Hi everyone, thanks for your patience. Before we begin, there are a few things that I want to clear up for my story. First off, many of you have been speculating as to whether or not Jade can create her own tribe of Shadowkhan since she's a Guardian now, well let me tell you that is not going to happen. Jade's new powers come from the Heart of Kandrakar, which is good magic; while the Shadowkhan are evil in nature, due to being created by the Oni. So no Shadowkhan for jade.
One last thing, I'm sure many of you were expecting the Halloween-based episode here since we're near Halloween in real time. Well sorry, but while I do have that episode planned for later on, it's not going to happen here. I already have my storyline planned out and I can't afford to change it. But, given how scary the Oni can be, I guess this chapter counts as being 'close enough' on the scary department for Halloween, so hopefully this will help lift your spirits on this otherwise bleak holiday, given the pandemic we're all facing. Now, with all that being said, let's get started.
The Precious Mask
Phobos stood behind his younger sister as they stood together in the courtyard of their castle, the princess channeling her magic power in-between her clapped hands. Elyon concentrated on that spot as she pulled her hands apart to create a sphere of magic power before letting go, allowing it to grow and break apart, taking the form of butterflies made of magic power, which began to fly and spread throughout the air.
"Impressive, well done Elyon." Phobos congratulated her as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.
"It feels weird but… I feel like I've gotten stronger since I came here." Elyon said.
"That's not weird at all." Phobos explained. "You were born in Meridian, now that you have returned to your homeland, your magic power will continue to grow. And I'm certain you can control and make the best of it." He said as he ruffled her hair.
Elyon smiled. "Thank you." However, her smile faded slightly. "Hey Phobos, what's an Oni Mask?"
Phobos' smile faded as a serious look formed on his face. "Where did you hear that?"
"I overheard you, Cedric, and Daolon Wong talking about getting something like that." Elyon answered. "I didn't mean to eavesdrop or anything, I just…"
"It's alright." Phobos assured before providing his answer. "The Oni Masks are powerful tools of dark magic. Once you place a mask on your face, you are granted the powers of a demon."
That took Elyon by surprise "A demon?! Those things actually exist!?"
"Indeed." Phobos confirmed. "And these masks are demonic in nature, they are very dangerous weapons. In the wrong hands, just one mask could threaten all of Meridian."
Elyon was starting to look more than a little nervous. "Why would you want to look for something like that?"
"To keep it from being used against us." Phobos replied. "The rebellion also seeks these masks, to try and gain an advantage over us. It is my goal to find these masks before they do and lock them in a special vault deep beneath the castle where they cannot be used by anyone ever again. Such a dangerous thing is better to be locked away."
This seem to give her some form of relief. "That's good to hear. Do you think my friends are involved in this?"
"Under the corruptive influence of Heart of Kandrakar, it is likely." Phobos responded.
"Well, in that case, I want to help." Elyon stated with a determined expression. "They're my friends and I want…"
"And I understand perfectly." Phobos said as he placed his hands on his sister's shoulders. "But Elyon, you still don't have full mastery of your power yet. Nothing personal, but in order to retrieve these masks, I need those who are more experienced with magic and combat. If there is anything that I know you can help with, I promise I'll tell you. But for now, please trust that my friends and I can handle this."
Elyon gave a small sigh of disappointment but saw that her brother had a point. "Alright. I trust you, Phobos."
"Thank you." Phobos smiled. "And I believe that is enough practice for today. Why don't you go to you room and get some rest?"
"Okay." Elyon nodded before walking away.
Phobos walked into his throne room; where Cedric, Miranda, and Daolon Wong were all gathered. Before any of them had a chance to speak or acknowledge the presence of their prince, he had already had words of his own to speak.
"Elyon overhead our conversation regarding the Oni Mask!" Phobos stated. "If she discovers what our intentions are for them, everything is at risk!"
"I will see to it those fools that are supposed to be guarding her are punished." Daolon Wong assured.
"That is not good enough, Wong!" Phobos chastised. "Under no circumstances are any of you to mention the masks unless we know for certain that my sister is not in our presence! Miranda, I leave that to you, fail me and there will be dire consequences!"
"I understand." Miranda bowed her head.
"Speaking of which…" A new voice spoke up as everyone directed their attention to one of the main stained-glass windows in the throne room as the face of the Oni-King himself materialized himself from the glass and hovered down toward the group. "I have located the next Oni Mask."
"Tarakudo." Phobos acknowledged. "You are certain?"
"One hundred percent." Tarakudo confirmed.
"Good. Cedric, take Daolon Wong and Miranda to retrieve the mask." Phobos ordered. "But, under no circumstances are any of you to wear it! Elyon cannot learn our intent!"
"I agree." Tarakudo also said. "We can't afford to place our cards on the table yet. We'll retrieve the mask first and find a host later."
"Very well." Cedric nodded as his eyes became slits and he hissed enthusiastically while Daolon Wong waved his scepter, creating a smokescreen of dark blue smoke that engulfed himself, Cedric, and Miranda, before they all vanished and Tarakudo vanished with them, leaving Phobos alone as he carried a dangerous glint in his eyes.
Earth – Heatherfield
The group consisting of Jade, Will, Hay Lin, Irma, Cornelia, Taranee, and Alchemy had just got out from school as they appeared to be talking about their next possible adventure.
"So, when are we gonna find out about that next mask thing?" Alchemy asked.
"Jackie, Caleb, and everyone else are at the shop, trying to see if they can find it with those Hanafuda Cards." Will answered.
"Grandma's there too, to try and help out." Hay Lin added.
Cornelia rolled her eyes in partial annoyance. "We've been playing with those cards for more than a week, but we still got nothing! Why can't they come with an instruction manual or something?!"
"To be fair, we have been pretty busy lately, what with Jade becoming a Guardian now." Taranee said.
"A super cool shadow ninja guardian." Irma smirked with Jade.
"Got that right!" Jade said enthusiastically. "Now that J-WITCH is official, bad guys better beware or they're gonna get a face full of it! Hiya!" She gave a flying kick to a nearby trash can in an alleyway to knock it down.
"Now there's the fun-loving Jade we all know." Hay Lin smiled.
"How about saving that for the actual bad guys?" Will suggested with a half-smirk.
Jade returned the smirk, but it faded once she heard a whining-like noise coming from deeper in the alleyway. "Guys, hold up." She walked into the alley, with the other girls following her. "You hear that?"
"Yeah, behind that dumpster." Alchemy pointed to the aforementioned dumpster as the group came around the side to see something that made them gasp slightly. It was a dog, a light-furred, green-eyed canine, that appeared to be limping.
"It's a dog." Taranee observed. "He looks hurt."
Jade kneeled down closer, the dog backing further behind the dumpster. "Hey, it's okay…" She smiled. "Come here…" She gave a slight whistle, holding out her hand, showing that she meant no harm. The dog slowly limped closer toward Jade to sniff her hand, Jade then slowly backed out, allowing the dog to step out, where Jade then scooped it up in its arms.
"Aww." All the girls practically gushed as they saw the dog's adorable green eyes.
"Where'd this cute little guy come from?" Will asked.
"He doesn't have a collar, he's probably a stray." Taranee noted.
Hay Lin looked at the dog's right hind leg and could see it was bent oddly, causing her to look in sympathy. "awe, you poor thing, your leg is hurt."
"Maybe we should take him to the vet." Alchemy suggested.
"Nah, we'll take him to the shop." Jade said. "Use the Horse Talisman to heal him right up."
"Why do you have the one of the Talismans at your uncle's shop?" Cornelia asked somewhat skeptically.
"Considering Caleb's been trying to mess with Uncle's spells, I thought it be a good idea to have it there just in case your boyfriend accidentally blows something up." Jade explained. "Magic first-aid."
"Yeah, that might actually be a good idea." Irma agreed. "Last time rebel-boy messed with a spell, he almost set the whole place on fire."
"I get it, and he's not my boyfriend!" Cornelia scowloed.
"Sure, whatever you say Cornelia." Alchemy teased
"Come on." Will said. "Maybe Jackie and the others will have the Hanafuda Cards figured out by the time we get there."
Uncle's Shop
"It is your move, Tohru." Uncle said as he, Tohru, Jackie, Yan Lin, and Caleb all sat at the table, each holding a hand of Hanafuda Cards with a small pile of said cards in the middle of the table. Tohru placed one card down in the middle of the pile as the group looked to see any kind of reaction. So far, there has been none.
"Come on, we've been playing this thing for hours!" Caleb complained as he looked all over his hand of cards. "There's gotta some kind of trick to make these things work!"
"Caleb, the first rule of research and study, is patience." Jackie told him. "There is a pattern to these cards, we just have to find them."
"And this is where years of Poker and Blackjack pay off." Yan Lin said as she put one card down.
"I wasn't aware you've played such card games, Miss Lin. You don't seem like the type to gamble." Tohru said to her.
"I don't. But while the girls of today all have video games, internet videos, and television, my old team and I used to play cards to pass the time." Yan Lin answered.
"Sweet." They all heard Irma say as the group turned around to see all the girls enter the shop. "So, if we end up going to Vegas, we'll take you with us and score a million bucks!"
"That is not happening." Jackie said sternly before noticing the dog in Jade's arms. "Girls, why is there a dog here?"
"We found this poor guy in an alleyway, and his leg is messed up." Hay Lin replied as Will quickly went into the back room. "So, we're just gonna use the Horse Talisman to fix him up."
"Found it!" Will quickly came back outside with said Talisman in her hands. Jade held up the dog as Will placed the Talisman on the dog's body. A bright magic aura briefly surged around the dog's body, healing all the injuries it had, including its broken leg.
Once it was done, the dog no longer felt any pain as it barked happily. "There! Good as new, aren't you boy!?" Jade gushed as the dog licked her face, prompting the other girls to gather around the dog as Jade put it down.
"Who's a good healed boy? Who's a good boy?" Will scratched the dog behind its ears.
"You are! Yes you are!" Hay Lin also gushed as she petted him with Alchemy, Taranee, Irma, and even Cornelia petting and scratching the dog, saying all sorts of loving and affectionate things, all six of them easily falling for the dog.
Though Jackie and the others were happy that the dog was healed, they knew the dog couldn't stay here, something that Uncle was about to make clear. "Aiya! No animals in shop! Sho! Sho!"
"Don't you dare!" Cornelia wrapped her arms around the dog protectively.
"Ah Jin, how can you be so cold to this face?" Yan Lin kneeled down to scratch the dogs behind its ears.
"Uncle does have a point though." Jackie told the group. "We should take him to the animal shelter. Can any of you even keep it?"
All the girls' eyes widened in realization, as they never really took that into account as they looked at one another.
"My dad's allergic to fur." Taranee said dejectedly.
"And my apartment doesn't allow dogs." Will said in the same tone.
"Grandma?" Hay Lin looked to her grandmother with a hopeful expression.
"We can't let him the restaurant." Yan Lin said. "Maybe inside, but it's up to your parents, Hay Lin."
"I could probably take him." Irma said.
"And give your brat brother another reason to act all wild?" Cornelia questioned. "Why not let me take him?"
"Hey, I'm the one who found him!" Jade quickly said.
"Guys, come on, let's not fight over him." Alchemy tried to defuse any tension that was forming.
"Girls, we got bigger problems to worry about right now than just some dog!" Caleb slammed his hand of cards on the table. However, right as he did, three cards in the pile began to glow, getting everyone's attention.
The card on the left showed the image of horned mask. "We have found the next mask!" Tohru stated as everyone was now paying close attention.
The middle card showed the geographical image of a familiar city. "And this card shows us where to find it." Jackie stated, but he and everyone else were surprised by the location.
"It's right here in Heatherfield?" Taranee asked.
"Well, it saves us a flight, and an excuse with our parents." Irma pointed out.
"And it looks like the mask removal ingredient is…" Will looked at the final card on the right as it showed the image of a bowl of rice and chopsticks. "Japanese rice!"
"Not a problem." Yan Lin smiled. "We have plenty at the Dragon. We can make the mask-removal potion there."
"Tohru, Yan Lin, Alchemy; prepare spell!" Uncle began to instruct everyone. "Jackie, girls, Caleb; find mask! Jade, read sign!"
"Sign?" Jade asked in confusion.
"The one in shop window." Uncle pointed to the sign that hung on said window, showing the image of a dog and cat with a 'not-allowed' symbol on it. "No pets allowed!" Uncle stated, referring to the stay dog they brought in.
It was late in the afternoon by the time Jackie led Will, Irma, Jade, Hay Lin, Cornelia, Taranee, Caleb, and even the dog, into the closed museum that the Hanafuda Card had guided them toward. They appeared to be in the Jurassic area, evident by all the exhibits of dinosaur bones and cavemen statues.
"Um, this is the Jurassic section." Cornelia pointed out. "Shouldn't we be like in Orient or something? The mask is Japanese."
"What's Orient mean?" Caleb asked.
"It means ancient culture within the eastern Asian area, which includes Japan." Taranee explained.
"The card is telling us that the mask is in this area of the museum." Jackie said, before finally noticing the dog. "And why did you bring the dog with you?"
"Uh, duh! Oni Mask emergency!" Jade pointed out. "We didn't have time to drop Scruffy off out at the shelter."
"Scruffy?" Jackie asked.
"It's his name." Hay Lin said. "We can't have a nameless dog, can we boy? You want a name? Yes, you do." Hay Lin kneeled down to pet the dog now christened 'Scruffy'.
Jackie rolled his eyes slightly. "Just stay focused on our mission, we need to find the mask." Jackie told them.
"No problem." Irma smirked. "Eyes forward, fists ready."
"Yeah, eyes forward to the moving trash can!" Will pointed toward a nearby garbage can in the corner of the room that shook slightly. Scruffy already ran toward the can to growl and bark at it, prompting everyone to take combat stances, expecting trouble. However, they did not expect the head of a certain Passling to pop out of the garbage can.
"Blunk?!" Everyone exclaimed in shock.
"Blunk not steal! Only looking for snack!" Blunk said truthfully as he ate a rotten banana peel. However, Blunk gave a startled scream as he noticed Scruffy growling and barking at him, the trash can falling over as Blunk quickly ran to climb up the T-Rex skeleton and hide in its rib-cage. "Tiny wolf! Tiny wolf!"
"Scruffy's not a wolf, Blunk. He's a dog." Will told him.
"I'm not surprised." Caleb said. "Passlings don't last long in the wild and are usually easy prey for predators like wolves. And since dogs and wolves are related…"
"Okay, we get it." Cornelia said.
"Wait, you have wolves in Meridian?" Jade asked, which Caleb nodded in confirmation. "Cool."
As Will picked up Scruffy, with Blunk still hiding in the T-Rex rib cage, Jackie noticed the card in his hands was starting to glow. "Everyone…" Jackie got the rest of the group's attention as he pointed the card to an exhibit of prehistoric rocks. "The card is leading me to…"
Suddenly, Scruffy jumped out of Will's arms, much to her surprise. "Scruffy, wait!" But the dog had already jumped up onto the exhibit and started digging at a patch of dirt. It wasn't long before he uncovered the mask they sought. It was a yellow and black mask with red eyes and two curved horns on its forehead.
"We found it." Taranee stated. "Guess Scruffy's part blood-hound, aren't you boy?" She scratched the dog behind its ears, causing Scruffy to lick her cheek in gratitude.
Blunk, from his vantage point, could see the Oni Mask. "Hmm, scary mask."
"Come on." Jackie told the group. "We had better leave before…"
"Before your friends arrive?" The voice of Daolon Wong spoke up as the group turned around to see a large plum of dark blue smoke emerge from the ground; and once it dissipated, it revealed Daolon Wong himself, along with Cedric in his humanoid-snake form, and even Miranda.
"Yeah… before that happens." Irma scowled slightly as the rest of the group took combat stances, with Scruffy barking and growling at the three villains, and Blunk hiding deeper in the T-Rex ribcage.
Cornelia's eyes widened upon seeing Miranda. "I remember you!" She scowled at the girl. "You helped Cedric to kidnap Elyon!"
"My name is Miranda." She smirked evilly. "And we didn't kidnap her, she came to us of her own accord. Which is more than I can say for the rest of you…" Her eyes narrowed as her entire body began to transform, much to everyone's surprise. Gone was Miranda's human form; now most of her body appeared to be a large black-furred mass with four blue eyes, her arms and legs outstretched almost like spider-legs.
"She's a shapeshifter too!" Caleb exclaimed as he drew his katana.
"Didn't see that coming." Hay Lin voiced in surprise.
Taranee felt her own case of the willies. "Did I mention how much I hate spiders?"
"Enough of this!" Daolon Wong exclaimed. "Retrieve the mask!" He blasted a stream of dark chi magic at the group; forcing them to scatter as Cedric and Miranda were already on the charge.
Will immediately pulled out the Heart of Kandrakar and said the magic words. "Guardians Unite!" The crystal shined a bright pink as Will, Jade, Irma, Cornelia, Hay Lin, and Taranee all transformed into their respective Guardian forms.
With that, the fight had begun as Taranee, Irma, and Hay Lin flew directly toward Daolon Wong, who tried to blast them with his dark-chi magic from his scepter, but the three girls were able to avoid the blasts rather easily as Taranee shot a series of fireballs from her fist, forcing Wong to raise a barrier of dark magic to protect himself. Hay Lin and Irma both landed on opposite sides of the dark wizard as they tried to get him in a cross between a whirlwind and tidal wave respectively, prompting Wong to expand his barrier like a dome to protect himself from the worst of it. Once the attack subsided, Wong threw away his barrier as he raised his scepter into the air to shoot the cavemen statues, causing them to come to life and attack the three Guardians.
Jackie found himself backed by the T-Rex skeleton as Cedric loomed over him. "The mask, if you please?" Cedric hissed in a sinisterly polite tone.
"Eh, eh, eh, only if you promise never to wear it." Jackie told him, trying to sound polite himself.
"Oh, I won't, but we'll find someone who will." He thrusted his fist toward Jackie, who jumped over the fist, landed on Cedric's arm and jumped from that to propel himself into the ribcage of the T-Rex, along with Blunk. Cedric was about to go after him, only for Caleb to run at him from behind and slice at him with his katana, causing Cedric to roar in pain and leave him open for Will to fly in and deliver a roundhouse kick to Cedric's face to knock him down.
Cornelia pressed her hand onto the ground to crack and shake up the floor, in an attempt to knock down Miranda, but she leapt from the ground to shoot a stand of webbing from her mouth to ensnare and pin Cornelia to the ground. However, before Miranda could make a move…
"Hey Spider-Girl, heads up!" Jade exclaimed as she flew down to deliver a kick to knock Miranda back. Jade quickly generated her shadow-magic around her hands which took the form of claws, which she was able to use to slice the webbing from Cornelia.
"Thanks." Cornelia said as Jade helped her up. "That was so gross."
"So, the rumors are true." Miranda mused as she faced the duo. "There is a sixth guardian."
Jade smirked at the spider-shapeshifter. "See, here's the thing about bugs your size. They make a bigger mess when I squish em!" Jade shot a column of fire-like shadows at Miranda, prompting her to jump to the nearest wall and begin climbing it.
However, as Miranda began to climb, she noticed Jackie at the top of the T-rex skeleton along with Blunk, while Will and Caleb kept Cedric busy down below.
"Jackie! Look out!" Jade warned as Miranda shot some webbing toward Jackie, prompting him to duck as Cornelia rushed toward the wall and channeled her earth-powers to shake it and knock Miranda off the wall, directly toward a punch from Cornelia to send her crashing into Cedric.
However, before anyone could celebrate, they all heard a familiar voice coming from the T-rex skull. "Tarakudo Rex!" Tarakudo exclaimed as his face materialized from the skull. "King of the Shadowkhan!"
"Tarakudo!" Jackie, Will, Jade, Caleb, and Cornelia all exclaimed as the Oni King unleashed a powerful psychic wave to blast all five of them back, as well as send the mask flying.
"Everyone, heads up!" Will called to Hay Lin, Irma, and Taranee, who had just finished destroying the caveman statues with their respective elements. Taranee was the first to try and grab the mask, only to be blown away by Tarakudo while Daolon Wong blasted Irma and Hay Lin from behind as he used his magic to catch the mask before lowering it to his hands.
"Success." Daolon Wong sneered, only to yell in a startled pain as he glanced down to see Scruffy biting on his ankle with a growl. "Insolent mongrel!" He was about to blast the dog, only for Irma to fly in and grab Wong's arms just in time, forcing him to miss the blast.
"Don't touch our dog!" Irma exclaimed as she delivered a punch so hard it sent Daolon Wong flying and crashing into a trash bin, covering him in said garbage. "I got the mask!"
"Not for long, Missy." Tarakudo said as he tried to grab and pull the mask with his telekinetic powers, with Irma struggling to hold onto it. However, Jade came at Tarakudo from behind to blast him in the back with a steam of shadow-flames, the force sending him flying and crashing face-first into a wall. However, a stand of webbing caught the mask and yanked it from Irma's hands and into the hand of Miranda.
"Oooh, so close." Miranda mocked.
"On no you don't!" Jade and Irma were about to fly in and stop Miranda, only to have their way barred by Cedric as he tried to attack them, forcing them to evade his punches.
Suddenly, Miranda was surrounded by a ring of fire as Taranee and Hay Lin flew over her, the later trying to fly down and get the mask back, only for Miranda to shoot out a ball of webbing which struck Hay Lin and sent her into the right leg of a dinosaur skeleton, sticking her to it, but Taranee directed the flames closer to Miranda.
Knowing she couldn't hold onto it on her own, she looked toward the other shapeshifter in the room, who had just knocked back Jade and Irma with a swipe of his tail. "Cedric!" Miranda called to him as she threw him the mask, Cedric would have caught it, had Jackie not flipped in mid-air and caught the mask himself.
"No!" Cedric and Miranda exclaimed in frustration.
"Sorry! I will not return this! Thank you!" Jackie said as he attempted to make a run for the exit. Cedric was about to give pursuit, only for Cornelia, Will, and Caleb to get in his way.
"I don't think so." Will stated as the three went on the attack.
Jade, meanwhile, had used her shadow-claws to cut Hay Lin free as they and Irma tried to follow Jackie out, but Daolon Wong teleported himself in-between the group and the exit as he tried to blast them with dark magic, forcing them to fly or leap away and avoid the blasts. Jackie, however, was blasted in the back by the recovered Tarakudo, sending the mask flying.
Scruffy barked as he tried to jump and grab the flying mask, but Tarakudo blasted the dog away with his psychic powers.
"Scruffy!" Jade exclaimed as she flew up to grab her dog. This moment of distraction however, caused Tarakudo to lose his telekinetic grip on the mask, causing it to fall toward an unsuspecting Blunk and land right on his face.
The second the yellow mask made contact with Blunk's face, it wrapped itself completely around his head as Blunk's whole body began to change. His green skin turned a bright yellow as he grew in size, taking the form of a muscular-hunchback demon that walked on all fours. He growled in surprise as he revealed the mask was now part of his face.
Pretty much everyone had the same jaw-dropped and circular eyed expressions from Jackie, Will, Jade, Hay Lin, Cornelia, Irma, Taranee, and even Caleb; to Daolon Wong, Cedric, and even Miranda.
"Not exactly who I had in mind." Tarakudo remarked in surprise himself.
"Um… did… did that mask just…end up on…" Cornelia stuttered.
"Yep." Taranee nodded in confirmation, not over the surprise herself.
"Bad day…" Jackie muttered.
"What… Why you all look at Blunk funny?" Oni-Blunk asked, seemingly oblivious to his newfound transformation, or his demonic voice.
"Blunk… just… take it easy…" Hay Lin eased as she slowly walked toward him, with Caleb standing close behind and keeping a firm grip on his katana. "Try not to panic and… summon evil shadow monsters…"
"Smiley girl make no sense. Why Blunk…" However, once Oni-Blunk looked toward his hands, he gave a yelp in surprise as he looked over himself. "What…?! What happened to Blunk?!"
Cedric growled in anger as he slithered his way towards the transformed Passling. "You insolent pest! How dare you wear that mask!?" He looked ready to rip Blunk apart.
"No! Stay away from Blunk!" Oni-Blunk exclaimed in fright as he held up his hands defensively. However, this act of survival and fear appeared to be the trigger necessary for a ring of shadows to form around Blunk before five shapes emerged from the shadow, wing-like appendages folded around their bodies akin to bats or even vampires with bat-like horns and singular red V-shaped eyes. They unfolded their wings as they turned to face Cedric to reveal their bodies with black suits that covered their upper bodies, dark blue skinned arms and feet with claws and talons.
Cedric backed away in surprise as everyone else was even further shocked by what Blunk had just done.
"Uh oh…" Jade gulped.
"Shadowkhan tribe number three." Irma muttered in fear.
Oni-Blunk gave a scream upon seeing these winged Shadowkhan. "AHH! SHADOW-MEN! STAY AWAY!" Just as ordered, the Shadowkhan all vanished as Blunk made a run for it.
"Blunk! Wait!" Hay Lin tried to stop him, but Oni-Blunk had already leapt high toward the ceiling and crashed through the sky-light and out of the building.
"After him!" Miranda exclaimed, only for her, Cedric, and Wong to be pulled into the air by Tarakudo's psychic powers.
"Friendly reminder, the only thing that can separate a mask from its wearer is… Bleh!" Tarakudo spat in disgust before finishing his sentence. "Good magic. But that's not to say, we can't use this to our advantage." Tarakudo then vanished from sight as that same telekinetic force pulled Cedric, Wong, and Miranda through the skylight and outside, causing it to shatter and break even more, leaving a group of confused and shocked heroes.
"So… that happened." Cornelia said.
Caleb groaned in annoyance. "Out of all the faces in this or any world, that mask just happened to wind up on Blunk's face!"
"And he's already learned how to summon his Shadowkhan!" Jackie was the first to get serious. "Come on, we have to get to the Silver Dragon and hope Uncle and the others have that mask-removal potion ready."
Oni-Blunk paced back and forth on one of the many rooftops over the city of Heatherfield, trying desperately to take the mask off his face. "Get off Blunk! Blunk not want be scary monster!" However, it looked almost like he was trying to rip off his own face, and given the circumstances, it wasn't all that inaccurate.
Over on a separate rooftop, the quartet of villains observed Oni-Blunk's antics as most of them were more than a little annoyed.
"An Oni Mask… to wear one is to gain the strength and power of a demon… while also summoning a small army of shadow minions." Daolon Wong growled. "And it is now in the possession of a mere Passling?! I can't think of anything more wasteful!"
"Then why don't you concoct a spell to remove it, wizard!?" Miranda exclaimed.
Wong glared at the spider-shifter before answering. "Because I know nothing of the spells that were used on those masks in the first place!"
"Phobos will not be pleased with this unfortunate development." Cedric stated.
"Or maybe he will be." Tarakudo mused as he hovered over the group. "I understand why you all may feel disappointed given how weak Passlings appear to be, but that creature is no longer a Passling. But, in fact, it's nature as a Passling should work more to our advantage."
"What do you mean?" Cedric asked.
Tarakudo only smirked in response. "Just watch and learn, my friends." He then hovered toward the building where Oni-Blunk was on.
Oni-Blunk looked at his reflection in a small puddle as he gave a sad sigh. "Blunk not want to be monster forever."
"You make it sound like a bad thing." Tarakudo remarked as he appeared above Oni-Blunk, causing him to gasp in fright. "Easy, easy, I mean you no harm."
"Guardians tell Blunk of floating head! Floating head bad guy!" Oni-Blunk exclaimed.
"No, you know me." Tarakudo spoke as he looked deep into Oni-Blunk's red eyes. "Look deep inside yourself… look into the darkness within… and you will truly know me." However, Tarakudo didn't actually appear to be speaking to Blunk, but the Oni-Demon's spirit that resided within the mask, and now currently resides in Blunk's soul.
"You… are Tarakudo… King of the Shadowkhan." Oni-Blunk spoke, appearing to calm down.
"Yes." The Oni-King smiled evilly. "And you are one of my trusted generals. Tell me, Blunk. As a Passling, what is it you seek most?"
Oni-Blunk continued to listen as he gave his answer. "Treasure…"
"And this world is abundant in it, just look below my friend." Tarakudo gestured Blunk to look off the edge of the building toward the busy street below. "Look at the people in this city, each one of them carries a treasure of their own. Jewels, gold, silver, and other bright and shiny objects. And all of that could be yours."
"Blunk see it… Blunk sees all the shiny things… all the precious treasure..." Oni-Blunk said in a trance-like state. "But, Blunk have nothing to trade…"
"Why do you have to trade for it?" Tarakudo asked. "You can simply take it, and you have the means to do just that Blunk. Call upon the darkness within, so that you can claim what you desire."
"Darkness within…" Oni-Blunk muttered as the symbol of the Shadowkhan appeared in both his eyes. Within seconds, the entire rooftop was covered in shadows as more than two dozen winged-Shadowkhan emerged from the shadows to bow before Oni-Blunk. "Yes… Blunk take treasure… take the precious…!"
"Yes, and I believe we both know there is one jewel out there that surpasses all the others. Your 'crown-jewel' if you will. And you know exactly what it is, don't you?" Tarakudo lulled.
"Heart of Kandrakar." Oni-Blunk said in a low growl before commanding his Shadowkhan forces "Go! Get Blunk precious treasures! Get Heart of Kandrakar! Go!" With that order, the Shadowkhan spread their wings as they flew down into the city.
Silver Dragon
"Blunk has the mask?!" Alchemy exclaimed as both groups got together to compare notes.
"Yeah, and he already summoned his own Shadowkhan, too." Will nodded.
"Those Bat-Khan were pretty terrifying, almost like vampires." Hay Lin said.
"'Bat-Khan'?" Cornelia asked.
"Yeah, because they look like gigantic bats with those wings!" Hay Lin replied.
"Call them whatever you want, what's important is that we remove the mask from Blunk." Jackie stated. "Uncle, is the spell ready?"
"All done." Uncle held a vial of the green potion.
"Like the previous two potions, we need only spread this on our hands so we can literally pull the mask off." Tohru explained.
"Then we better find Blunk before Tarakudo and the others teach him some new tricks." Irma said before kneeling down to Scruffy. "Not doggy tricks, no offense Scruffy." She patted his head as Scruffy licked her face.
"It shouldn't be too hard to find a Passling, just look in the nearest dumpster and we'll find him." Caleb said.
"Earth to Caleb, there are literally thousands of dumpsters in a city like this!" Jade pointed out.
"And I don't think Blunk's gonna hang around in dumpsters the way he is now." Taranee added. "Blunk's always trying to get stuff that he thinks is valuable and worth trade, right? Well now he can summon an army of monsters to take literally whatever he wants!"
"And it may no longer be simple thievery." Yan Lin said. "Blunk wears the mask of an Oni demon. The longer he wears it, the more corrupt he'll be. The demon inside will turn him into something else, and Blunk will seek more than just simple trinkets."
"Kinda like that?!" Cornelia exclaimed as she pointed out the window for everyone to see a horde of Bat-Khan descending upon the streets, causing the people in the area to panic and scream. As the group ran outside, they looked in a mixture of shock and confusion as they saw what the Bat-Khan were doing.
The Bat-Khan were stealing any shiny object they could get their claws on, from hubcaps and cars, to ambushing people and stealing jeweled necklaces and bracelets from women and watches from men; several Bat-Khan even broke into multiple stores to steal more jewelry and even large mirrors. Once they all had an armful of as much as they could carry, the Bat-Khan would take to the skies to fly away with their stolen goods.
"Are the Shadowkhan… actually robbing people?" Will asked.
"Blunk is having them steal anything that he sees is valuable." Caleb assumed. "Basically, anything shinny."
"Then we better follow them, they could lead us to Blunk." Jackie said, however, before he could even make his move…
"Heads up!" Alchemy warned everyone as a group of twenty Bat-Khan descended toward them to attack and surround the group. Uncle immediately pulled out a blow fish and a dried lizard, throwing the later to Yan Lin as they each shot chi-blasts to blast the incoming Bat-Khan into oblivion while Jackie, Tohru, and Caleb took on the ones that landed past them, using their fists, feet, or sword in Caleb's case to fight them off.
"Hang on guys! I'll…!" Will reached into her coat to pull out the Heart of Kandrakar, only for two Bat-Khan to suddenly fly in and grab her, pulling her into a nearby alleyway.
"Will!" Jade exclaimed as she and the other girls were about to run and help her, only for six Bat-Khan to land in front of them and block their path before attacking, forcing the girls to use whatever martial arts skills the know to defend themselves.
Before Will even got a chance to struggle, she was slammed against the wall to knock her unconscious as the Bat-Khan pair let her slide to the ground. One of them reached to grab the Heart, but once it touched it, the Heart glowed a bright pink before the Bat-Khan was obliterated. Through the remaining Bat-Khan's eyes, Oni-Blunk could see what was going on as he commanded his forces.
"Don't touch jewel. Take girl."
The single remaining Bat-Khan picked up the unconscious Will before flying into the air with her.
Just as everyone else appeared to have dispatched the last of the group of Bat-Khan, they looked in clear shock as they saw the Bat-Khan from the alleyway, flying away with Will in its arms, flying up to join the rest of its tribe with their stolen treasures and jewels.
"WILL!" Most of the girls all screamed in shock as Jackie, Tohru, Uncle, Caleb, Yan Lin, and especially Jade, could only look in clear horror.
Will's eyes slowly opened as she regained consciousness. As she did, however, she felt some form of pressure around her body that prevented her from moving. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw a trio of Bat-Khan standing over, tying some form of shadow-like substance around her body like rope. Her hands were tied behind her back, her ankles tied together, while more of this shadow-rope was wrapped around to bind her arms to her sides.
"What…!? What the…?!" Wills tried to struggle in her bonds, only to end up rolling down off the pile of stolen jewels and treasure she was on to land hard on the ground. "Ow… What… Oh my god…" Her eyes widened in clear shock at the vast horde of items the Bat-Khan all dropped in.
She was currently on the roof of the tallest building in Heathfield, the rooftop was practically covered in stolen jewelry, mirrors, car parts, and other kinds of bright and shiny objects. It looked almost like a treasure horde one would see in a typical pirate movie.
"Yes. Treasure. So much… my precious treasure… all mine…" Oni-Blunk lulled as he held an armful of said treasures.
"Blunk!" Will tried to get his attention. "Listen, this isn't you! Tarakudo and the others…"
"Some call my name?" Tarakudo's face emerged from a mirror as he hovered over the bound Will. "Sleep well? Don't bother struggling, those restraints are pure shadow magic, no physical object can cut through them."
"Hey, magic must defeat magic, right?" Will said with a glare as she noticed the Heart of Kandrakar was still with her. "Guar…" Before she could even say the magic words, a steam of webbing was shot to her face, covering her mouth and preventing her from speaking anything else.
"Nuh, uh, uh." Miranda, still in her spider-form, shook her finger. "No flashy transformations for you, little Guardian." And she wasn't alone, both Cedric and Daolon Wong were on the roof as well.
"Why did you bring the girl when you were supposed to bring the Heart of Kandrakar?!" Cedric questioned Oni-Blunk.
"Shadowkhan couldn't take Heart, so take girl instead." Oni-Blunk stated.
"What our friends means to say is the Heart of Kandrakar is incredibly powerful good magic." Tarakudo explained. "And the Shadowkhan are dark in nature. As such, they cannot touch the Heart. Still though, this is good." Tarakudo loomed over the bound and gagged Will as she glared at the Oni-King "Now that we have the leader, the others cannot transform and are powerless."
"The Shadowkhan may be unable to take the Heart, btu what is to stop us from doing so?" Miranda asked.
"Even if you are able to, you can't access its power. Nobody on our side is a chosen Guardian, isn't that right Cedric?" Tarakudo asked the largest shapeshifter present.
"Unfortunately, that is correct." Cedric confirmed. "No one here can use the Heart's power at its fullest."
Daolon Wong however chuckled. "I fear you may be underestimating my talents. As the most malevolent of dark chi masters, I know a multitude of ancient spells, perhaps one that will enable me to suck out the power of the Heart of Kandrakar, reducing it to a useless bobble, and turning its raw power into our personal weapon."
Tarakudo looked intrigued. "Interesting, care to put those words into action, Daolon Wong?"
"With pleasure." Wong sneered as he attempted to loom over Will, extending his hands as the mouths in his palms opened up, only for Will to pull back her bound feet kick them hard at Wong where the sun doesn't shine, causing Wong to squeal in pain as he held his crotch and fell to his side.
Even Tarakudo winced slightly. "Oooh, that's gonna leave a mark."
Cedric hissed at Will. "You would be wise not to make this more difficult for us." The only response Will gave was a glare of defiance.
Section 13
"Satellite surveillance shows these 'Bat-Khan' have all condensed in this area." Captain Black informed the group as he pointed on a radar screen to show the tallest building in Heatherfield. "My can't get to it since the skies are swarming with those things, but I'm willing to bet that's where the bad guys all are."
"And it's probably where they've taken Will as well." Jackie assumed.
"But why would they kidnap Will? What do they want with her?" Alchemy asked.
"Will not important." Uncle stated. "Heart of Kandrakar, is. The Shadowkhan could not take the Heart because it is powerful good magic…"
"And since the Shadowkhan are evil, they can't touch it." Taranee realized.
"For now." Yan Lin said. "With a wizard like Daolon Wong there, it may only be a matter of time until they find a spell to drain the Heart of its power."
"Then what are we waiting for!?" Caleb questioned. "We got the spell to stop Blunk's Shadowkhan, and we know where they are! Let's get going!"
"And just how the hell are we supposed to fight an army of flying magic ninjas?!" Irma questioned.
"Not to mention Daolon Wong, Cedric, this Miranda-shapeshifter, and especially Tarakudo, are each deadly a threat in their own right." Tohru added.
"Irma's right." Hay Lin agreed. "Without Will or the Heart, we can't transform."
"We might not be able to Guardian-up here, but we're still packing T-power!" Jade stated as Scruffy stood by her side, wagging his tail.
The vault was opened up, revealing not only the previous two Oni Masks the group had already acquired, but also the remaining eleven Talismans in the center. "Time to load up on some Talismans." Jade said as she took off her backpack and began to empty some of its contents. "I already snagged the Horse Talisman if anyone needs to heal up, and since Will's not here, I got some extra back-up." She took out her stuffed Super-Moose toy.
"Uh Jade, that's a stuffed animal." Cornelia pointed out.
Jade gave her titular scoff. "Right now." She said as she pulled out the Rat Talisman. "But add a little motion to the motionless…" She put the Rat Talisman on her toy and it suddenly came to life.
"Evil on the loose… her comes Super Moose!" The living stuffed toy flew all around the vault, much to most of the group's surprise.
"That'll work." Irma nodded.
"And a few extra for little Scruffy here." Jade tied a scarf around Scruffy's neck which attached the Dog and Monkey Talismans.
"Jade, you're bringing Scruffy into a battle?" Jackie questioned.
"Come on, he wants to rescue Will, too! He's part of our pack!" Jade stated. "Don't you boy?" She patted the dog's head, prompting him to bark in confirmation.
Jackie looked ready to protest, only for Uncle to deliver his titular dope-slap. "Do you want Forces of Darkness to get power of Heart of Kandrakar? No? Then we take Talismans, and nobody protests!"
"Go, take the Talismans." Yan Lin told the group. "Rescue Blunk and bring Will back safely."
"No problem, Grandma." Hay Lin said with a determined expression, one that was mirrored by the other girls.
"We're on it." Cornelia stated.
"Let's do it." Taranee voiced.
"Let's put the hurt on em." Irma cracked her knuckles with Tohru nodding in confirmation as well.
"I'm in too!" Alchemy said as she took the Rooster Talisman.
"So am I." Caleb walked forward.
Jackie nodded in acceptance. "Very well, let's go."
"Hang on Will." Jade muttered as she held the Mask Removal Potion in her hands. "You rescued me, now it's my turn to rescue you."
Back on the occupied rooftop, Will struggled with all her might against the shadow-restraints, the web still covering her mouth to keep her from speaking as the villains and Bat-Khan all loomed over her.
"She's quite the fighter." Tarakudo remarked. "Daolon Wong, how is your spell coming along?"
"Almost ready." Wong replied.
"For your sake wizard, this had better work." Cedric hissed.
"You keep magic, Blunk wants Heart itself." Oni-Blunk stated. "My precious Heart…"
Unbeknownst to the villains, the group consisting of Jackie, Jade, Irma, Hay Lin, Taranee, Cornelia, Tohru, Uncle, Caleb, Scruffy, and Super-Moose, all hovered in the air as they held hands, with Jade holding onto Scruffy, thanks to Alchemy wielding the Rooster Talisman while Jackie held the Snake Talisman to keep the group invisible.
"There they are." Jackie spoke in a whisper as the group gently set down behind a pile of stolen items.
"We need distraction to free Will." Uncle whispered.
"Even if she is bound, all she needs to do is say the words and transform, and she'll be free." Tohru added.
"A distraction, huh?" Jade asked with a sly smirk. "How does a flying moose sound to you?"
Daolon Wong smirked. "It is ready. Hold the child."
Oni-Blunk gave a silent command for a pair of Bat-Khan to appear around Will and hold her up to keep her form squirming away or fighting back as Wong moved closer. "Do not worry little one, your time as a Guardian is nearing its end."
"Du, du, du, du! Antler Action!" Super Moose suddenly came flying in to sack Daolon Wong in the jaw and send him flying into a pile of treasure that fell on top of him.
"What in…?!" Cedric exclaimed as he, Tarakudo, and Miranda were caught in surprise, which left them open for Uncle and Tohru to quickly come rushing in, the former blasting chi-spells with his blowfish while Tohru used the Pig Talisman to shoot heat-beam eyes, these blasts forced many of the villains back, and even blasted away many of the Bat-Khan. Caleb also managed to get the drop on a pair of Bat-Khan with his katana to destroy them easily enough. Even Alchemy used the Rooster Talisman to telekinetically pick up several of the stolen items and use them as weapons to throw at all the villains, including Oni-Blunk.
This proved to be a sufficient distraction for Jackie, and the other girls to come sweeping in to take down the Bat-Khan guarding the bound Will. With a series of quick punches and kicks, both Bat-Khan were down for the count.
"Will…" Jackie said as the group, including Scruffy, got around her. "I'm sorry, but this will hurt." He grabbed the webbing over his mouth and tried to yank it off in one swift move.
"Ow!" Will exclaimed as she felt the sting. "You… you guys came…"
"Hey, it's what best friends do, right?" Jade smiled as Scruffy came up to lick Will's face.
Will laughed at the licks before smiling back. "Right." Even though she was still bound, she could still access the Heart's power and say the magic words. "Guardians Unite!"
The villains' attention was drawn by the bright pink flash that they all recognized. "NO!" Cedric exclaimed.
"Oh yes." Caleb smirked, along with Uncle, Tohru, Alchemy, and Super Moose.
"That is one super transformation!" Super Moose exclaimed with a smile.
Once the flash subsided; Will, Jade, Irma, Hay Lin, Cornelia, and Taranee had all transformed into J-WITCH as Jackie and Scruffy stood by their sides.
Tarakudo growled in annoyance. "Blunk, time for reinforcements!"
"Come to Blunk, Shadowkhan!" Oni-Blunk raised his fists into the air as he summoned more than twenty Bat-Khan total that surrounded the entire rooftop. "Do not let them steal the precious treasures!" With that order, the Bat-Khan were on the attack.
"Jade, you and Will get that mask off Blunk." Jackie told them. "Everyone else, we'll deal with the Shadowkhan and the others!"
"Got it!" Everyone nodded in agreement as Taranee, Cornelia, Irma, and Hay Lin all flew into the air alongside Super Moose to take on the horde of Bat-Khan while Jackie, with the Rabbit Talisman, Alchemy with the Rooster Talisman, Uncle, Caleb, and Tohru with the Pig Talisman, engaged with the villains and other Bat-Khan that were still on the rooftop.
"Please tell me you got that Mask Removal Potion." Will said to Jade, who responded with her titular scoff.
"You know me better than that." Jade smirked as she showed the vial before pouring the potion onto her hands, which immediately surged with green magic. Both girls nodded as they flew towards Oni-Blunk.
Tarakudo was about to move in to intercept the two Guardians, only for several objects to be thrown at him. Though these objects literally flew right through him, it was enough to get his attention as Alchemy hovered in front of him with the Rooster Talisman in hand.
"Hey, why don't you pick on someone with your own kind of power?" Alchemy challenged.
The Oni King smirked in acceptance. "Bring it on, my young foe." Tarakudo then pitted his own telekinetic powers against that of the Rooster Talisman wielded by Alchemy.
Likewise, Cedric also tried to move in and stop Will and Jade, only for Scruffy to get in his way and growl at him. Cedric however chuckled in amusement. "And what can vermin like you do to stop me?"
Scruffy growled as he accessed the power of the Monkey Talisman to transform into a direwolf, much to Cedric's shock. Direwolf-Scruffy snarled before leaping up onto Cedric, pinning him down as he tried to bite onto Cedric's throat. His thick, snake-like skin kept him protected for the most part, but it still hurt.
"Good dog." Jade smirked as she and Will soon came to face with Oni-Blunk.
"No! You will not take mask! It is my precious!" Oni-Blunk said before leaping up from his pile of trinkets and treasure to try and bring his enormous arms down on to the two girls, but they flew into the air to avoid the impact.
"Great, he's like Gollum mixed with King Kong." Will muttered.
"I just need to get right up to his face." Jade stated.
"Then let's go!" Will said before they both flew back in to engage the Passling turned Oni.
Back in the air, Hay Lin flew as she had a trio of Bat-Khan right at her heels. She quickly flew down along the side of the building before quickly turning around to blow a gust of wind so powerful that it sent all three of them flying and crashing into the building's wall, destroying them upon impact. She flew back up to help the rest of her friends as she saw Taranee generating a pair of flame-like wheels around her body, which she expanded to create a powerful vortex of flame, engulfing and incinerating any Bat-Khan that tried to get too close to her.
Irma shot her hands forward to blast a surge of water that obliterated one Bat-Khan, but three more flew around it to try and get to her, forcing Irma to fly down and avoid them as they tried to launch beams of dark magic from their hands at her, but she proved quick enough to avoid most of them as she spun around to make a series of finger-guns which she shot at the Bat-Khan in retaliation.
Cornelia flew around the air to avoid the blasts from a group of five Bat-Khan before landing on a nearby rooftop and using her powers to pull chunks of the roof off, which she sent flying at the Bat-Khan, the front two were obliterated on impact, but the remaining three avoided them as they flew closer toward her, however…
"Du, du, du, du, du!" A familiar voice sung out as Super Moose flew in like a bullet to destroy all three Bat-Khan in one strike. "Ninja knock out!"
"Saved by a stuffed moose…" Cornelia commented with a perplexed expression. "What is my life coming to?"
Back on the rooftop, Jackie ran at super-speeds thanks to the Rabbit Talisman, avoiding the blasts of shadow magic from the Bat-Khan above him, while also weaving around the wizard-duel taking place between Uncle and Daolon Wong. He quickly made his way to a pile of treasure and used super speed to grab each object and throw it at a speed equivalent to a gatling gun, obliterating a group of ten Bat-Khan in one sitting.
Six tried to ambush him from behind, but three of them were shot down by Tohru with his heat-beam eyes, courtesy of the Pig Talisman, prompting the remaining three to fly toward him, which he quickly dealt with his own physical strength.
Caleb swung down his katana to cut down one Bat-Khan before thrusting the blade behind him to impale the another that tried to ambush him from behind, but that Bat-Khan proved to be a mere distraction as Miranda shot some webbing at his back to try and pull him down as she leapt at him, but Caleb swung his blade at her, forcing her to dodge as she missed and rolled along the ground. She tried to spit some more webbing at him, forcing Caleb to defend himself with his katana to block and slice the webbing away.
At the same time, Alchemy tried to press her Talisman powers at Tarakudo, but he seemed to be pushing back with even greater force. "Come on… come on…!" Alchemy muttered.
Tarakudo only gave a slight tisk in amusement. "Amateur." He gave a big enough physic blast that broke through Alchemy's Talisman power and sent her rolling across the ground. "Foolish child. I am the King of the Shadowkhan. I've had hundreds of years of experience with my power, you've only had that Talisman for five minutes."
"Yeah… but you know what else I got?" Alchemy asked as she reached into her pocket. "A fresh onion with your name on it!" She threw said vegetable at Tarakudo's face.
Already, Tarakudo screamed in pain as he scrunched his eyes closed, shedding tears of green energy. "UGH! MY EYES! MY EYES!" He vanished away from the scene, causing Alchemy to sigh in relief.
Cedric had managed to pick up Scruffy, still in the form of a direwolf and threw him high into the air, but Scruffy had then taken the form of a bird that flew back down toward Cedric before morphing into the form of a lion that pounced and bit onto Cedric's shoulder, causing him to roar in pain before he swiped his arm to knock Scruffy off. Once he was on the ground, Scruffy then changed his shape to that of a rhino and charged Cedric, ramming him in the chest and forcing the humanoid snake to try and press his strength against his, but it seemed rhino-Scruffy was far stronger as he trampled all over Cedric.
Oni-Blunk threw a punch out, which smashed away a pile of stolen treasures and jewels, as Will had flew into the air to avoid said punch before coming down to try and re-engage him, using the self-defense moves Jackie taught her, and her own enhanced strength as a Guardian, to block and parry Oni-Blunk's strikes. This appeared to leave him open for Jade who created a whip made of shadows, which she threw out to ensnare Oni-Blunk's feet and trip him up, prompting Will to leap onto him and keep him pinned to the ground.
"Jade! Any time now!" Will tried her best to keep Oni-Blunk pinned.
"I got ya!" Jade had already flown into Oni-Blunk's face and grabbed him with her hands still surging with the Mask-Removal spell as she tried to yank off the mask with Will holding Blunk back.
"No! You can't take mask from Blunk! Mask precious! Precious mask!" Oni-Blunk screamed and struggled.
"Sorry! But I prefer the small, good you!" Jade stated as she heaved with all her strength and was able to yank the mask off Blunk's face, causing her to slide on her back. She then held up the separated mask. "I GOT IT!" She shouted victoriously.
With the mask removed, every single Bat-Khan in the area vanished completely; including those that had Super Moose and the rest of the Guardians surrounded in the air, along with those that Jackie, Tohru, and Caleb were engaging. This also served as a good distraction for Daolon Wong, whom Uncle blasted back with chi-magic, sending him skidding back toward Miranda and Cedric. The three villains looked with genuine concern as Jackie, Jade, Irma, Hay Lin, Cornelia, and Taranee, along with Tohru, Uncle, Caleb, Alchemy, and Super Moose all glaring at them, and even Scruff in the form of a tiger, who snarled at the villains as well.
Cedric hissed in defeat. "Another time." Daolon Wong then waved his scepter, creating another smokescreen of dark magic to engulf himself, Cedric, and Miranda before all three vanished.
"Good riddance." Taranee muttered before everyone turned their attention toward Will, who held the unconscious Blunk in her arms, his body having been turned back to normal the second the mask was removed.
"Is he okay?" Hay Lin asked.
"Yeah, he's just out of it." Will assured as Blunk's eyes slowly opened.
"Blunk's head feel fuzzy…" The dizzy Passling rubbed his head. "Blunk did bad things to friends, didn't he?"
"Hey, it wasn't your fault Blunk." Alchemy told him.
"Yeah, it was this thing." Jade held up the Oni Mask, causing Blunk to give a scream as he climbed over Will and cowered behind her back.
"Keep mask away from Blunk!"
"Don't worry, we won't let it near you." Hay Lin told him.
"Yes, that is going straight to the vault in Section 13." Jackie said.
"No arguments here." Caleb agreed as the group got back together.
"Team work makes the dream work!" Super Moose announced as he flew in the air in celebration.
Scruffy, who had turned back into his normal dog form, gave a bark as all the girls gathered around him to give appreciative pets and hugs. "Can we keep him Jackie? Please?" Jade asked as she and everyone else all gave puppy-dog pouts. "He's practically part of the J-WITCH team now!"
"He actually does seem to be able to hold his own in a fight." Caleb put in.
"I'm rather fond of dogs myself, so I don't really mind." Tohru said.
"Uncle…" Jackie looked toward his uncle as he seemed to have the final word.
"Dogs not allowed in shop." Uncle reminded, but before any of the girls could protest, Uncle gave a slight grin. "But, landlord say pets okay in apartment."
Jackie then smiled as he turned toward the girls. "Jade, if he stays with us, you are responsible for feeding and making sure he goes out on plenty of walks."
"Done." Jade smiled.
"And, after we've taken him to the shelter to make sure he gets all his shots…" Jackie continued. "Since the rest of you are so fond of him, you all have to help Jade train him."
That was all they needed for the seven girls to share elated smiles with each other. "We can totally do that." Will smiled.
"You hear that boy? Who's part of J-WITCH!? You are! Yes, you are!" Cornelia gushed as all the girls gathered around Scruffy to shower him with pure love and affection, which he was more than happy to return with barks and licks of his own.
The men around them couldn't help but share smiles at this exchange, all except for a certain Passling. "Why girls not so loving with Blunk?"
"Because you smell worse than the old man's garlic breath." Caleb replied.
"Lots of garlic is good for you." Uncle chastised as Jackie and Tohru exchanged smiles while the later shook his head in amusement.
Done.
Now that was a fun chapter. Jade's dog, Scruffy, is now part of the crew, and the heroes have recovered three Oni Masks, six more to go. Pretty sure you didn't expect Blunk to wear a mask, huh? Well, there's quite a few more surprises in store for who wears the next masks in the future, and it's my hope that you all find those chapters to be enjoyable.
Thanks again for waiting, and I'll see you next time with the next chapter of J-WITCH. Until then, stay safe and healthy out there. Happy Halloween.