer, but Hay Lin landed in front of the downed sumo to blast Ratso back with a gust of wind from her mouth to knock Ratso back, however, he remained on his feet as he threw his hammer at the pair, forcing Hay Lin and Tohru to split up and avoid the devastating impact the hammer left on the wall.
Back upstairs, Jade appeared to have the Hermeneuta Beast cornered as it turned visible. Though Jade was slightly freaked out by its purple-drool, she tried to act calm and collected.
"Whoa, it's okay little guy. I'm not gonna hurt you." Jade tried to ease the creature while slowly walking toward it. "Come on little piggy, hold still for Jade." However, Jade didn't notice Daolon Wong materializing from a puff of dark blue smoke behind her, but the Hermeneuta Beast did. The second the pig-like creature saw him; it gave a frightened squeak as it turned invisible and ran into Jade. However, Jade tried to hold onto its invisible body to stop it only to get carried off with a scream.
Daolon Wong gave an amused laugh as he saw this, however, he was forced to quickly conjure a dark shield to protect himself from chi-blasts from Uncle as the old, yet nimble, chi-wizard flipped over him to land in front of the dark wizard.
"I must admit I've underestimated you, good wizard." Daolon Wong said. "For you to create such a potent spell to protect the princess."
"So that is why you are here." Uncle realized. "You do wish to create a counter-spell!"
"Of course, and you will tell me how to make it." Wong sneered.
Uncle gave an applaud gasp. "That Uncle cannot do."
"I don't recall giving you a choice!" Wong blasted a stream of dark chi at Uncle, who retaliated with a blast of good chi magic from his blowfish, locking himself and Wong in a beam-struggle.
After all the other staff-members left the school, if only because it was so late at night, Irma couldn't help but let out an annoyed groan. "Can you believe Martin? Ghosts? I mean, really?"
"Not that I believe him or anything, but we have seen some pretty crazy thing since we meet Jackie and the others." Taranee pointed out.
"True." Irma shrugged. However, their attention was quickly caught by the mixed sounds of screaming and a pig-like squeal as the invisible Hermeneuta Beast came around the corner, with Jade still holding on the top of it. Taranee and Irma didn't have time to voice their surprise as the invisible beast rammed through them, knocking Jade off in the process as it continued to run through the hallways, leaving a trail of purple slime as it ran.
"Wha… Jade!" Taranee exclaimed as all three of them were covered in purple saliva.
"Hey guys…" Jade groaned slightly as they pulled themselves up.
"So there really is a ghost?" Irma questioned in surprise before she almost gagged at the slime that covered her body. "Please tell me this is just ectoplasm."
"Well, not so much a ghost, but more like an invisible pig." Jade answered. "And that's the least of our worries right now."
Uncle ran along the wall as he continued to blast stun-spells at Wong with his blowfish as the dark wizard retaliated with his own dark chi-spells. The two leapt at each other as Uncle grabbed Wong's wrist of the hand that held his scepter, while Wong grabbed the wrist of Uncle that was holding the blowfish. They spun around in mid-air, almost in slow-motion, as they tried to blast their respective spells at each other's heads before landing on the ground.
"You are headstrong, wizard." Wong said. "But not for long…" He smirked as a pair of Shadowkhan suddenly appeared above Uncle. The only reaction the elder chi-wizard could give was a surprised gasp before he was knocked unconscious with a neck-chop from one Shadowkhan. The two ninjas picked up Uncle's unconscious body as Wong got back up as well.
"Hey!" They turned to see Jade, Irma, and Taranee arrive on the scene from around the corner. "Get your hands off the Uncster!" The three tried to rush in and help, only to be blasted back by Wong.
"Your 'Uncster' and myself have much to discuss." Wong said before he waved his scepter, creating a large plum of dark blue smoke to engulf himself, the two Shadowkhan accompanying him, and the unconscious Uncle before they all vanished completely.
Back in the basement; Jackie, Will, Tohru, Hay Lin, Caleb, and Cornelia continued their battle against Finn, Ratso, and Chow and it seemed like they were evenly matched for the most part.
"Huh, you know I'm really gonna miss these little get-togethers." Chow said.
"We sure gonna miss ya guys." Ratso also said as they were ready to throw their weapons at the heroes.
"Say goodbye, Chan!" Finn stated. However, before they could even think about attacking, they suddenly poofed and vanished, much to the heroes' confusion.
"Um… Goodbye, Chan?" Jackie said in a confused tone of voice.
"What just happened?" Will asked.
"Please tell me they just gave up and ran home." Cornelia hopped.
"Guys! Guys!" They all looked in surprise to hear Taranee calling them as she ran downstairs with Jade, and Irma. "Daolon Wong just captured Uncle!"
That hit all of them like a load of bricks as they all gave surprised gasps. "What?!" Tohru and Jackie both exclaimed in shock as they all exchanged looks of worry and fear with one another.
The Silver Dragon
After revealing that Uncle had been captured, Jackie went with Caleb through the school's portal to Meridian to try and scout Phobos' castle and find a way to rescue Uncle. Of course, Tohru, Jade, and the Guardians were more than willing to join them; but Jackie insisted they stay back just in case this proved to be a trap as this was merely a scouting mission. So Tohru escorted all six girls back to Hay Lin's family restaurant, though none of them could contain their own fear, even Cornelia seemed more than a little bit worried.
"Poor Uncle, I hope he's okay." Hay Lin said.
"Sensei is strong, I'm sure he'll be just fine." Tohru offered his opinion, though he himself was more than a little worried for his beloved sensei.
"What I don't get is why Wong would even bother taking Uncle." Cornelia said. "I mean, what can Phobos even gain from that?"
"Because Jin was the one who created the chi-spell that is currently protecting Elyon." Yan Lin answered as she arrived onto the scene.
"Which means Phobos took him so that Wong can make a counter-spell!" Will exclaimed with realization as it set in for everyone, with most of the girls giving audible gasps.
"So, what are we waiting for then?!" Jade was already on her feet. "Let's grab the Talismans, storm through the portal, and go full-Rambo on them!"
"Jade, you know how hard it is to sneak into Phobos' castle!" Taranee protested.
"We've done it before, haven't we?" Jade reminded.
"Exactly." Taranee continued. "And since his minions took Uncle, it means he's going to be expecting us! We'd be walking head-first into a trap!"
"Yeah, I'm with Taranee." Irma agreed.
"But…" Jade was about to protest when the shop's door opened.
"They're right Jade." Jackie said as he and Caleb arrived into the restaurant.
"Jackie! Caleb!" Will stated, standing up with everyone else. "What did you guys find!"
"Phobos has his castle under complete lockdown." Jackie answered. "It was almost impossible just sneaking in through the castle-town below."
"He has guards and Shadowkhan all over the place." Caleb added. "He's had his guard up ever since Vathek escaped. He really doesn't want anyone in his castle."
"So now can we warn Elyon?" Cornelia questioned. "Considering, Phobos might have a way to get to her now!"
"What would you have us do, Cornelia?" Will questioned. "Tell her she has a psycho older brother who wants to brainwash her? Lock her up in Section 13 till this whole thing blows over?"
"Well no but…" The blonde tried to protest, but Yan Lin held up her hand to stop her.
"We are in a very delicate situation Cornelia." The former Guardian said. "If we act rash, we may be simply throwing gas onto a fire. We have to step very carefully."
"What about our little 'ghost problem'?" Irma asked, referring to the Hermeneuta Beast.
"The Hermeneuta Beast can wait, Sensei needs our help even more." Tohru asked. "We have to rescue him."
"And we will, but we need to come up with a plan." Jackie said.
"Nearly every possible entrance into Phobos' castle is either blocked off or guarded." Caleb said. "If we're going to sneak in, we need someone who knows Phobos' castle better than Phobos himself. Someone who can get in through even the tiniest cracks."
Almost on que, the group heard a shaking noise from a nearby trash can. Hay Lin walked over and removed the lid to reveal Blunk eating some of the trash from the bin.
"The long search is over." Yan Lin commented.
"Blunk, can you figure out a way into Phobos' castle?" Will asked the Passling.
He crawled out of the bin and onto the floor. "Blunk report for duty! Tell good guys all secrets of evil castle! Offer low-low fee!" Yan Lin presented a fortune-cookie from a tray on a table, which Blunk didn't hesitate to eat, not even bothering to read the fortune inside. "Fee deposited, Blunk help!"
"Alright." Jackie began. "Blunk, Caleb, Tohru, Miss Lin and I will come up with a plan. You girls go home and get some rest."
"Are you sure there's nothing we else can do?" Taranee asked.
"Once we have a plan, we'll tell you immediately." Tohru said. "But I believe that Sensei will surprise us."
"Oh, I'm quite certain of that myself." Yan Lin added. "Girls, please remember this is Jin Chan we are talking about."
The six girls had to think back a small bit as they reminded themselves just what kind of person Uncle was, which caused them to relax, and even Jade to smirk. Though they were all still worried about him, they knew he could handle himself. Knowing Uncle's personality and stubbornness, if anything they actually felt a tad sorry for Phobos.
Meridian – Phobos' Castle
"So, the Prince of Darkness wants a piece of Uncle?" The elder chi-wizard challenged as he was brought into Phobos' throne room, his hands tied behind his back as he was surrounded by multiple guards, including Daolon Wong. "Phobos is a glutton for punishment after the butt-kicking Uncle gave you."
"The only thing I desire from you wizard, is your knowledge!" Phobos stated as he continued to sit on his throne. "I know you placed a spell on my sister, tell me how to remove it!"
"Ancient proverb: none of your beeswax!" Uncle stated in defiance.
Phobos growled as he motioned for multiple thorny vines to emerge from the ground, ensnare Uncle, and bring him closer to the dark prince. "Do I look like I'm in the mood for games?! I will make this simple. You will tell me how to remove your spell from Elyon, or I will see to it you suffer endlessly!"
Uncle wasn't the least-bit intimidated by Phobos, however. "What is hexed, cannot be unhexed."
"Then you will create a counter-spell immediately… OW!" Phobos did not expect Uncle to deliver a dope-slap to his forehead, despite Uncle's hands being previously tied.
"Why should I create counter-spell for naughty prince, when you have a wizard of your own!?" Uncle questioned, gesturing to Daolon Wong.
Phobos' eyebrow twitched slightly as he was more than ready to silence Uncle permanently, but before he could, Daolon Wong spoke up. "My prince, if I may. I believe I know of a way he may give us what he need, but it will take some time for me to prepare."
"Time is growing short Wong." Phobos said in a low growl. "The Ceremony of the Amalgamation must be completed soon!"
"Foolish prince will not succeed." Uncle stated, only irritating Phobos even more.
"This wizard is headstrong and stubborn to a fault." Wong said to the dark prince. "It's little wonder his nephew is so persistent. We may not get what we need from him by force in time to complete the ceremony. However, I promise that I can have him prepared to give the information we need in less than twenty-four hours."
Phobos knew Wong was right, if the Ceremony failed, any chance at bringing Elyon to his side would be lost. It wasn't just that however, he knew how strong and resourceful the Guardians and Chan all were, the longer he waited, the greater the risk they'd come to rescue the old wizard, even with the heavy guard he placed on his castle. He motioned for the vines to lower, allowing the guards to grab Uncle.
"Do what you must, Wong." Phobos nodded to him, allowing Wong to sneer evilly as Uncle could only glare.
Earth – Sheffield Institute – the Next Day
"Ghosts to the left of me, ghosts to the right, I fought!" Martin recalled his thrilling tale to the class. "But I was out-number, and one lifted a desk!"
"Um, last time you said a chair." One student pointed out.
"It was one of those desk-chair thingies a lot of schools are using now, okay?" Martin replied. "Please! Hold your questions until the end!"
"Let's get back to studying geography, not ghosts." The teacher told Martin.
Jade soon whispered to Will. "Captain Black had a Section 13 team watch the school all night last night, they got nothing. Guess even alien pigs gotta sleep."
Suddenly, a series of loud crashes was heard outside the classroom. The teacher and the entire class looked outside and gave surprised gasps and yells to see purple slime all over the floors and lockers.
"Ah ha! Ectoplasm!" Martin already had his camera out and began taking pictures. "Sorry teach, geography takes a backseat to the people's right to know the truth!"
Meridian
Uncle was strapped to a table as Daolon Wong had his hands placed on Uncle's head as he recited his dark magic chant. Uncle, in turn, recited his own chant to try and resist Wong's spell. "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao! Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao!"
They had been going like this for several hours now, and it seemed like it would go on even longer. However, despite Uncle's best efforts, Daolon Wong proved to be much stronger as Uncle slowly lost his focus from a lack-of-sleep. Once Wong had broken through, a purple smoke escaped from Uncle's forehead as it seemed like his body had lost consciousness. The smoke then flowed behind Wong as he continued to recite his chant which then flowed into a purple crystal orb.
Suddenly, Uncle's transparent head formed inside the orb. "Aiya!" The elder wizard exclaimed in shock at seeing his new state. "What has happened to Uncle's body?!" He questioned once he saw his own unresponsive body.
"Your body still lives." Wong answered. "But your spirit is now trapped outside of it. And soon, you will divulge to me all your secrets."
Earth – Sheffield Institute
It seemed like the entire school was in an uproar as every student, and even a few teachers, were up and about looking for this mysterious ghost, or whatever was leaving behind a trail of purple slime all across the hallway. Jade, Irma, Will, Hay Lin, Cornelia, and Taranee all met up away from a group to speak in private.
"So far, Martin has nothing." Irma said. "And what he says, no one believes."
"Good thing he's unpopular." Hay Lin commented.
"I got a text from Uncle Jackie." Jade said. "We got a plan to rescue Uncle and we're meeting at the Silver Dragon tonight."
"So, we'll get Uncle back and get that pig-thing back home at the same time, but we can't let anyone see us do it as J-WITCH." Will said.
"So, we'll do it tonight after everyone leaves the school." Taranee said. "I can give the newspaper team the night off."
"Let's hope Phobos didn't get anything out of the old timer." Cornelia hoped.
"I swear I'm gonna laugh my butt off if Phobos' forehead is red." Jade smirked, an image the other girls snickered at.
However, the girls saw Martin walking by with a sleeping bag. "Martin? You got a slumber party planned or something?" Irma questioned.
"Oh, I'm staking out this joint, day and night." Martin said eagerly, much to the girls' frustration.
Meridian – Phobos' Castle
Daolon Wong had returned to the dark prince's throne room to present the imprisoned Uncle's head inside the crystal orb. Though Phobos himself looked rather perplexed.
"Wong, care to explain?"
"My prince, this is the Orb of Kwan Lo." Wong explained. "It'll expose all thoughts that the captive holds most dear. No one has ever been able to keep a secret from me with this."
Phobos smirked evilly as he stepped down from his throne to address Uncle directly. "Not so defiant now, are you wizard? This will be your last chance. If you tell me how to create a counter-spell for Elyon, I will not only return you to your body, but even release you to Earth. Continue to resist me, however, and I will show no mercy!"
Uncle gave a small sigh. "Very well, listen closely." Both Phobos and Wong leaned in close to the orb as Uncle spoke. "You may find what you are looking for in a secret place. Very close to…" However, once they were close enough, Uncle spat out his tongue to blow raspberries at the duo, much to their frustration.
Phobos growled. "I gave you your chance! Wong, do what you must!"
"With pleasure." Wong sneered as he used his magic to make the orb glow and expose some of Uncle's thoughts. However, the image of a sandwich appeared in the orb, much to Phobos and Wong's surprise. "Mung bean sandwich?!"
"Uncle is hungry."
"Go deeper!" Phobos ordered.
"I shall peel back the layers…" Wong pried even deeper, however this time, the image of Phobos and Wong, both bent over, appeared with Uncle himself delivering a paddle-strike to each of their rear ends. "…What is this?!"
"Your destiny, evil ones." Uncle trolled.
At this point, Phobos had nearly lost all his patience and was more than tempted to end Uncle's life right then and there, and it took all his self-control to prevent him from doing so. "You might just be the most stubborn soul I've ever met. But you only delay the inevitable."
"Fret not, I shall travel even deeper, into the very recesses of his mind." Wong used his magic again. This time, he found what he had needed as he learned the precise ingredients for the protection-spell. "Yes." Wong sneered. "My Prince, I have what I need. It may take some time, but I promise by tonight, you will have a proper counter-spell."
Phobos smiled evilly. "Excellent." As the dark prince let loose an evil laugh, Uncle himself looked down in shame.
Earth – Silver Dragon
Once classes got out, the girls all met up with Jackie, Caleb, Tohru, and Blunk at the Silver Dragon to discuss their plan. Jackie had a picture drawn of Phobos' castle as he began to relay instructions to everyone.
"Alright, we have to rescue Uncle." Jackie began. "But at the same time, we have to get that Hermeneuta Beast back into Meridian through the portal. So, here's the plan; Will, Blunk, and I will go to Meridian to rescue Uncle, while the rest of you capture the beast."
"How are you guys gonna get in if Phobos has his entire castle under lockdown?" Taranee asked.
"Blunk know secret way in." The Passling said as he pointed to the picture of the castle, specifically through the bottom. "Through same tunnel we use to escape oubliette."
"Back during our first adventure together? Cool." Jade said with a smirk.
"There are likely two places Phobos would keep the old man." Caleb said. "Either in his throne room, or in Daolon Wong's chambers."
"Blunk know where evil wizard stays." Blunk pointed out.
"Jackie, even when you and Will get into the castle, I imagine that navigating through it, not to mention escaping it, will be incredibly difficult." Tohru guessed.
"I know, that is why we will be using these." Jackie took out five of the Talismans, specifically the Dragon, Snake, Rabbit, Rooster, and Horse.
"We're using the Talismans?" Will asked in surprise as the other girls didn't expect Jackie to suggest something like that considering he always talked about how dangerous they were.
"I will be using the Rabbit Talisman." Jackie clarified. "Will, you will use the Snake and Dragon for both stealth and extra fire-power just in case" He handed the two to the redhead. "Jade, you'll be helping the others with the Hermeneuta Beast, so take the Rooster and the Horse just in case one of you is injured." He handed the two aforementioned Talismans to his niece.
"No problem, you got it Uncle Jackie." Jade nodded
"Looks like we have a plan then. It's time for J-WITCH!" Hay Lin exclaimed excitedly.
"One little problem though." Taranee pointed out. "Martin's sleeping at the school to get his 'big scoop'."
Hay Lin sighed and sulked into her chair. "Oh, and he's stubborn. Nothing could get him to leave the school!"
"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Jade shared a knowing look with Cornelia.
"Yeah, I can think of one thing that might." The blonde smirked.
"What?" Irma asked as Jade and Cornelia gave her knowing expressions, her own eyes widened once she realized what they were implying. "No! No way! I won't do it! Forget it! He's a total creep!"
"Aw don't worry Irma, Martin's not all that bad." Jade smirked, which Irma reacted with a heated glare.
"I said 'no'! And I mean it!" Irma exclaimed.
"Irma, please." Jackie spoke to her in a calm and understanding tone. "I understand if this is uncomfortable for you, but this could be a matter of life-and-death. Not just for Uncle, but possibly for Elyon as well."
As much as Irma didn't want to admit it, she knew they were right. This could mean the difference between life and death, and if anyone could get Martin to leave the school, it would be her, no matter how much she didn't want it to be. "Fine. But you guys owe me big for this!"
Night had fallen once again over Sheffield Institute, and rain even poured down as well. Martin worked with his camera in the school paper's editing room when he saw Irma walk in. She had a jacket over a rather nice and attractive outfit consisting of a red sleeveless-top, a green skirt, red boots with fish-net leggings.
"My, my, my, don't we look lovely? And by 'we', I mean 'you'." Martin observed with a grin. "What's up?"
Getting desperate, Irma tried to open the door to get out, but it wouldn't budge. The others were likely keeping it closed on the other side. "Uh, Martin would…. Would you… like to... go… let me try the door again." She desperately tried to get out of this situation once more, but to no avail. "Um would you like to go… out?"
"You mean, a date?" Martin asked with a coy grin.
"No! No! Definitely not a date!" Irma immediately said.
"Oh, well if it's not a date, then I gotta stay here and catch this ghost." Martin said.
Irma sulked. "Alright, it's a damn date!"
"Wow! Let's go!" Martin was immediately on his feet with a jacket on. He grabbed Irma by the wrist and bolted out the door, not noticing Jackie, Will, Jade, Cornelia, Tohru, Hay Lin, Caleb, and Blunk hiding on the other side. "Oh, this will be the best date you ever had! I'll take lots of pictures!"
Once they saw the pair had left and they were in the clear, Will took out the Heart of Kandrakar. "It's Guardian time."
Captain Black sat in his own van a block away from Elyon's house as he and his agents have been keeping a very close eye on the girl for some time. Yan Lin was also present with them.
"So, Captain, what have you found so far?" The elderly woman asked.
"From what I can tell, Elyon goes from school to home and hasn't been anywhere since." Captain Black reported. "Anyone she's made contact with; we've confirmed are citizens of both Heatherfield and Earth. No evil shapeshifters, but we haven't caught site of Cedric yet."
Yan Lin sighed, one of both relief and worry. "Phobos does not have her breath, at least not yet."
Meridian – Phobos Castle
After sneaking their way in through the oubliette, Will and Jackie had split up to head for their respective destinations. Will carried Blunk with her as she used the Snake Talisman to keep both of them invisible while she quietly flew through the halls and over a pair of unsuspecting guards.
Blunk snickered. "Guards stupid."
"Blunk, sshh!" The invisible Will clasped her hand over his mouth as the guards looked up, but once they saw nothing, they simply shrugged and resumed their patrol.
"The Talisman keeps us from being seen, not heard!" Will spoke in a harsh whisper, as she and the Passling remained invisible. "Keep it down!"
"Blunk Sorry."
"Okay, so where's Wong's room?" Will asked in a whisper.
"Not far. Further down hall." Blunk answered as the invisible pair flew down the hallway before making a sharp turn around the corner to a door.
Will quietly set herself down, with Blunk clinging to her shoulder, both of them still invisible. She quietly and slowly opened the door and stepped inside. As it turned out, there were two rooms, the one they were in had Uncle's unresponsive body strapped to a table, while in a separate room, Daolon Wong himself worked on making a counter-spell with a black cauldron and a dark purple liquid inside. Wong made a series of chants as the invisible Will tip-toed to the door and quietly closed it so Wong wouldn't see them.
Once that was done, she took out the Dragon Talisman and fired small, yet condensed, shots to break the restraints around Uncle. The invisible Blunk took a brief sniff. "Old man alive." The Passling whispered.
"Then let's go." The invisible Will took Uncle's unconscious body and used the Snake Talisman's power to turn his body invisible as well as she had physical contact with him. They quickly and quietly left the chamber before Will took out a walkie-talkie she and Jackie were given before coming to Meridian.
"Jackie, Blunk and I found Uncle." She spoke into the communication device in a whisper. "He's out cold, but he's alive."
"You found Uncle?" Jackie asked in a whisper as he hung from a gargoyle-statue near the ceiling from inside Phobos throne room, he looked down to see Phobos himself having something of a heated conversation with Uncle's spiritual head, still trapped inside the Orb of Kwan Lo. "Because I think I found him as well."
"Wait… what?" Will questioned.
"Take Uncle's body." Jackie told her. "I'll meet you back at the oubliette as soon as I can." He then slowly and quietly began to descend the wall toward the floor.
"You are crazy if you think Daolon Wong will create counter-spell!" Uncle told the dark prince.
"Oh? And who, pray tell, will stop him?" Phobos questioned.
Uncle noticed his nephew quietly land on the ground. "Jackie?" Jackie himself put a finger in front of his mouth, motioning for him to be quiet.
Phobos gave a small chuckle. "Chan has proven to be a formidable adversary; I will admit that much. But he is still only a mortal man, with no magic powers whatsoever." Phobos turned his back to Uncle. This would likely be the best time to grab Uncle as Jackie quickly and quietly came to the pedestal to grab the orb. "Nothing to say, wizard?" Phobos asked upon realizing his captive hadn't offered a retort. "Cat got your…" Phobos then gasped as Jackie himself put his own head to the pedestal.
"Uh… One more thing!" He tried to put on an Uncle-impression, but Phobos wasn't convinced as he glared at Jackie. "Who am I kidding?" He used the Rabbit Talisman to make a run for it, bursting out of the main gates with the orb containing his Uncle's spiritual head.
The guards outside only looked perplexed as the saw the blur. "Guards! Sound the alarm!" Phobos exclaimed to the guards. "Intruders in the castle!"
Using the Rabbit Talisman, Jackie ran at super-speed throughout the hallways of the castle, he was about to contact Will through the walkie-talkie, had he not accidentally ran into her as she, Bunk, and Uncle's body were still invisible. They all tumbled on the ground rather painfully, Will, Blunk, and Uncle's body briefly turning visible again while the orb containing Uncle's spiritual head rolled along the floor toward a set of stairs.
"Aiya! Stop my head!" Uncle exclaimed. Before the orb could fall, Jackie quickly reached out to grab it.
"Um Jackie…?" Will pointed between Uncle's body and his spiritual head, hoping for some kind of explanation, as even Blunk more than a little perplexed.
Jackie himself could only sigh. "I've stopped asking questions like that a long time ago. Let's just get out of here."
"Blunk know way out! Follow!" The Passling hopped to the floor and led the pair away as Will continued to carry Uncle's body while Jackie carried his head.
"Jackie, Will, you are going wrong way!" Uncle told them.
"We know where we're going, Uncle!" Jackie responded as Blunk lead them around the corner only for the Passling to give a surprised yelp, followed by Jackie and Will to look in shock at the sight of two dozen armed guards and Lurdens blocking their path.
"See? Wrong way." Uncle reminded.
Will sighed. "Well, so much for stealth." She took out the Dragon Talisman and aimed it at the enemy forces. "Eat dragon heat!" She blasted at them as Jackie used the Rabbit Talisman to run at super-speed and charge forward as well.
As the commotion continued outside, Daolon Wong had just finished the preparations with the counter-spell as it shined a bright indigo color from the cauldron. "So, they've come for the old fool." Wong spoke to himself having heard the alarm. "Which would mean the portal is still open." He snickered evilly as he produced a vile to carry the counter-spell, at the same time, the shadows around him only grew as several red eyes formed.
"Take this." Wong gave the vile containing the counter-spell to the shadows as they produced a hand to obtain the vile. "Cross the veil through the portal and deliver that to Cedric." The Shadowkhan then melted back into the shadows and disappeared with the counter-spell.
Earth – Sheffield Institute
Tohru, Jade, Caleb, Cornelia, Taranee, and Hay Lin, in their Guardian forms, appeared to have the Hermeneuta Beast cornered as it was visible but remained defensive of the group.
"We got it into the hall, now chase it into one of those nets! Go!" Caleb stated. The group charged as the beast turned indivisible and ran down the hall, though with the path of purple slime it was leaving behind, it might as well have been visible to them.
Tohru and Caleb ran while the three Guardians flew in the air with Jade alongside them thanks to the Rooster Talisman. Fortunately, they wouldn't have to chase it much farther as the net they had set up was in front of the beast. It ran into the net, causing it to collapse and ensnare around the pig-like creature, trapping it. Tohru even grabbed the net with one hand to hold the crying and struggling beast.
"I have it!" Tohru stated.
"Now we drop it off into the portal, wait for Will and Jackie to come back with Uncle, then close it up." Taranee said.
"And we're home in time to shower in disinfectant." Cornelia commented as she tried to rub some of the purple slime off her hand.
"You know, I kinda feel bad for the little guy." Jade commented.
"Yeah, I mean it's not his fault. Just that mean old Daolon Wong." Hay Lin added. "Kinda gonna miss him."
Suddenly, a much louder roar sounded, alerting the group as they turned around to see an invisible mass turn visible to reveal an even larger Hermeneuta Beast, that looked even bigger than Tohru.
"Apparently so did its mother." Caleb commented as they all looked more than a little shocked.
"Wait… so this thing is a baby!?" Jade exclaimed, referring to the smaller beast in Tohru's net. She then remembered how mother animals often acted when their babies were threatened, and her eyes widened with dread. "Uh oh."
The mother Hermeneuta gave a roar as it charged the group, specifically Tohru holding the captured baby. Tohru didn't even have time to get out of the way as he was rammed and trampled by the mother, it rolled him across the ground with its snout before running over him and kicking him with his back-legs to send him crashing through the lockers.
Taranee flew toward the mother as she produced a series of fire-balls to throw at the beast, but it turned invisible and ran at incredible speeds one would consider impossible for its size, causing the fireballs to miss as the mother rammed both Taranee and Hay Lin, sending them smacking hard into the wall.
While the beast was occupied, Jade quickly came to the injured Tohru to hand him the Horse Talisman. "Magic first aid." She said as she placed the Talisman in his hand, causing all his injuries to vanish instantly.
Cornelia then tried to use her powers to cause a brief tremor, shaking the tiles from the floor loose, which she shot at the mother, briefly knocking it off its feet. Tohru then came in from behind to grab the mother. Using his own strength, Tohru was able to keep the beast from running away, but it put up quite a fight that even gave Tohru a run for his money. Caleb tried to provide some assistance by leaping onto the beast and wrapping his arms around her neck.
"Hungry mama pig?" Jade said as she used the telekinetic powers from the Rooster Talisman to lift some desks from a nearby classroom. "Well eat this!" She chucked them at the beast, however, the mother was far stronger than anyone could have anticipated as it not only shook both Caleb and Tohru off, but even swung its snout to bat away all the thrown desks before charging at Jade to ram into her and knock her into a wall. Fortunately, she still held the Horse Talisman, so her injuries didn't last.
During this time, the baby Hermeneuta Beast had managed to escape the net it was entangled in and ran off with a squeal, prompting the mother to run after it.
The group groaned as they got up, most of them covered in purple slime. "I'm never eating pork again." Jade shivered.
"Yeah, I never thought I'd say this… but I envy Irma." Cornelia added.
Irma continued to follow Martin through the city, having just left a Coney Island restaurant for dinner. "So, would you say you enjoyed your dinner, my dear?" Martin asked, trying to act like a gentleman.
"Eh, it wasn't horrible." Irma shrugged. While she actually liked Coney Dogs, it only made this night somewhat pleasant as she had to share it with Martin. But then again, it wasn't completely horrible either.
"Well then, how about we finish this lovely night with theater?" Martin offered.
"Oh, let me guess: Dungeons and Dragons the movie?" Irma questioned sarcastically.
"Ha! You wish!" Martin said excitedly as they were already at the movie. "How about 'Fast and Furious – The Return of the Road-Rage'!"
That actually took Irma by surprise, 'Fast and Furious' was one of her favorite movie franchises. It was also one of her bonding moments with Jade as well. "Wait… seriously?! I had no idea you were even into that!"
"Never judge a book by its cover." Martin said as he offered his arm. "Shall we?"
Irma actually smiled. "Sure, why not?" She accepted his arm and they walked inside the theater. Though this might actually be a pretty good night, she was still worried for her friends, especially Jackie and Will as they actually had to go into another dimension to rescue Uncle. But then again, she was sure they would make it out in one piece.
Meridian – Phobos' Castle
Will and Jackie had to fight their way all the way back down to the dungeon where they came in. Will still carried Uncle's dormant body over her shoulder as she blasted every guard and Lurden that came her way with the Dragon Talisman. Of course, that was all she could do as she couldn't fight with punches and kicks while carrying the body.
"Blunk, take Uncle and do not let go!" Jackie told the Passling as he handed Uncle's spiritual head, still trapped inside the Orb of Kwan Lo, before using the Rabbit Talisman to zoom into a large group of guards and Lurdens. With such speed, there was no way the enemy could react in time to Jackie delivering precise punches and kicks to send them flying and crashing through the walls.
However, one guard loomed over Blunk with a hammer in his hands. "Aiya!" Uncle exclaimed as Blunk gave a surprised yelp before jumping to avoid the hammer-strike. Will saw the predicament Blunk was in and quickly blasted the guard away with the Dragon Talisman.
Blunk gave a sigh of relief as he wiped his brow. "Is that everyone?" Will asked Jackie.
"I believe so." Jackie assumed. "But let's lead before Phobos himself tries to stop us."
Will found no reason to argue with that, but once she saw the downed hammer from the guard she blasted away, she got an idea. "Hey, could you hold onto this for a second?" She gave Jackie Uncle's unresponsive body, much to his confusion. "Blunk, put the orb down for a second." Will told the Passling as she picked up the hammer.
Blunk put the Orb down, much to Uncle's confusion. Will tried to smash the orb open with the hammer, but she didn't even cause a crack as Uncle's head inside shook before he glared. "Are you trying to give Uncle headache?!"
"I'm trying to bust you out of there!" Will stated.
"The orb is magic! Magic must open magic!" Uncle exclaimed.
Will looked towards Jackie who could only shrug with a sigh himself. "Of course, it does." With nothing else needing to be said, Blunk hopped onto Will's shoulder as she carried the orb this time, while Jackie carried Uncle's body and they left the dungeon.
Earth
Linda Carol was a young woman who lived a fairly simple life. She had a steady job, no current romantic relationships, and lived in a fairly reasonable apartment. At the moment however, she was tied up in a closet with a cloth tied over her mouth; she was also under the influence of a sleeping spell for good measure to keep her from making any noises or commotion.
This apartment would serve as a necessary cover for Cedric in his human form. He need only use this apartment once in order to invite and give Elyon the counter-spell that would enable himself and his allies to touch her. Of course, that all hinges on him actually having the spell.
"What is taking him so long?" Cedric voiced his concern, though he spoke in a calm tone, his nerves were rather racked. "I've learned not to underestimate Earth's forces, even without magic, they are certainly a thorn. They could track me at any moment, I need that spell!"
Almost as if on que, all the shadows in the apartment moved on their own as they surrounded Cedric and morphed into a group of Shadowkhan that were already kneeling to him. One of them presented the shapeshifter with a vile containing the dark blue liquid that he needed.
"The counter-spell?" Cedric asked as he took the vile, to which the Shadowkhan nodded in confirmation. "Good." He smiled evilly before taking a sealed envelope from the counter and handing it to the lead Shadowkhan. "Take this and slip it into Elyon's mailbox. Be sure that you are not seen."
The lead Shadowkhan took the envelope and disappeared with his fellow shadow-entities, leaving Cedric alone to make the proper preparations, to make Elyon feel welcomed into his 'home' for when she arrives.
Sheffield Institute
Hay Lin created a tornado filled with desks which she launched toward the charging mother Hermeneuta, but like with Jade's attempt, the mother bashed through the attack with little issue before turning invisible and crashing through the doors of a classroom. Jade, Tohru, and Caleb ran inside.
"Alright, we got it cornered!" Jade stated as she hovered in the air with the Rooster Talisman.
"Do we? Or does it have us cornered?" Tohru asked.
"It's a giant slobbering pig! Pretty sure it's not smart enough to lure us into a trap." Jade assumed. However, when Caleb stepped forward, he slipped on some purple slime and found himself pinned underneath the mother Hermeneuta. "And it seems the pig is smarter than I thought." Jade commented.
Tohru immediately ran and slammed his elbow into the side of the mother to send her crashing to the wall. Tohru pressed against her to keep the mother pinned to the wall, despite her squealing and struggles. Jade then used the Rooster Talisman's power to levitate multiple desks and stack them around the Hermeneuta mother as Tohru backed away. However, the mother was easily able to break through Jade's attempt to contain it before rushing past her, Tohru, and Caleb, as well as Cornelia who tried to fly in.
The mother ran back into the halls before turning invisible again; prompting Cornelia and Jade to fly after it while Tohru and Caleb simply ran.
Deeper down the hall, the baby Hermeneuta bit down on a juice carton to try and get the fruity substance out. Taranee and Hay Lin tried to set themselves down gently as to not startle it, however, the commotion coming from the group down the hall was enough to frighten it and send it running with the mother in pursuit.
The heroes managed to regroup and were more than a little frustrated at their lack of progress thus far. "Even if we catch the mother, I don't believe we have any means to contain her." Tohru said.
Cornelia gave a gasp of realization. "We don't need to catch her; she follows the baby!"
"And it looks like baby's hungry." Jade smirked once she saw the carton the baby previously chewed on.
The group quickly entered the cafeteria where they found some frozen chicken legs, which Taranee put on the floor and began to heat up with her fire-powers. At the same time, the others were at the entrance with Tohru and Caleb holding onto the bottom corners of the net with the hovering Hay Lin, Jade, and Cornelia holding onto the top.
"Okay, this is it!" Caleb got the group ready.
"Here baby-piggy! Got some nice chicken for ya!" Jade called to it.
Hay Lin sniffed the chicken. "Oooh, that smells so good! I didn't have dinner."
"Sshh! Or you'll be dinner!" Cornelia scolded.
The group waited silently and anxiously for their quarry to take the bait. After about two minutes or so, the invisible baby Hermeneuta had indeed taken the bait as it tried to rush for the smoking food, only to get stuck in the net the heroes had planned. Thanks to the combined strength of all of them, especially Tohru's, they had effectively captured the baby.
Hay Lin bit down on a piece of the cooked chicken herself before speaking. "Listen you guys, he wants his mommy!"
"Yeah? Well they can have a dysfunctional family reunion back in Meridian." Jade cracked.
However, the mother had already arrived and gave warning roars at the group to release her infant. "Okay, now for the tricky part." Caleb said.
"Move!" Tohru called as he and Caleb led the way downstairs with the flying Jade, Taranee, Cornelia, and Hay Lin holding onto the baby Hermeneuta via the net; with the angry mother right behind them.
Back in the school's basement; Will, Jackie, and Blunk had just exited the portal while still carrying Uncle's unresponsive body, as well as his spiritual head still trapped inside the Orb of Kwan Lo.
"We made it." Jackie said.
"How do you think the others did with piggy?" Will asked.
"CLEAR THE WAY! CLEAR THE WAY!" Caleb's yells caught their attention as they could only gasp at the sight of their friends carrying the baby Hermeneuta with the mother at their heels. No time to question; the group split away to let Jade, Cornelia, Taranee, and Hay Lin toss the baby through the portal with the mother jumping in after her infant.
"Close the portal, Will! Now!" Tohru exclaimed.
Will did just that as she took out the Heart of Kandrakar to close the portal, preventing the Hermeneuta mother and baby, or any other Meridian wildlife, from entering their world.
"What in the world was that?!" Jackie questioned.
"Mama Hermeneuta beast!" Blunk stated. "Very nasty."
Tohru noticed Uncle's unresponsive body. "Sensei, are you alright?" He tried to shake him awake.
"Does Uncle look alright?!" Oddly though, the voice did not come from Uncle, but his spiritual head. The second everyone saw it; Tohru, Jade, and Caleb gasped while Hay Lin, Cornelia, and Taranee all screamed.
"THEY CUT HIS HEAD OFF?!" Hay Lin screamed.
"Guys, it's okay!" Will quickly raised her hands to stop further panicking. "That's just Uncle's disembodied spirit. His body is still alive." She showed his unresponsive body for emphasis, causing the group to look relieved as they all sat down.
"Oh man, that nearly gave me a serious heart attack." Taranee breathed.
"We can get Uncle back to normal, right?" Jade asked.
"Actually…" Cornelia snickered as she picked up the orb. "I kinda like him better this way. And if you think about it, it's actually pretty funny." She snickered.
"Someone smack Cornelia on forehead!" Uncle stated. Jade did just that, trying to imitate Uncle's own dope-slap with her own fingers.
"OW! Jade!" The Blonde rubbed her head.
"Hey, he asked." Jade smirked with a shrug, prompting Cornelia to grumble.
Jackie gave something of a small sigh of relief, glad that the group was able to find some semblance of humor in this rather crazy situation. "Let's go home."
Lair Residence
After finishing the movie, Martin had offered Irma some ice-cream on his own money, which she accepted as he escorted her back home. "So, was the night as magical for you as it was for me?"
Irma had already gotten a text from Will saying their mission was complete; but aside from that, she actually had a pretty decent time: she got to have a Coney, saw a pretty cool movie, and even had ice cream. "Honestly, I've had worse nights." She confessed as she finished her frozen treat.
"Really?" Martin questioned excitedly. "Oh man! Oh man! Oh man!" Irma shrugged, thinking she might as well throw him a bone for the effort he put on for her, so she gave him a quick peck on the cheek, causing his cheeks to turn red before walking inside.
Uncle's Rare Finds
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao." Tohru and Yan Lin both chanted as they hung some lanterns over the desk that had Uncle's spiritual head still trapped within the Orb of Kwan Lo, while Uncle's body was sitting on a nearby chair with Jackie, Will, Irma, Jade, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Taranee, Caleb, and Blunk watching from the side.
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao." As the pair chanted, the lanterns began to glow green with chi-magic before streams of green energy shot from the lanterns to envelop the orb before it cracked open to release Uncle's spiritual head.
"Hotcha!" Uncle exclaimed joyously before he flew back inside his body, his eyes popped open as Uncle Jin Chan became whole once again. "Hello!"
"Uncle, you're back!" Jade wasted no time in hugging him, followed by Hay Lin, and even Tohru gave a pat on his shoulder with Jackie following suit as well. Though the others didn't hug him, they were nonetheless grateful he was in one piece again, even Cornelia.
"I always knew you were an air-head, Jin." Yan Lin cracked. "But I didn't mean literally."
Uncle shared a smirk. "Blame Daolon Wong for concocting such crazy spell."
"I got a question though." Taranee raised her hand. "If your spirit was trapped, why not just use the Sheep Talisman? I mean, that is the Talisman for astral projection, right?"
Uncle raised a curious eyebrow. "You ask a good question. But the Talisman would not work as my spirit was already disembodied and cannot be used to separate spirit from foreign object without proper spell."
"Kinda like when Shendu hijacked when I messed with the Sheep Talisman." Jade recalled.
"Well, Uncle's back, and the portal's closed. So, mission accomplished." Will smiled.
"Mission of rescue and seal portal, yes. Mission to stop Phobos, no!" Uncle quickly said. "Daolon Wong has learned secrets of Elyon's protection spell."
"Which means, that he now has the means to create a counter-spell." Tohru realized as all celebrations the group shared had come to an end as the gravity of their situation set in.
"So, the bad guys can actually get to her now." Jade said.
"Captain Black and Section 13 are watching Elyon like a hawk." Jackie said. "They're monitoring everyone she's making contact with and running thorough background checks to make sure they are indeed citizens of Meridian and not more shapeshifters."
"But that doesn't mean Elyon's out of danger." Yan Lin said.
"All the more reason for us to protect her then." Will quickly said.
As the group began to discuss what their next plan of action would be, Cornelia remained silent. Her only suggestion would be to warn Elyon, but she already had that idea shot down twice so there didn't seem like a point to bring it back up again. But at the same time, her resolve remained firm; whether Elyon knew it or not, Cornelia would protect her with everything she had.
Sheffield Institute – The Next Day
Nearly all the students, and several teachers, looked around at the purple slime and damage to the school hallways and lockers from the Guardians and Chan Clan's fight against the Hermeneuta Beasts. As expected, Martin took pictures of nearly every inch of the area.
"Martin! In here! Quick! A purple ghost!" Uriah exclaimed as he pointed into a classroom. Martin wasted no time in running in, followed by a teacher, much to Uriah's shock. "No! Just Martin!"
But it was too late, the second Martin opened the door, the bucket of purple slime Uriah had set up over the door had fallen all over him and the teacher, causing them to slip before landing on the floor. The students all around laughed while an angry Martin, and an even more angry teacher, both stood up to glare at Uriah.
"You set this whole thing up, you… you cad!" Martin pointed at Uriah. "Uh, pardon my language, ladies." He quickly said to the girls present before resuming his glare at the bully.
"I didn't!" Uriah quickly said. "I mean, not the other stuff… just… just this…!"
However, nobody seemed to buy it. "Yeah, we should have known Uriah was behind the whole thing."
This seemed to work out better for our heroes as Jade, Taranee, and Irma shared knowing smirks as they saw the teacher escort Uriah to the principal's office.
"Well, that's our story." Taranee said. "Someone call a janitor."
"Yep, and Irma, one day the world will know about the dating sacrifice you made." Jade smirked, resulting in Irma scowling, or at least faking it. She had actually enjoyed the night out with Martin, but she wouldn't tell the others or else Jade and Cornelia would never let her hear the end of it.
Cedric heard a knock on the door for his 'borrowed' apartment and smirked as he had a good idea who it was. "Come in."
Elyon opened the door and entered. "Hi Cedric, thanks for inviting me." She said as she held up the letter, he sent her (via Shadowkhan). "You know, I don't think anyone ever sends invitations by mail anymore. They usually just text or send emails."
"Yes well, call me old fashion." Cedric replied. "Please come in, make yourself at home. Allow me to get you something to drink."
"Oh, you don't have to do that." Elyon said as she sat down on a chair.
"No, no, you're my guest, I insist." Cedric quickly said as he reached inside the fridge to pull out a bottle of grape soda. However, when Elyon wasn't looking, he took out the vile containing the counter-spell Daolon Wong had made and poured its contents into the bottle, where it dissolved instantly in the liquid. "I've been told that you like grape soda?" He offered the bottle to her.
"It's my favorite." Elyon said as she drank from the bottle, as well as the counter-spell in it, prompting Cedric to smirk. She looked out the window briefly before sighing. "I'm always, kinda sad after it rains."
"I know what you mean." Cedric replied.
"Hey, again, thanks so much for inviting me." Elyon began to confess. "I mean, Cornelia's supposed to be my best friend, but last night when I called, her mom said she went out with the other girls. I mean, she didn't even invite me."
Cedric hesitated for a second, but he placed a hand on her shoulder. However, unlike before, he wasn't stunned. It would seem the counter-spell had worked, the good chi-spell protecting Elyon was now gone. "One day, there will be those who really understand you."
"Well, I think you do." Elyon said as she finished her bottle of soda.
"I'm so pleased you feel that way." Cedric replied. "Here, I'll take that for you." He took the empty bottle away.
Cedric looked inside and saw that there was fog inside, so not only did he remove the protection spell around Elyon, he even acquired her breath, the final piece for the Ceremony of the Amalgamation. Even though he knew that Section 13 would likely track him here soon, as they were watching Elyon, it didn't matter if they did. He had all that he needed, and soon, Elyon will be in Meridian, in the clutches of the Forces of Darkness.
Done.
So bad news for the heroes. Elyon is no longer protected by the chi-spell, and the villains have what they need to perform the Ceremony of the Amalgamation. Despite the efforts of the Guardians, Chan Clan, Section 13, even Uncle's repeated trolling and defiance toward Phobos and Wong, it seems all their efforts are for not as the next chapter is when everything hits the fan.
I look forward to seeing you soon, until then, stay safe and healthy out there.