See? I haven't forgotten about you guys, lol
Upon returning home to the temple, Raimundo had been the first to leap off of Dojo's back. The boy stormed away to his room without a word and did not even join the others for dinner.
"You were gone longer than expected," Fung said to the three who did join him. "Where is Raimundo?"
"Eh, about that…" Clay began, but Omi interrupted him.
"He has shut himself away in his chambers to wallow in self pity and misery." Before their master could further question that, Omi shouted, "Because he LOST the Sun-Chaser Stallion AND the Moon-Dancer Mare in a Showdown with Jack Spicer!"
"The Moon-Dancer Mare?"
"Yes. Oh, and the Serpent's Tail as well."
"Well, he tried his best," Clay said.
"And it was not good enough," Omi said pointedly.
"Harsh…" Dojo muttered to Fung.
Fung turned to Kimiko. "Kimiko. An explanation, please?"
"Yes, Master Fung." She nodded. "After we spoke with Empress Shun, we discovered that Raimundo's lost childhood friend, Violet, was actually the daughter of Cheng. The Clarity Orb can't find Violet, but Shun thinks that the Stallion can, but the Stallion won't listen without the Mare. So, we went to the location of the lost Lóngshén Empire to find it. And we did. Long story, short, Jack was there, challenged Raimundo to a Showdown for both horses, and Raimundo lost because Jack used the Reversing Mirror on the Stallion."
"I see…"
"What could Jack want with those horses?" Clay mused aloud.
"For evil of course," Omi told him and threw his arms up. "What else?! And since he has both, that means he can actually use them!"
"Not necessarily," Kimiko said, gaining their attention. "Remember what Shun said? The Stallion and Mare only listen to their rightful masters. Jack only got the Stallion to listen during that Showdown because he used the Reversing Mirror while it was under someone else's command. Someone who was not its rightful master."
"How'd Raimundo manage to get that Stallion to listen, anyway?" Clay asked, mostly to himself.
"Maybe he asked it politely," Dojo suggested, earning him looks from the young monks. "What?"
"Anyways," Kimiko continued, "I don't think Jack will be able to get them to listen to him again."
"You may be right," Master Fung told her. "But let us hope that he does not discover a way to do otherwise."
…
In the dark and quiet of the night, a figure crept silently into the vault where the monks stored their collected Shen Gong Wu. The figure descended the spiraling staircase for a bit then stopped and pushed something on the curved wall. With the sound of stone scraping against stone, a small drawer opened from the wall to reveal the Shen Gong Wu resting within.
…
With a sudden appearance, Raimundo was standing at the base of a flight of stone steps, the surrounding mist still thick in the nighttime darkness. He looked up, unable to see the top of the mountain either due to the dark or the mist or both. It seemed that even Shen Gong Wu could not best the mist that surrounded this place. He glanced down at the Shen Gong Wu in his hand.
The Wayfaring Raccoon was a peculiar Shen Gong Wu. It took the appearance of a small, wooden raccoon, cutely standing on all four paws with its tail erect as if surprised by something, though its eyes were two tiny sapphires that glinted with mischief. It was similar to the Golden Tiger Claws, in that it could transport its user to a location of their desire, but it was far more limited in that, unlike the Claws, the Raccoon could only transport someone to a place they have already once been. However, it appeared that the Raccoon was unable to take Raimundo to the top of the mountain. Once again, he would have to climb the steps to the top. This time, however, he found the climb to be much easier.
Once he reached the top, he paused to look around. Aside from the moonlight shining on the Clarity Orb, there was only a single source of light, the windows of the tiny house off to the side. He went over to the house, hesitated, then, as he went to knock on the door, it opened.
"Greetings, young monk," Shun said warmly. "Come in."
He was surprised, but said nothing and entered the tiny and humble abode. It merely consisted of a single room with a firepit in the center and a small table. In the far corner, opposite the door, was a bed.
Raimundo glanced around as Shun went over to a kettle hanging above the fire. "Is this really all you have? Don't you need to eat, or…go to the bathroom?"
"I have mastered survival on the most miniscule of resources," she replied.
"Yeah, no kidding."
"There is a natural spring on the next mountain over. I go there to groom myself. It is also abundant with fruit trees, and is close enough that my tether to the Orb is not strained. Tea?"
"Thanks," he accepted the offer.
Shun brought the kettle over to the small table and carefully poured its contents into two cups. Then, she placed it to the side and sat on her knees across from him as he joined her.
"You have returned sooner than I had anticipated," she said as she watched him blow on the hot drink. "And alone, it seems."
"Didn't your magic orb already show you that I would? That's why you opened the door before I knocked, right?"
"The Clarity Orb did not reveal to me that you would be returning so soon, nor did I ask it. As for the door…I had sensed your presence as you ascended the mountain. One of the many perks of being in tune with nature, I suppose." She paused to take a careful sip of her tea, then said, "So, young monk. What brings you to my mountain at this hour? Why are you alone?"
"Because I'm fed up!" He threw his hands up after placing the drink on the table. "I messed up! I lost both horses and the Serpent's Tail in a Showdown with Jack Spicer, and now I don't have anything that could lead me to Violet." He placed his hands in his lap and looked away. "I don't know why I came here…"
"You do not?"
"I mean… I didn't wanna hear Omi's nagging about losing them, or the others trying to make me feel better. It doesn't make me feel better, and I know I messed up! And then Master Fung and his 'wise words'. Ugh! I can't take it sometimes, ya know?"
"I see," Shun sipped her tea. "I knew, from the Orb, that you would fail there," she said after a few moments.
"Ugh!" He covered his face with his hands. "Why didn't I just think to ask you and that Orb thingy before we even left!?"
"Knowing the future will not necessarily allow you to change it," Shun told him gently. "But since it is now in the past, you can instead learn from it."
"How is that gonna help me?"
"Well… what did you learn from that experience?"
He thought about it for a minute. "That… the Stallion is willing to listen when it's about his master. And… the Reversing Mirror works on it, too. But if he can just use the Reversing Mirror, that means they'll do whatever he wants."
Shun smirked. "Is that what you think? Dear child, let me explain. The Stallion and Mare will only obey their rightful masters. Unless, as you discovered, you can convince them that you are trying to get them back to their master. When they are obeying the commands of someone who is not their true master, they are subject to other influences, such as the Reversing Mirror. The Stallion and Mare returned to their innate forms after the Showdown, did they not?"
"Yeah?"
She nodded. "They no longer have a user. If they are called upon now, they will not obey. Therefore, they will not have a user this time, and therefore, the Reversing Mirror will not work again."
"Huh?"
"The artifacts of the Lóngshén are both very similar, and yet vastly different from traditional Shen Gong Wu. The Reversing Mirror targeted the Stallion's attack, and its aggression, and sent it back to you, the one who had commanded it. And so, the Stallion turned against you. But on its own, if the Stallion, or even the Mare, were to attack him and he used the Mirror, it would deflect their attack, but not their aggression and disobedience. Do you understand why?"
"Because…there won't be anyone to deflect it to?"
"Precisely," she smiled. "Those two are going to cause that boy a lot more trouble than he has anticipated."
"And then we can get them back?"
"From what the Orb had shown me recently… The Stallion will eventually return to you. You, specifically. I do not know how or why, as the vision was clouded by darkness, but that is what it chose to share with me. Just be patient, young monk."
"I'll try… Hey, do you ever get lonely up here all by yourself?"
"After so many years of isolation, I have come to feel at peace when I am alone. Monks and pilgrims from many different places used to visit me from time to time, but only ever to seek wisdom and advice or training in martial arts. I do not mind, of course, as the company is much appreciated despite their reasons. Besides, anyone whom the mountain deems worthy and willful enough to reach the top is welcome to me. I have found that the loneliest people are most often the ones constantly surrounded by others."
"But you invited us to come back here in three weeks, didn't you? What for?"
"Ah, that." She looked down at her empty cup. She was smiling, but it seemed almost forced. "There are some things that the Clarity Orb may show me that I am not allowed to share with others. The reasons vary greatly. Even if I wish to share them, or I fear what it has shown me, I must put my trust into it and uphold its laws. You will come to understand such things one day, but perhaps not now. In three weeks from now, there is something here that you and your fellow monks must see. Now, with all due respect, dear child, I must ask that you do not return until then. Can you do that for me?"
"Uh, sure. Yeah, I can do that."
She nodded at him. "Good. Now, return home, where you belong, and do not let today's failure discourage you any further."
They both stood up and made for the door. As Raimundo exited, he stopped to look back at her standing in the warmly-lit doorway. Her blue eyes seemed to pierce the darkness to stare at him with a warmth that reminded him of his own mother. After a moment, he tore his eyes away and said, "Um, thanks," then produced the Wayfaring Raccoon from his pocket and held it up. With a call of its name, the boy vanished without a trace.
To be continued…
Another Shen Gong Wu of my own creation. I needed something that could like teleport people or whatever, but, if I recall correctly, the Golden Tiger Claws are in the Earth's core? I don't think they ever got them back but I can't really remember. Either way, neither the monks nor Jack have the Claws. So enjoy a cute little raccoon-themed Wu.