Hi everyone, thanks again for waiting. This has been one chapter that I'm sure all of you have been really looking forward to reading, just as much as I've been looking forward to writing. And what happens here in this chapter, will have a significant impact on the entire series as a whole. So, be prepared for some incredible action, funny moments, and heart-warming scenes that is typical of both JCA and WITCH. With that being said, let's get started.
Return of the Queen
"So, why am I going to the mountains again?" Elyon asked as she and Phobos were near the gate of the castle, ready to head out via what appeared to be a horse-drawn courage. Along with them, there was also Miranda, Daolon Wong, and Cedric in his human form, with a group of guards.
"A safety precautions." Phobos explained to his sister. "We have a special bunker up there if in the event the castle is breached. We just you need to go there and see if it's still effective."
"You're not coming?" Elyon asked.
"I have an important matter I must attend to here." Phobos replied. "But don't worry, Miranda will keep you company."
"And just in case any adversaries attempt to abduct you, your majesty, I shall assign you special guards to watch over you." Daolon Wong said as he drew his scepter. "Gan! Ren! Chui!"
With that chant, Daolon Wong had summoned the Dark Chi Enforcers, causing Elyon to look in surprise at their sudden appearance. "Whoa!"
"Do not fret, Princess Elyon. These men are your guards." Cedric assured.
Finn, Ratso, and Chow had found themselves meeting Elyon for the first time. "Heh, so you're Phobos' kid sister, eh?" Chow asked.
"Awe, she's cute." Ratso gushed.
"Hi." Elyon smiled and waved at the trio. "Nice to meet you."
"Same. Name's Finn. He's Ratso, that's Chow." Finn introduced himself and his friends to the princess.
"You three will watch over my sister from this point forward." Phobos told them. "Should anything happen, I'm sure you're aware of the consequences." He narrowed his eyes at the Enforces, causing them to gulp slightly.
"Eh… yeah. No worries at all… Big P." Finn chuckled nervously.
"Don't worry Phobos, I'm sure we'll get along just fine." Elyon told her brother. "So, please tone down the 'over-protective-big-brother' attitude. It's sweet, but I can only handle so much coddling."
"Of course, forgive me dear sister." Phobos gave a slight apologetic bow.
"Elyon, we should get going." Miranda told her 'friend.'
"Alright. See you guys later." Elyon waved her brother and everyone else goodbye as she, Miranda, and the Dark Chi Enforcers entered the closed carriage as it left the castle.
Once they were gone, Tarakudo suddenly appeared from the wall and floated above the dark prince. "She seems like a sweet kid. Pity you feel she doesn't truly belong to the Forces of Darkness. I can sense great power from her."
"Power that she doesn't yet understand it's true significance." Phobos commented.
"My prince, if I may, this is quite the risk we are taking." Daolon Wong said. "My spell should keep the girl from being spotted, but the risk of Elyon being spotted and taken by the rebels is high now."
"Perhaps, but I can't have Elyon here when our new ally arrives." Phobos replied.
"A new ally?" Cedric voiced in surprise as he and Wong did not expect this. "Who?"
Tarakudo chuckled. "Someone who can help tip the scales of this war in our favor. All we need do is wait… for the Queen has returned." His eyes began to glow a bright blue as the symbol of the Shadowkhan was barley seen in his pupils.
Earth
The mark of the Shadowkhan, still on the shoulder of Jade Chan, could not be seen over her current attire, which consisted of a black short-sleeved jacket, over a dark grey long-sleeved shirt. She also wore black pants that stretched down their ankles and black shoes. Jade had already walked downstairs from her room to the shop as Jackie, Uncle, and Tohru worked in the back.
"Heading to school, see you guys later!" Jade called to her family.
"Be careful, Jade." Jackie told his niece, but when he looked out to see Jade's current attire, he looked in surprise. "Jade, why are you wearing black?"
Jade shrugged. "Eh, it just felt right for today. What, there a problem with it?"
Jackie noticed there was a bit of irritation in Jade's voice near the end of her question, but he didn't appear to pay it much mind. "Eh… no, never mind. Have a good day."
Jade gave no response as she left out the front door. Uncle and Tohru both stepped out into the shop as they heard the whole thing.
"Someone is in bad mood." Uncle stated.
"Maybe she had trouble sleeping last night." Tohru assumed. "I mean, we did have to deal with an army of Trance Marchers last night."
"Perhaps." Jackie replied. "But… this feels rather familiar, and not the good kind."
Sheffield Institute – Early afternoon
The first half of the day at school went on like normal, up until Jade met up with Will, Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Alchemy in the courtyard for lunch. Though most of them noticed the difference in Jade's attire.
"Hey Jade, what's with the new outfit?" Taranee asked. "Never really seen you in black before."
"Yeah, black is not in season." Cornelia said.
Jade rolled her eyes at the blonde. "Right, like I'm gonna take fashion sense from little miss 'I'm too afraid to use my powers because I'll chip a nail'."
"Ouch." Irma snickered as Cornelia sulked.
"Well I think you look cool, Jade." Hay Lin told her. "Black really suits you."
"Totally, you almost look like a ninja." Alchemy approved as well.
"Thank you. At least some of you have good taste." Jade smirked triumphantly as she bit into her sandwich.
However, Will looked with curiosity and caution at her friend. She couldn't quite explain it, but ever since she met up with her at their first class of the day, something felt off with Jade. Call it instinct, but she couldn't stop shaking this feeling, and even the way she had just spoken to Cornelia seemed to have sounded an alarm in her brain. They might not have gotten along most of the time, but this didn't quite feel the same.
Will's thoughts, and everyone else's lunch, was suddenly interrupted by a high-pitched yell as the seven girls turned to the side in shock to see Uriah and his gang surrounding Martin as Kurt gave the nerd a wedgie.
"Atomic wedgie!" Kurt exclaimed as he shook Martin by his underwear, causing his money to spill, which Clubber and Uriah were quick to get.
"Fiends! The principle will hear of this!" Martin stated, only for Kurt to pull on his underwear even more.
"Got the cash! Let's go!" Uriah stated as Kurt dropped Martin and they ran off with his money.
Martin attempted to pick himself up, but Irma and Hay Lin were already there to get him on his feet.
"You okay, Martin?" Hay Lin asked with concern.
"Yeah…" Once he laid his eyes on Irma, he tried to boost a confident smile. "It'll take a lot more than a wedgie to get old Martin down!"
Irma rolled her eyes. "Yeah, he's fine."
"Now, if you'll excuse me ladies, I got to get changed… for no other particular reason." He said confidentially, as he walked away.
"A wedgie? Really?" Will asked in annoyance as the girls looked in the direction Uriah and his gang ran off toward.
"And they took his money too." Taranee commented in the same disapproving tone. "What are they, five? Can't believe Nigel used to hang out with those guys."
Jade actually gave a small growl as her hair slowly began to wave, despite there being no breeze in the air. "You know? I wish somebody would give those guys a taste of their own medicine." As she said that however, nobody, not even Jade noticed the Mark of Tarakudo glowing underneath her clothes.
Meanwhile; Uriah, Kurt, and Clubber hid in the bushes around the corner, counting up the money they took. "Looks like we got about ten dollars." Clubber said.
"Yeah, enough to buy a whole pizza." Kurt smirked.
Uriah smirked as well. "Like taking candy from a baby."
However, the three looked in surprise and concern as the shadows in the area began to move on their own and surround the trio of bullies before they looked in genuine shock to see a trio of Shadowkhan emerge from the ground to glare at the frightened bullies.
A trio of screams got all the girls' attention. "What was that?!" Hay Lin exclaimed.
"It came from around the corner. Come on!" Will lead her friends to the source of the scream, and they didn't have to run far to see where it came from. However, all seven girls looked more than a little perplexed once they saw what was unfolding before their eyes.
The Shadowkhan were here, and they appeared to be giving Uriah and each of his friends a wedgie; One Shadowkhan per bully. They each pulled the bullies' underwear up so high, that it looked like they might tear, and even Uriah was on the verge of tears.
"What am I looking at right now?" Alchemy pretty much voiced everyone's thoughts before Will was the first to get serious as she prepared to pull out the Heart of Kandrakar, however…
"Hey! Back off ninjas!" Jade called to them. Right as she said that, the Shadowkhan immediately stopped, let go of the bullies, and disappeared into the shadows, much to the girls' confusion.
"Ghost ninjas! Ghost ninjas!" Kurt exclaimed.
"The school is haunted!" Clubber also screamed.
"Run for it, guys!" Uriah cried as he and his gang ran away, their outstretched underwear hanging from the back of their pants till they were out of sight.
Almost nobody could believe what they had just seen. "Um… did the Shadowkhan just show up to give Uriah and his pals some wedgies?" Irma asked.
"Right after they gave Martin a wedgie." Taranee said.
"And they just left after…" Hay Lin glanced at Jade but gave a small gasp upon seeing Jade's skin change color. "Uh Jade, are you okay? You're looking kinda blue."
"What? I'm not sad or anything. I…" Jade replied, not noticing that her skin had turned into a pale blue color, with her eyes starting to turn red as well.
"No, as your skin is literally turning blue." Cornelia stated as she pulled out a makeup mirror from her pocket and showed Jade her own reflection.
Once Jade saw her own image, she gave a fearful gasp as she saw her hands were the same color as well. A look of dread formed on her face as she knew what this meant. "Oh no…" Without another word, Jade ran toward the building.
"Jade! Wait up!" Will was the first to run after her, followed by everyone else.
By the time the girls all reached the bathroom, Jade had already taken off her jacket and shirt, to look all over the upper area of her body. "Where is it?! Where is it?!" She exclaimed as she looked all over herself in a panic. She even pulled up her pants to look at her legs.
"Jade, what is going on?" Taranee questioned as all the other girls entered the restroom. "What are you even looking for?!"
Hay Lin happened to glance at the mirror that Jade was closest to as the she had her back turned toward it, that let Hay Lin see something that caught her attention. "Wait, Jade stop moving!" Hay Lin grabbed her by the shoulders, causing her to stop her fidgeting. She then turned Jade around to face the mirror as the other girls each looked in shock and surprise to see a certain mark on her back.
"Um… you guys wouldn't have happened… to spot a tattoo… that looks like Tarakudo's face… would you?" Jade stuttered as a sinking feeling of terror began to fill her whole body.
"Yeah… we see it." Irma winced as the other girls exchanged concerning looks.
"Hay Lin, call your Grandma." Will told her.
"Already on it." Hay Lin had already pulled out her cellphone.
Uncle's Rare Finds
Yan Lin had arrived at the Chan family's shop with Caleb, much to the surprise of Jackie, Tohru, and Uncle.
"Miss Lin, Caleb, what are you doing here?" Jackie asked.
"Got a call from the girls." Yan Lin answered. "Some sort of emergency, they're already on their way."
"But… school hasn't even gotten out yet." Jackie stated.
"Yell at us about that later!" Irma stated as she, and all the other girls suddenly arrived, with Will and Hay Lin helping Jade inside as she was hunched over, holding her stomach and head. "Something's seriously wrong with Jade!"
That got everyone's attention. "Jade!" Jackie was already at his niece's side as she was on her knees, while holding her head as it appeared, she was having a splitting headache, emphasized by her pained groans.
"What's going on with her?" Caleb questioned.
"Well, first her skin turned blue, then a bunch of Shadowkhan showed up, now she has a Tarakudo-tattoo on her back…" Cornelia tried to list, but that last remark really got everyone's attention.
"Did you just say she has a mark resembling Tarakudo on her?" Tohru asked with fear and concern.
"Yeah, right here." Will pulled down on Jade's shirt to reveal the mark; which caused Yan Lin and Caleb to look in surprise, while Jackie and Tohru both gasped.
"AIYA!" Uncle exclaimed with widened eyes of dread. "The Symbol of the Shadowkhan!"
"What… what in the world is something like that doing on her?!" Caleb questioned.
"Girls, you said you saw the Shadowkhan?" Jackie questioned with a serious expression.
"Yeah." Taranee explained. "Uriah and his gangs were giving Martin a wedgie, then the Shadowkhan showed up to do the same to them."
"Did Jade say anything before that happened?" Jackie questioned once more.
"Eh… she said she wished those guys got a taste of their own medicine…" Cornelia's eyes widened as she and the rest of her friends came to the same conclusion.
"Wait… did Jade send the Shadowkhan to do that!?" Alchemy exclaimed.
"Jade, Jade, look at me!" Jackie tried to get his niece to look at him, which she did as her face was already turning a darker blue than before, her eyes becoming an even brighter red, and a pleading expression on her face.
"Uncle Jackie I… I can hear him… it's like he's in my brain…!" Jade held her head painfully.
"It's okay, Jade. We'll fix this." Will said as she and Hay Lin kneeled down to try and give what comfort they could.
"Uncle, we need the tattoo-removal spell, now!" Jackie told his Uncle.
"Right away." Uncle nodded. "Tohru, Yan Lin, come with me!" Uncle got his apprentice and former love interest to come with him as they were about to head in the back, but suddenly a pair of Shadowkhan appeared to block their path, much to their surprise.
More shadows suddenly began to move around the floor and walls of the shop, much to everyone's shock as the Shadowkhan began to emerge from the shadows, and not just the typical humanoid-ninjas, but even a few Razor Khan were among them as they dropped from the ceiling to brandish their claws.
"Jade…" Hay Lin tried to reach out and hold her, only for Jade's hand to suddenly reach out and grab her by the wrist, while the other hand did the same for Will.
"Do not touch me!" Jade exclaimed, her voice becoming deeper, borderline demonic as she threw both Will and Hay Lin with such strength, they were sent crashing into the wall as everyone looked to Jade in shock and even a bit of fear.
"Jade, what are you doing?!" Cornelia exclaimed. However, she and everyone else gave a gasp once they saw her face. It was a very dark blue, her eyes were completely blood red, and even her hair waved with a whirlwind as her entire body began to hover in the air.
"Who is Jade?" She smirked evilly to show off her newly formed fangs. "Dread in fear, mortals. For the Queen of the Shadowkhan, reigns again!" Once that was said, all the summoned Shadowkhan, and even the Razor Khan, bowed to their 'Queen'.
"Did she just say… Queen of the Shadowkhan!?" Caleb exclaimed.
"Jade, stop!" Jackie told her. "This isn't you! You have to fight…!" Suddenly a pair of Razor Khan stood up to block their path as they, and the other summoned Shadowkhan prepared to fight the heroes, even the recovering Will and Hay Lin.
"No!" Jade ordered her minions as she descended to the ground. "They are not worth the effort. We have other business to attend to."
With that command, the Shadowkhan regrouped around Jade as they walked into a patch of shadows on the wall.
"Jade! Wait!" Will tried to run and stop them, but it was too late. The Shadowkhan, and their friend, had all vanished, leaving not even a trace left.
"What the heck just happened?!" Irma exclaimed.
"Uncle Jackie…?" Hay Lin turned to the man for some kind of explanation as he gave a worried sigh.
"It's a long story."
Meridian, Phobos' Castle
Cedric and Wong both walked through the halls of the castle, which had a series of guards lined across the walls. "Phobos appears to be getting rather close with Tarakudo." Cedric commented. "Maybe that demon seeks to take our place as the prince's right hand."
"Unlikely." Daolon Wong stated. "He is the King of the Shadowkhan, so it is unlikely he would settle with simply being an assistant…" However, he was interrupted by the sudden appearance of the transformed Jade, who had suddenly appeared in front of the pair.
"You!" Cedric hissed, recognizing the girl as he transformed into his massive snake-like form with a roar. "Friend to the Guardians! You made a grave mistake coming here!"
The guards immediately surrounded Jade, who didn't appear the least bit intimidated as a ring of Ninja Khan and Razor Khan appeared around her to defend her as they went on the attack. The Razor Khan easily sliced through the weapons of the guards while the Ninja Khan dealt devastating physical strikes to knock each guard down to the ground.
"The Shadowkhan?" Wong looked in shock, along with Cedric. "But she does not wear a mask! Why are they serving her?!"
"Lord Cedric. Daolon Wong." Jade addressed the pair. "If I recall correctly, you two have been trying to kill me and my friends since we first met. Perhaps it's time I try to return to favor." Jade snapped her fingers, causing the two tribes of Shadowkhan under her command to leap and surround the pair, brandishing claws or fists, or even katanas and shuriken as the dark wizard and shapeshifter looked more than a little nervous.
"As entertaining as that would be, I'm afraid I must insist otherwise." Phobos said as he entered the other end of the hallway with a casual, yet sinister, smile.
"You!" Jade exclaimed upon seeing him, resulting in a group of Ninja and Razor Khan suddenly appearing around Phobos, though unlike his servants, he didn't seem the least bit intimidated.
"My dear, there is no need to be so hostile." Phobos told her, trying to sound sincere.
"You threw me into a pit to rot when we first met and tried to kill me. Give me a reason why you shouldn't suffer a similar fate?" Jade questioned, her red eyes burning with hate.
"Because we need him." She looked toward a stained-glass window to see the image of a man's face move before Tarakudo emerged from it to greet the transformed girl. "Ah, the Queen has arrived. Finally coming to your senses?" He asked with an evil smile.
Now it was Jade's turn to smile. "Yes. Sorry it took so long."
Earth – Uncle's Rare Finds.
"Okay, okay, okay, let me get this straight." Cornelia began. "Jade wanted to get a tattoo, so she drew the Symbol of the Shadowkhan on herself, which also gave her the power to control the Shadowkhan, and it turned her evil?"
"Yes, that is a basic summation of it." Jackie confirmed.
"Why the heck would she draw an evil symbol on herself anyway?!" Taranee exclaimed.
"She did not know at the time." Tohru said as he, Yan Lin, and Uncle worked on preparing a certain spell. "She only saw something that she thought was 'gnarly' and tried to pass it off as a real tattoo for everyone else at her old school."
"Um, she does know there's such a thing as temp-tats, right?" Irma pointed out.
Everyone else choose to ignore that as they continued to talk about how to handle this. "But… you can turn her back, right?" Hay Lin asked in a hopeful tone.
"Yes, Uncle can prepare tattoo-removal spell." Uncle said as he continued to work. "Spell almost finished."
"But, how did Jade even get that mark on her in the first place?" Caleb asked.
Will's eyes suddenly widened as she remembered their battle against the Trance Marchers the previous day. "That fight last night… Tarakudo showed up and he grabbed Jade for a second! That must have been when it happened!"
"But where did she even go?" Alchemy asked.
"Best guess, the Queen is going to meet her King." Cornelia assumed.
"Tarakudo." Jackie said in a grave tone.
"So, they're going to Meridian." Will said as she pulled out the map and shinned the Heart of Kandrakar over it, only to see nothing. "There's no portal?"
"But how could she get to Meridian without a portal?" Taranee asked.
"The Shadow Realm." Uncle answered. "It is the place of origin of the Shadowkhan and the Oni, a realm of darkness that exists separate from our own."
"And since Tarakudo is allied with Phobos, it stands to reason that they are using the Shadow Realm as a stop-point to bypass the Veil." Yan Lin assumed.
"Can't we do the same thing? Use the Shadow Realm to get to Meridian?" Irma asked.
"Not a good idea." Tohru replied. "In order to access the Shadow Realm, we'd each need to mark ourselves with the same symbol Jade is wearing. And if we did that, we'd be corrupted the same way she was."
"So, a portal is our only option." Jackie said as Will continued to look for a portal but found nothing yet.
"What I don't get is why Jade could summon two types of Shadowkhan, even those Razor Khan guys" Alchemy stated. "I thought you needed an Oni-mask to summon a tribe of them, and you can only wear one mask at a time!"
"Shendu was able to summon the Shadowkhan without wearing a mask." Uncle explained. "And Daolon Wong soon after his defeat. More than likely, Tarakudo has supplied Jade with a similar ability that enables her to summon more than one tribe."
"So, shouldn't she be able summon the other Shadowkhan tribes, too?" Hay Lin asked.
"Best guess, once the first two Oni masks were revealed and worn for the first time in centuries, the spells that were used to contain the original Oni were weakened." Yan Lin assumed. "Tarakudo has likely found a way to use that to his advantage, and subsequently, Jade."
"Even if we're able to get to Meridian, how are we supposed to free Jade?" Caleb questioned. "I mean, sure we got that spell-thing or whatever being made, but I'm willing to bet my new sword that Phobos and Tarakudo are going to keep us from getting to her."
"Caleb, you are not saying we should give up on her, are you?!" Will exclaimed, sounding offended as everyone else gave Caleb a similar expression.
"No! That's not what I'm saying!" Caleb quickly corrected himself. "What I am saying is that's going to be hard to get to her."
"I don't care, I already lost one friend to those bastards, there's no way I'm losing another!" Cornelia stated.
"She might not be a Guardian, but Jade is one of us." Taranee also stated.
"I don't care if I have to flood that whole damn castle to get her back!" Irma also voiced her conviction.
"She even stopped the Shadowkhan from attacking us when she left." Hay Lin said. "That means the Jade we know is still in there somewhere."
"That's right. She's our friend, and we'll get her back even if we have to fight all of Meridian to do it." Will said with a firm resolve.
Jackie couldn't help but smile proudly at all five of these girls. Though he knew how loyal they all were to Jade, as well as each other, hearing that they would do the equivalent of jumping into hell for those they care for was nothing short of heartwarming to them, and Jackie felt exactly the same way.
"Yes, we all will." Jackie nodded.
Caleb gave something of a small sigh with a smile of his own. "Alright, I'm in too."
"Count me in!" Alchemy raised her hand. "I might not have any magic, but there's no way I'm siting this one out!"
"Alright, the potion is ready." Yan Lin said as she held a tray containing twelve vials of a light purple liquid. "Each one of us is taking a potion."
"All of us?" Taranee asked.
"Very important rule of magic. Always make extra, just in case." Uncle pointed out.
"Grandma, you said 'each of us', does that mean you're coming to?" Hay Lin asked.
"Of course, I am." Yan Lin confirmed with a nod. "Nobody messes with my granddaughter's friend and gets away with it."
Jackie saw that nothing was going to change anyone's minds. They were all going to rescue Jade even if it was the last thing they'd do. "Alright. The second we find a portal; we'll go to Section 13 and get the Talismans."
"Well then we better get going." Will said with a smirk as a bright X began to glow on the map. "Cause we just got a portal."
Meridian – Phobos Castle
Phobos walked alongside Cedric and Daolon Wong, with Tarakudo hovering above them, toward the throne room. "So, this was your plan? Turn one of the Guardians' allies into their enemy?" Cedric asked.
"Indeed." Phobos confirmed. "Losing Elyon may have dealt them a blow, but they are still willing to fight."
"With a close friend of theirs however, one who has fought the Forces of Darkness with them, it'll be all the more shattering for Mr. Chan and those young Guardians." Tarakudo smirked.
"I fear you may be underestimating them, Tarakudo." Daolon Wong said. "They will more than likely come to rescue this so-called Queen."
"Oh, that's exactly what I'm counting on." The Lord of all Oni snickered.
Phobos shared a smirk as well as this 'Queen of the Shadowkhan' served as not only an ally, but both the best bait for his enemies, and even the one who will spring the trap they've prepared. Once they entered the throne room however, Phobos looked in surprise to see who was currently sitting on his throne.
Jade, who was now clad in her attire as the Shadowkhan Queen, consisting of a black dress with a dark purple top with dramatic spikes coming from the back. She sat on the throne of Phobos as a group of Shadowkhan treated her to a bowl of cookies and one even painted her toenails black.
"What do you think you're doing?" Phobos questioned as he stepped forward.
"Treating myself. What does it look like?" Jade answered as if it were obvious.
"Yes, but you are doing so on my throne." Phobos remarked with narrowed eyes.
Jade gave her titular scoff. "Please, you're a Prince. I'm a Queen. By definition, I outrank you. So, maybe you should get on your knees and I might overlook your tone, Anti-Prince-Charming."
Phobos practically snarled at that. While he was open to the idea of having allies, he did not tolerate any kind of disrespect. "Clearly you've forgotten whose domain this is. Maybe I should remind you." However, before he could make any sort of moves, a group of four Razor Khan dropped from the ceiling to surround Phobos and show off their claws.
"Oh? By all means, remind me." Jade challenged. "If you dare."
Phobos seemed more than ready to fight, but the hostility was brought to a halt by Tarakudo who hovered in between them. "Now, now, children, we're all on the same side here." He then glanced towards Jade. "Your highness, I understand why you must feel to assert yourself given how our new allies were once your enemies, but we must all be respectful to one another. Otherwise, our mutual foes will find a way to take advantage of our differences and use it against them. So, would it hurt to play nice a little?"
"Hmmm." Jade began to think. "I'll consider it."
"That's good to hear." Tarakudo said as he cast a glance toward Phobos, hoping for a reply.
"Very well." Even Phobos seemed to agree as he backed down. "But that is my throne, and I would suggest you seek permission the next time you use it."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Jade brushed off, much to Phobos' annoyance as his eyebrow twitched.
Meanwhile; outside the castle, Blunk had led the group consisting of Jackie, Will, Uncle, Irma, Tohru, Hay Lin, Yan Lin, Taranee, Caleb, Cornelia and Alchemy up a hillside. Once they reached the top, they stuck closer to the ground as they saw the castle in view.
"Target in sight." Will narrowed her eyes at the castle.
"Alright, so how do we get in?" Alchemy asked.
"Blunk know many ways." Blunk said. "Many ways to sneak in and find shiny stuff."
"Any ways that allow us to sneak in?" Caleb asked, somewhat skeptically.
Blunk looked a bit nervous. "Eh… humans too big. Big man way to big." Tohru gave a slight glare in the Passling in response. "But, good kind big. Blunk not saying big is bad thing."
"What about Elyon?" Cornelia asked. "I mean, I know we're here for Jade, but maybe we can do both."
"Elyon not important." Uncle quickly stated.
"What Jin is trying to say is, Elyon's rescue is not as urgent as Jade's." Yan Lin tried to explain in a more sincere tone. "Phobos is waiting for Elyon's power to grow and reach its peak before he takes her power, so he will be keeping her safe for the time being."
Cornelia knew they had a point, but that didn't stop her, as well as Alchemy, from expressing clear disappointment. "I'm sorry Cornelia." Jackie told her. "We'll rescue Elyon, I promise. But right now, Jade needs our help more."
"Alright." Cornelia reluctantly accepted, but while she was disappointed, they couldn't get Elyon today, she would not be holding back in their rescue of Jade.
"So, what's the plan? How do we get in if this place is probably crawling with ninjas by now?" Hay Lin asked.
"Sneaking in will prove to be difficult." Tohru responded. "Jade might be reckless at times, but she's not stupid. Using stealth and sneaking is what let us free her from the Shadowkhan's control the first time, she'll likely see it coming this time around."
"Yeah, and with guys like Phobos, Tarakudo, Wong, and Cedric, they're probably expecting us." Taranee said.
"So, why don't we just go in magic blazing?" Irma suggested. "Just Guardian up, drop in on the throne room and blast our way in?"
"That's actually a pretty good idea." Taranee said. "With all the times we tried to sneak in, a direct assault will be the last thing any of them expect."
The entire group looked amongst each other and saw that was good idea, a direct assault did keep many of their options open and taking the enemy by surprise could give them a chance to get to Jade with the potion.
"Alright, does everyone have a potion?" Jackie asked as everybody, including Blunk, but excluding Will, had their own vial of the potion which they all shown to him before putting it away.
With nothing else needing to be said, Will took out the Heart of Kandrakar and said the magic words. "Guardians Unite!"
Back inside the castle; Jade, Phobos, Tarakudo, Cedric, and Daolon Wong had gathered together as they appeared to be discussing some form of strategy.
"Now that it seems we have two tribes of Shadowkhan currently under our control, it should be easier to sniff out the Rebellion." Cedric stated.
"Why do you need to sniff it out? I can tell you where it is." Jade smirked. "I've been in their base before."
"Oh, is that so?" Phobos smirked. "It appears you've already proven your worth."
"But… I want something in return." Jade quickly said, causing Phobos smile to vanish.
"And what exactly is it that you desire, my dear?" Tarakudo asked.
"I want their base as my own palace." Jade answered. "I might be willing to work with you, but I'm not one to share, least of all with the same people who have tried to kill me in the past."
"And we sincerely apologize for that." Daolon Wong bowed. "But, before we make any promises, we'll need to know the details regarding their base, just so we don't give away anything of particular value that…"
*BOOM!*
The entire roof of the throne room was suddenly blown away as the girls of WITCH along with Jackie, who was hovering in the air via the Rooster Talisman; Caleb, who was being carried by Cornelia; Tohru, who was being carried by Will and the hovering Jackie; Alchemy, in the form of a hawk with the Monkey Talisman; Yan Lin, being carried by Hay Lin; and Uncle, being carried by Hay Lin.
"Give us our Jade back!" Will exclaimed as she brandished one hand to shoot with the Dragon Talisman, while Taranee, Hay Lin, and Irma shot their respective elements, along with heat-beam eyes from Caleb via the Pig Talisman, blasts of Chi-Magic from Uncle and Yan Lin's blowfishes, and even Cornelia threw in a series of rocks.
The surprise was enough to catch the villains off guard as they were either blasted back or attempted to find cover. Jade snarled at her old friends as they set down on the ground, only to be suddenly surrounded by a small army of Shadowkhan and Razor Khan.
"Crush them!" The Queen of the Shadowkhan ordered as they leapt at the heroes, forcing them all to scatter as the villains regrouped to try and counterattack.
Will ducked underneath the slice from one Razor Khan and shot it with a blast from the Dragon Talisman, before ducking to avoid a magic blast from the hovering Phobos who looked less than pleased.
"You dare attack me in my own palace!?" Phobos was ready to blast Will, but he never got the chance as Jackie flew in with a speed advantage, wielding both the Rabbit and Rooster Talismans to deliver a kick to Phobos to send him crashing to the wall.
"Yes, we dare!" Jackie stated as he glared at Phobos. "Because you tried to take away someone that we hold dear!"
Phobos only growled as he shot more blasts of magic at Jackie and Will, forcing them to scatter and avoid the blasts.
Tohru, Cornelia, and Caleb came together as they were surrounded on all sides by the Shadowkhan, but Cornelia shook up the ground with her powers, causing the enemies to loose balance as Caleb blasted them with heat-beam eyes before rushing forward to slice several of them with his katana while Tohru slapped and punched them away with his own strength. However, he didn't appear to notice Cedric looming behind him as the massive shapeshifter used his tail to smack Tohru against the wall.
Cornelia and Caleb looked ready to jump in and help him. "No! Let me handle Cedric, you two just stay focus on the task at hand!" Tohru stated as he got up to face Cedric alone. The sumo charged at the shapeshifter as they locked hands and pressed their own strength against the other.
Seeing how Tohru could handle Cedric on his own, Cornelia and Caleb got to work dispatching the Shadowkhan. With a group of Razor Khan charging in first, Cornelia placed her hand on the ground to grow a series of roots from the floor to ensnare and impale the Razor Khan as they were the most dangerous, leaving a small group of Ninja Khan remaining as Caleb blasted them into oblivion with his heat-beam eyes.
Hay Lin created a set of razor-sharp air-disks in her hands, which she sent out to slice through and destroy any Shadowkhan that she set her eyes on, appearing to control the air-disks with her mind alone. Irma provided some cover as a trio of Razor Khan attempted to ambush her from behind, which she was quick to deal with by blasting a condensed steam of water from her hands to knock them back.
Alchemy had used the Monkey Talisman to transform into a charging rhino, which allowed her to charge in and take down a group of six Shadowkhan, including two Razor Khan. When several Shadowkhan tried to get the jump on her from above, she transformed into a giant squid and used her tentacles to bat them away. Despite that, she still appeared to be surrounded, but help came in the form of Taranee who created a large vortex of flame to surround herself and Alchemy, who changed back to normal, to keep the Shadowkhan at bay.
Uncle shot a series of chi-blasts from his dual blowfish at Daolon Wong, who swung his staff to erect a barrier of dark magic to protect himself before blasting his own attacks at Uncle who rolled along the floor to dodge the blasts before combining his blowfish together for a condensed blast of chi-magic, which Daolon Wong countered with his own large blast of dark chi-magic, both beams collided as Uncle and Wong recited their respective chants. However, this appeared to be a distraction for three Ninja Khan and two Razor Khan to ambush him from behind, however…
"Hey! Over here!" One chi-blast from Yan Lin's blowfish got their attention as one Razor Khan was destroyed. "Who wants a piece of Grandma?" She challenged as the four remaining Shadowkhan charged her.
Yan Lin ducked underneath the slice of the remaining Razor Khan before picking it up in one hand with little effort and throwing it away at a Ninja Khan and blasting both away with her blowfish. The last two Ninja Khan tried to come at her from both sides, but she flexed her fingers at them to send both crashing on the walls on the far side of the chamber.
"I may be old, but I'm still as strong as an ox." Yan Lin smirked as she brandished the Ox Talisman.
Jade hovered alongside Tarakudo as the Queen and King of the Shadowkhan watched the fights unfolding before them, with the heroes appearing to be wining, but Jade solved that issue as she summoned even more Ninja and Razor Khan to join in the fight.
"You certainly are a quick thinker, my dear." Tarakudo complemented his Queen. "And you're only so young. Just imagine how strong you'll be when you're all grown up."
However, what neither appeared to notice, was Blunk climbing down from a pillar behind Jade. As he scaled down, the Passling reached into his clothes to pull out a vial of the potion. Once he was close enough to Jade, he leapt to try and pour it on her from behind, only for a Shadowkhan to emerge from the wall and grab Blunk by the feet in mid-jump.
Blunk screamed as he was hung upside down by his feet. "Blunk not steel this! It given to Blunk!" He pointed to the potion, only for it to be snatched away by Jade as she looked at it with a scowl.
"Of course, they'd try something like this!" Jade threw the potion to the ground, the vial smashing on impact, and the potion turning into dust. "But, it's likely not the only potion!"
"Then I think it's time we put these games to an end." Tarakudo said as he unleashed one of his most powerful psychic blasts ever. This blast rocked the entire throne room as everyone, hero and villain, even the Shadowkhan, were all blasted away, smacking hard on the walls to stop the fighting, even the Shadowkhan were all destroyed upon impact.
Before the heroes even attempted to get back up, a duo of Ninja Khan emerged from the ground below each of them and grabbed their arms to pin behind their backs and force each of them to their knees. All of them; Jackie, Will, Uncle, Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin, Taranee, Yan Lin, Alchemy, Caleb, even Tohru were subdued as Phobos, Wong, and Cedric recovered.
"Search them!" Jade ordered as she and Tarakudo faced the heroes.
The Shadowkhan wasted no time in following their Queen's orders, searching the captured heroes, despite their protests.
"Hey! Watch where you're grabbing!" Cornelia exclaimed as one of the Shadowkhan pulled a potion from her person. One-by-one, a potion was pulled from each of them, excluding Will, who didn't appear to be possessing any. Tarakudo then used his powers to telekinetically grab each vial, uncork them in mid-air, and pour out their contents on the floor.
"No!" Jackie exclaimed as they all looked in shock.
"It would seem that you've all run out of tricks." Cedric hissed as he, Phobos, and Wong regrouped with Jade and Tarakudo.
"And it also seems our Queen knows where she belongs." Tarakudo smirked proudly at Jade.
"Only because you freaking brainwashed her!" Irma exclaimed.
"That's right! If Jade were in her right mind, she would have kicked all of you to the curb!" Cornelia also exclaimed.
"Come on, Jade! We're your friends! Snap out of it!" Alchemy practically begged.
Jade scoffed. "You were. Things are different I have new friends."
"You mean this quartet of evil jerks?!" Hay Lin exclaimed. "What about all those fun times we had together!?"
"You waste your words." Phobos told them. "Face the inevitable, 'Jade' is ours. And I think it's time she proves it once and for all." He reached down to her shoulder. "It's time to end this…" Suddenly, Jade grabbed Phobos by the wrist and began to squeeze it, much to his surprise.
"My minions were the ones who captured them!" Jade told Phobos. "I will decide their fate! Not you!"
"Why do you hesitate, little one?" Cedric hissed. "They're right here! End them!"
"Perhaps it is because you still have feelings for them?" Wong glared, only to be silenced as he and Cedric were quickly surrounded by a group of Razor Khan
"You do not question me!" Jade exclaimed.
"This is quite enough." Tarakudo attempted to break it up.
With the enemies appearing distracted; Jackie, Yan Lin, and Uncle looked towards Will and gave her a subtle message with a nod, which Will seemed to understand as she nodded back.
Flashback
"Wait… you want me to absorb the potion into the Heart?" Will asked as she was with Jackie, Uncle, Tohru, and Yan Lin in the backroom of the shop, just before they left to Meridian.
"Will, you should already know the Heart of Kandrakar possess the ability to absorb other forms of magic, be they potions or even artifacts." Yan Lin said.
"Yeah, I know." Will replied as she held out the aforementioned jewel. "I used it to absorb the amnesia-potion Valmont used on Tohru and cured him with it."
"And the same principle should apply to this potion as well." Tohru explained. "Like we've said before, Jade is smart, and under the influence of Tarakudo, she'll see through our plan to have extra potion if in the event any one is destroyed."
"Okay, I think I get it." Will seemed to understand. "But what's to stop the bad guys from just taking the Heart. Valmont was able to do that twice."
"Valmont is mortal human." Uncle explained. "Heart of Kandrakar is made from extraordinarily powerful good magic. But those born of evil nature, such as Shadowkhan or demons, or incapable of touching it. Once Heart absorbs potion, you will pull Jade out of Tarakudo's influence."
"Why me? I mean… Jackie can't you do it?" Will asked him. "You did it before."
"Only because of the potion, and it was Tohru who used it when the one I had was destroyed." Jackie explained.
"But…" Will still seemed unsure, but Jackie put a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"Will… Jade is my niece and I love her dearly, the two of us have strong bond as family." Jackie explained. "But, you two have something that I believe is even stronger. Because of that, I truly believe that if anyone can reach her, it is you. I know you can save her, and I have nothing but complete faith in you, Will."
The redhead looked toward the man she called her friend and mentor in awe. He was placing not only his complete trust, but even Jade's fate, entirely in her hands. The look in Jackie's eyes told her that he knew she could save her. She glanced at Tohru, Yan Lin, and even Uncle has they all felt exactly the same way.
So, with a firm resolve, Will clenched the Heart closer to her body as a determined expression formed on her face. "I'll do it. I'll save her."
End Flashback
Will, still restraint by the Shadowkhan, used the momentary distraction of the villains' argument to draw out the Heart's power, channeling not only the magic of the potion it recently absorbed, but also the Heart's own inner power to blast a wave of pure good magic that destroyed not only the two Shadowkhan restraining her, but all the others that had restraint her friends.
Now that she was free, Will wasted no time, flying straight at Jade, much to the villains' surprise, grabbing her and tackling her to the ground close to the throne.
"Let go of me!" Jade struggled.
"No! I'll never let you go, Jade!" Will exclaimed.
"Stop her!" Phobos ordered as he, Wong, Cedric, and Tarakudo attempted to pull them apart; only to have their way barred by Jackie, Irma, Hay Lin, Cornelia, Taranee, Tohru, Uncle, Caleb, Alchemy, and Yan Lin.
"You'll have to get past us, first!" Jackie stated as they charged at the villains to keep them away from Will and Jade. The remaining four Guardians attacked Tarakudo with their respective elements as he tried to use pin own powers against theirs; Jackie and Caleb engaged Phobos; Uncle and Yan Lin blasted their respective chi-magic at Daolon Wong, who used his own magic to counter it; and Tohru locked again with Cedric, while Alchemy used the Monkey Talisman to turn into a gorilla and leap onto the evil shapeshifter.
Blunk looked in awe as he saw Will using the Heart's power to encase herself and the struggling Jade in a sphere of pink energy, not just to keep Jade from escaping, but to keep the villains out if they get past their friends.
"Jade! You're not yourself! You're not the Queen of the Shadowkhan!" Will tried to tell her as she pulled the struggling Jade into an embrace, the power of the Heart of Kandrakar shining not only its bright pink color, but also with a purple glow which was from the potion that it absorbed.
"What do you know!?" Jade exclaimed as she continued to fight against Will. "You have all this power! I had nothing!"
"You have us!" Will exclaimed, holding Jade tighter. "You have our friends! You have your family! You have me!"
Despite the pleas however, Jade still attempted to fight Will back. "Why are you doing this?! Why are you trying so desperately to change me back into that weakling?!"
"Because you're my best friend!" Will practically screamed.
Jade's blood-red eyes widened once she heard those words. She looked at Will with an expression of honest shock, as if she had just told her something that rocked her whole world.
"What…?"
"You're my best friend, Jade!" Will told her as she put both her hands firmly on her shoulders. "When I first got into all of this, you were the one who helped me, who showed me what I could be, you and your Uncle. When I was kidnapped by Phobos, you didn't even hesitate to try and save me, a girl you barley even knew. When I told you why I didn't like birthdays, or what my old friends did to me, you helped me and supported me, you even made me a gift out of magic. After what happened to Elyon, even when Cornelia said it was my fault and I didn't blame her, you still stood up for me. You've always been there for me, Jade. You're the best friend I ever had, and I don't want to lose you!" Tears built up in Will's eyes. "Please Jade! I am begging you! Come back to us!"
A single tear escaped from Jade's red eyes as they turned more human, albeit still red, and her skin turned into a lighter blue. "Will…?" Jade's voice was starting to turn to normal as well.
"Yeah… it's me. I'm here, Jade." Will smiled, tears still in her eyes.
Suddenly, Jade's eyes turned blood red again as the dark influence inside tried to gain control again, despite Jade's attempts to stop it. "Will! I… I can't stop it! It's too strong! Help me!"
Will pulled Jade into a tight embrace, the Heart of Kandrakar wedged in-between them as it glowed even brighter. "I'm here, Jade! I'll help you! We'll face the darkness together! You're not alone!"
The entire sphere began to glow a bright pink, which halted all the fighting as the heroes and villains looked to the sphere in either surprise or awe. Inside, Will poured as much of the Heart's power into Jade's body as she could as Jade tried to help absorb as much of it into herself to try and purge her body of the dark influence. On her back, the Symbol of the Shadowkhan began to glow a bright pink as it appeared to have vanished, or rather absorbed into her. Will's body began to glow a bright pink color as Jade's body, at first appeared to change into pitch black, but then changed into a bright purple color. Both colors mixed together as the sphere glowed and shinned even brighter, almost like a miniature sun. It was so bright, that all the heroes and villains had to shield their eyes from the intense light.
The light shinned its brightest as it shot into the sky, sending a wave of pink and purple magic out of the castle and like a large explosion.
When the dust cleared in what was left of the throne room, everyone had been blown back from the shockwave of pure magic. Jackie was among the first to regain his senses, along with Irma, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Cornelia.
"Jade…?" Jackie looked toward the thick smoke where the sphere of magic was, right below the throne. "Jade! Will!"
Jackie, and the girls quickly ran or flew toward the smoke. "Will! Jade!" Irma, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Cornelia each all called out as they, along with Caleb, Tohru, Uncle, Yan Lin, Alchemy, and even Blunk ran toward the smoke as well.
However, they stopped as they saw Will walk out of the smoke, carrying Jade in her arms. Though she still wore her attire as the Queen of the Shadowkhan, her skin was its normal color, her hair was also back to normal as she appeared unconscious in Jade's arms.
"She's okay." Will assured with a smile. "She's just knocked out…" She said as Jade gave a slight groan, indicating that it was true.
"Thank goodness." Jackie caressed his niece's cheek with a loving smile, as everyone else smiled in relief as well.
However, that relief soon came to an end, as they heard the villains beginning to recover, even Tarakudo had to shake the cobwebs from his head.
"Well, that certainly was something." The Oni King commented.
"But now, we can…" However, Phobos didn't get a chance to finish as Taranee, Irma, Cornelia, and Hay Lin loomed over them with angry glares of their own.
"Taking Elyon away because she was your sister was one thing…" Cornelia growled.
"But what you all tried to do to Jade…!" Even Hay Lin appeared to have lost her patience.
"You just made this all the more personal!" Taranee stated with glare.
"You jerkwads want a war?! You got one!" Irma exclaimed as Hay Lin tried to use as much of her own power to generate a massive tornado in the throne room. Tohru stuck close to Will, who still held onto the unconscious Jade, along with Jackie, Alchemy, Uncle, Yan Lin, Caleb, and Blunk, to keep them from blowing away.
Already, the tornado had sucked up Wong, along with Phobos, and even the enormous Cedric was pulled in as well. Though Tarakudo maintained his ground as his powers prevented him from getting sucked up. With three of the villains already spinning round and around in the twister; Taranee, Irma, and Cornelia threw in their respective elements to mix scolding hot flames, water at high pressure, and even razor-sharp chunks of rock to burn, scold, and slice at Phobos, Cedric, and Wong as the elemental power and debris mixed into the tornado, which began to rise high above the throne room outside the castle, via the destroyed rooftop before the elemental tornado finally exploded to send Phobos, Cedric, and Daolon Wong falling outside and around the castle, all three screaming along the way.
The dust and wind began to vanish, as Tarakudo appeared to be the only villain to remain. "Flashy." He commented as he blew some debris from his mustache. "But now I will…" However, Jackie stood in front of him as he gave the Oni-King a look of pure ire that it made even Tarakudo gulped.
"You will never lay a finger on Jade, again!" Jackie took out an onion from his pocket and threw it at the Oni's face.
"AH! My eyes!" Tarakudo cried as he began to 'cry' green energy. "My eyes!" He vanished in a puff of smoke as Jackie and the four Guardians turned their attention back toward the unconscious Jade and their friends who still looked over her.
"We should go." Jackie said.
"No arguments here." Caleb agreed as the Guardians and Jackie all took flight, the former using the Rooster and Rabbit talismans. Alchemy took the form of a giant hawk with the Monkey Talisman to allow Yan Lin, Uncle, and Blunk to ride on top while Cornelia carried Caleb, Irma and Taranee carried Tohru, and Will carried Jade. The group then flew out from what was left of the throne room, their mission accomplished.
Jade's eyes slowly opened as she gave a weak groan. "Where… where am I…?"
"You're home, Jade." Jackie said with a smile as it was revealed Jade was in her room, tucked in her bed, with Jackie, Will, Uncle, Cornelia, Tohru, Hay Lin, Irma, Taranee, Caleb, Yan Lin, Alchemy, and even Blunk all gathered around her bed with smiles.
"Guys, I…" Jade looked down in shame. "I'm sorry… what I did… I…"
"Jade that wasn't your fault." Will told her. "It was Tarakudo."
"But don't worry, we sent him and his pals a warning not to mess with you again." Irma smirked.
"And considering we 'remodeled' Phobos' throne room, I think they got the message." Cornelia had a smirk of her own.
"But… you went through all that because of me…" Jade still felt some guilt. "Maybe I should have… OW!" She felt a familiar dope-slap on her forehead.
"Jade overthink!" Uncle chastised. "You are family, and family always helps and supports each other. You are not a burden, and don't you ever once consider yourself to be!"
"Uncle…" Jade honestly had no idea what to say.
"He's right Jade." Taranee smiled. "You're our friend, we'd do all that again in a heartbeat to save you."
"Cause that's what friends do." Hay Lin said as she pulled Jade into a hug. "No matter what, we always got your back."
"Not just friends, but friends for life." Alchemy said with her own smile.
"Eh, yeah." Even Caleb spoke up. "I get you and I are not particularly close, but you can still consider me a friend to." He patted Jade's back with a slight smile.
Tohru opened his massive palm to show Jade half of the necklace he gave her after the Seymour/Hsi-Wu incident. "You remember this, Jade? Ying and Yang, big and small, you and me."
"Guys…" Jade was almost brought to tears at their support but was slightly caught off-guard as Blunk handed Jade an old, partly rotted, flower.
"Girls like flowers. Blunk like Jade-girl. Want see Jade-girl smile, not cry." The Passling gave a toothy smile as despite the flower's poor condition, Jade still accepted it none-the-less.
"All these people, including myself, treasure you Jade." Yan Lin told her sincerely. "No matter how much trouble you find yourself in, we'll always be there to help you."
"Jade, you are surrounded by so many people who care about you." Jackie began. "And you might be reckless and get into more trouble than often, we will never stop caring for you, especially me. You are my family, and I love you."
Jade smiled as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "Thanks guys."
Everyone smiled as they each patted Jade on the back or gave her a half-hug to welcome her back. "Now, I believe it's time we let Jade get some rest." Jackie told the group as they began to leave.
"Um… Will… you got a minute?" Jade stopped the redhead from leaving.
Will smiled back as she exchanged a look from Jackie, who gave a nod before closing the door as everyone else left, leaving the two girls alone in the room as Will sat on Jade's bed beside her.
"What's up?"
"Did… did you really mean what you said?" Jade asked. "About… me… being your best friend…"
"Absolutely, one hundred percent." Will confirmed without a second of hesitation. "You are my best friend in the whole world, Jade. And no matter what, that is never going to change. Ever since we first met, you've always had my back. And you better darn well believe I got yours."
Jade didn't even bother to fight back her tears of joy as she smiled. "Yeah… you're my best friend to." She and Will exchanged a hug, the kind that only the best of friends would share. Once they parted, Jade gave a smirk. "So, what do you say tomorrow, we borrow the Talismans and prank Uriah again? Maybe even trick him into going into the girls' bathroom."
Will snickered. "There's the mischievous Jade we all know and love. Sounds like a plan." She ruffled Jade's hair before standing back up. "Good night."
"Night." Jade let herself fall to sleep as Will left the bedroom.
Once outside, Will was greeted by Jackie, who happened to hear their whole conversation as he gave Will a smile and a thumbs up, which she was happy to return.
Meanwhile, within a massive, ivory-white citadel, one that also carried a bright purple glow in the air, there was a chamber that held a single pedestal with five glowing spheres that spun and rotated around the center. One was glowing pink, the other a red-orange color, another was a bright green, one was blue, and another was white. Ever since their formation centuries ago, there had been five spheres that continued to spin around and around, no sign of stopping or slowing down.
That is, until now, when a sixth sphere had materalized itself, seemingly out of thin air, and spun along with the other five. This sixth sphere was a purple color and seemed to radiate a similar energy the others were giving off.
"I don't believe it." One of five individuals spoke in awe as they saw the sixth sphere rotating with the others. "A sixth Auremere?! How is this possible!?" A woman, who appeared to be something of a humanoid cat, exclaimed in obvious shock.
This 'cat-woman' was one of five individuals, all wearing white robes, that had gazed upon these 'Auremeres' with their own eyes. One was a tall, bald man; another was an elderly, blonde woman; one was another tall man with a long white beard, and the last one was a short individual, also with a beard, and antenna-like features on his head.
"This shouldn't be possible. There have only been five Auremeres…!" The blonde woman voiced with worry. "For a sixth to form… it… it… I don't even see how it can be…"
"Regardless, we see it with our own eyes." The bald man, who appeared to be the leader of the group said in a calm, yet concerned, tone of voice. "There are now indeed six Auremeres, and from all indication, this one is just as powerful as the central one of Quintessence."
"What can we do about this?" The blonde woman asked.
"Put an end to it, of course!" The cat-woman stated as if it were obvious. "This could only spell trouble! True, the powers of the Auremeres are weakened due to us raising the Veil, but if this new Auremere is as powerful as the central one… not to mention this one appears of darker nature."
"Is there anything that we even can do?" The short man with the antennas asked. "If we tamper with the Auremeres, it could have disastrous effects on the Heart, and give the Forces of Darkness an advantage over us."
"Phobos on his own is dangerous enough… but the King of the Shadowkhan allied with him…!?" The tall, bearded man spoke with worry. "I don't even want to think of what those two can do together!"
"And I believe this may be the universe's way to counter that." The bald man said.
"What do you mean?" The blonde woman asked.
"As we all know, the universe seeks balance. The bald man began. "Order and chaos, good and evil, yin and yang. The alliance of Tarakudo and Phobos, left unchecked, could have disastrous consequences. However, I believe that the appearance of this sixth Auremere, is the universe's way of strengthening the Forces of Light so that they can better meet the challenge. For that reason, I believe it is best we let events unfold."
The woman with cat-like features looked to their leader in shock. "What?! Do nothing?! This… this could be disastrous! You said yourself this Auremere is just as powerful as the one of Quintessence, and we've all seen just how corruptive that can be! But if this one… if we leave it unchecked… it could damage the Guardians' connection to Kandrakar! That's a far greater danger than when Nerissa…"
"If it gets to that point, we will intervene." The bald man assured. "However, while this one may appear to have something of a 'darker' origin, I can sense the incredible potential it has to be as a force for good. So, we will do as we always have, watch and observe." He gave a small smile as he continued to watch the six Auremeres circle around each other in unison. "Darkness may rise, but light always rises to meet it."
Done.
Wow. That chapter was a lot of fun. We got to see Jade as the Queen of the Shadowkhan again and I had so much fun writing her, especially her interactions with the other villains, particularly with how much she trolled Phobos. (LOL!)
We also see that Will and Jade have become best friends, and their bond is only going to get stronger. And it's not just Will, all the other girls are close to Jade as what Tarakudo and Phobos tried to do to her made their conflict with him even more personal than when Elyon was taken. We even got another look at 'angry-Jackie' from Season 1, and we all know, despite how much of a nice guy he is, you do not want to make Jackie Chan angry, you wouldn't like him when he's angry.
(Points to those who get that reference)
On a smaller note; Finn, Ratso, and Chow have now become Elyon's official bodyguards, which should be fun.
But, on a more important note, what exactly does this scene at the end foreshadow? I'm sure you can all take a guess, but you won't get a definitive answer till the next chapter. (Though I'll give you a hint that it may, or may not, have to do with Jade's status as the Ben-Shui Chosen One). So, what does this mean for our heroes? Find out in the next chapter of J-WITCH!
Stay safe and stay healthy out there. Peace out. :)