Chapter 41: Earwigs and Creepers
I kind of wanted to make a Halloween chapter, but that didn't happen. Which kind of sucks, because this is my favorite holiday. Oh well.
On with the chapter!
Valerie didn't like being berated, especially by Kimiko. She considered the Asian girl to be a very close friend, perhaps even her best friend, and to have her criticize Val, even lightly, was a bit of a blow. That being said, Valerie had felt extremely lazy that day, her movements lethargic. So, when a Shen Gong Wu revealed itself, Valerie just threw on her black t-shirt with Pink Floyd's "The Dark Side of the Moon" album cover on the front, her new cyan jean shorts, and her new Converse shoes. She didn't bother with her hair, instead just letting it down in loose, somewhat frizzy waves.
Valerie admitted that dressing up now and again was fine, maybe even a little fun, but doing it all the time was a huge hassle. She didn't know how Kimiko did it all the time. Take today for example: her outfit consisted of an olive green jumpsuit with pink trimmings on the cuffs and collar and on the zipper. It had long sleeves and short legs, revealing her olive green and pink plaid knee high stockings (Kimiko actually bought a few pairs from the online store Valerie found). With dark pink boots and her black hair down with a partial ponytail at the very top, Kimiko looked fashionable and ready to take on the world.
Or at least the swamp she was running in. Seriously, her outfit nearly fit in with the terrain, or at least what Valerie could see of it. A warm, dense fog surrounded the forest and rolled over the water.
Kimiko was finally at the large willow tree in the middle of the swamp. Supposedly hidden in the tree's dense foliage was the Shen Gong Wu. Kimiko quickly used the Lotus Twister, her arm elongating and her hand swelling up to five times its size. She quickly searched through the leaves and grabbed onto the Wu.
But the Wu was much heavier than anticipated. With a cry, Kimiko staggered back under the weight, her arm reeling back and catapulting the Wu into the air. As she fell, the Wu flew right into the hands of Jack Spicer.
"This Mosaic Scale is mine!" he crowed. "Too bad!" He then proceeded to do a truly awful victory dance.
Omi, predictably, pointed his finger dramatically. "You do the dance of happy too soon, Jack Spicer!" He then jumped towards the tree and kicked at the trunk, jumping up it and sending leaves spiraling down. The tree shook, and Jack lost his balance and fell to the ground.
After getting a mushroom from out of his nose, Jack gasped, "Jack-bots, attack!"
"Need a little help there, partner?" Clay rubbed his hands in anticipation at the incoming robots.
"No, there is only five of them," Omi pointed out cheerfully. He then proceeded to jump into the air and completely destroy them with a few well-practiced kicks and punches. He even defeated three of them by standing on one Jack-bot and waiting until two others were honing in on him, jumping off at the last second as all three collided.
"Does he need to add so many flourishes to his moves?" Valerie griped as Omi continuously shouted, "Hi-yah!" as he fought.
"I think it's cute how excited he gets," Clay told her.
Finally finishing up the lackeys, Omi slid towards Jack Spicer, swiping his feet and knocking the boy genius down. The Mosaic Scale was once again sent soaring through the air.
Raimundo jumped at it, flying high, high into the air before grabbing it with one hand. "And it's a quarter kick by Omi, in for the goal!" he announced upon landing.
Valerie slowly clapped. "Not bad, not bad," she said. "And we didn't have to do much." She nudged Clay, who just smiled.
As Jack Spicer flew away-but not without a minor freak out about his hair- Raimundo went up to Kimiko and laughed derisively. "Hey, no one said anything about you going for a swim!"
"Water's fine," Kimiko said through gritted teeth. "Wanna join me?"
"Nah, water is not my element."
Valerie, who was right behind Rai, suddenly sent Kimiko a smirk. "That doesn't mean you can't take a quick dip," she said sweetly as she pushed Raimundo into the pool. With a shriek he splashed into the water, the Mosaic Scale going airborne once more before Valerie plucked it out of the air.
Kimiko giggled loudly as she spotted Rai's flabbergasted expression. The poor boy was dripping wet, half of his body still submerged. Valerie quickly helped Kimiko out of the pool just as Omi walked up to her.
He held up the Lotus Twister and said questioningly, "Looks like you dropped this? Is that why Jack got the Shen Gong Wu before you?"
Instantly all of Kimiko's good humor evaporated. "No!"
"Then, he outran you?"
"NO!"
"Oh, then he must have outsmarted you with one of his underhanded trickeries."
"Just drop it, okay Omi?!" Kimiko yelled, throwing her hands into the air.
"O…kay?" Omi asked, baffled.
"Oh, it don't matter much how it happened," Clay said trying to appease her. "It's ours now. Let's head 'em up and move 'em out!" Everyone followed him as they made their way out of the swamp.
"Yes, we should forget the whole thing," Omi agreed. "Anyone can make a mistake."
"I DON'T MAKE MISTAKES!" Kimiko suddenly roared. Omi was sent back, crashing into the ground and making a crater with his large head.
Picking earwax out of her ear with her pinkie, Valerie pointed out, "Yeah, but even you can have an off day." When Kimiko reared her furious glare onto her, Valerie unstuck her finger and raised an unimpressed eyebrow. "Hey, even you're not perfect."
Dojo chose that moment to slither up to them. "Hey, that was fast. How'd it go?"
Omi was still quivering in the hole he made after Kimiko yelled at him. Valerie looked bored. Kimiko just yelled, "Be quiet!" and stormed ahead of them.
"What?!" Dojo exclaimed. "What'd I say?"
At the Temple, later that night
Valerie flopped onto her mat, limbs splayed out. She blew a few loose strands of light brown hair out of her face and arched her back in a stretch. The languid feeling hadn't gone away at all, instead steadily increasing ever since the recent battle with Jack. Valerie had been feeling a bit sluggish since that morning, but the muggy air of the swamp had made lethargy settle into her bones. She hadn't felt like doing her chores or some martial arts training or even reading.
Clay suddenly popped his head into her room. "Hey, Val, you busy?"
Frustrated, Valerie blew some air out of her mouth as she slowly sat up. "No, but I wish I was. I feel like I should be doing something right now."
"In that case, how about a game of Texas Hold 'em?"
"I don't know how to play." Valerie paused. "And isn't gambling involved?"
"We'll only be using poker chips," Clay told her reassuringly. "And Omi can't play either. You can learn together."
Valerie stood up and stretched. "Yeah, sure, I'll play. I don't feel like doing anything else."
"Having one of those days?" Clay asked understandingly as they joined Omi. The little monk was examining the cards and the little red and white plastic discs.
"Yep." Valerie sat down. "I haven't felt like doing anything all day."
Omi looked up, puzzled. "You do not even feel like reading?"
"Nope. How awful is that?"
Omi shot up, a look of panic drawn on his face. "Clay, get the doctor! Valerie is most ill!" He then ran in a circle, screaming.
Valerie rolled her eyes as Clay plucked the little monk off the ground. Omi was still screaming, his little legs pumping wildly. "Hey, hey, easy there partner," Clay said soothingly. "There's nothing wrong with Valerie, she just doesn't feel like reading right now."
"Though, you have to admit, it is really out of character for me," Valerie admitted sheepishly.
"True, but everybody gets those days where they just don't want to do much of anything," Clay pointed out. He turned to Omi, who had mercifully stopped screaming. "Don't you have days like that, little buddy?"
"Not especially." Omi seemed utterly bemused by the idea.
Valerie rolled her eyes. "Figures." She peered at the floor where all the cards are. "So, is it just us playing?"
"Rai's joining in," Clay told her, putting Omi down. "He went to find Kimiko to see if she wanted to join in as well. In the meantime, I can teach you both how to actually play."
"That seems like a good idea," Valerie said, picking up some of the cards.
Texas Hold 'em was apparently a variation of poker, since the objective of the game was to win the pot, or in this case, the pile of poker chips in the center. Valerie had never played poker before, but she had seen Eric do so with some friends before, so Valerie understood the very basics of the game after Clay explained things to her. She didn't understand a whole lot of the rules, though.
Raimundo eventually joined in-apparently, Kimiko was nowhere to be found, though he was sure she would turn up eventually. The games soon began, Clay shuffling cards and expertly throwing them at the players. Everyone threw a few chips in, cards were folded or revealed, someone won or lost everything, and so the cycle went. Valerie lost more than she won, but since she was still an amateur in this game, she took it in stride.
Eventually, Valerie heard the sounds of someone creeping down the hallway. "Is that Kimiko right outside?" Everyone looked up and heard the soft sounds of tip toes across the hard wood floor.
Clay then rolled on his back and popped his head out of the curtains. There was the sound of someone crashing into the coat rack, which he ignored. "Hey Kimiko, wanna join us for a game of Texas Hold 'em?"
"Sure, be right there!" Kimiko grunted in response.
Omi held up two cards. "If you are still in a stinky mood, I can teach you some meditation techniques." Kimiko suddenly popped her head into the room. "It is to control your-!" Clay's hand clamped over Omi's mouth, muffling his next words.
"No problem, I'm all over it," Kimiko drawled out happily. Was she hiding something behind her back? "Join you in just a second." She then dashed out of the hallway, poker cards flying after her.
Valerie blinked. "That was weird."
"She kind of sounded like you when you want to get out of trick roping," Clay teased her.
Valerie pouted. "It's not something I enjoy doing."
"Because you suck at it," Raimundo said with a smirk. Valerie good naturedly threw some of her plastic chips at him.
The next day
"Can't catch me!" Kimiko sang as they swung through the forest. Valerie jumped and flipped around the tree branches, scattering fresh green leaves. It was fun swinging through the woods, but eventually they took a moment to catch their breaths. Valerie clung onto a thick tree branch as Rai and Omi loosely latched onto other tree limbs. Kimiko landed at the end of a branch, folding her arms as she slowly bounced up and down, waiting for the branch to stop.
Suddenly a hand reached out and pulled down the tree limb, and Kimiko was sent flying once it was let go. Valerie watched as the Asian girl screamed before disappearing into the foliage. She turned back to see Clay hanging underneath the branch Kimiko was just launched from.
"What the hell man?!" Valerie shouted angrily.
Raimundo leaped over to him. "Hey, Clay, what gives?"
Clay, who suddenly had awful teeth, smirked. "Oh, I believe…you."
The branch Raimundo was standing on shook before snapping. Clay chuckled evilly and waved goodbye as the Lusitanic boy joined Kimiko on the forest floor, falling right on top of her.
"Raimundo!" Omi leaped around. "Are you alriiiiii-!" he shouted as his own branch gave out and he plummeted to the ground.
Valerie hopped around, angrily glaring at Clay. "Dude, what is with you? And what happened to your eyes, why are they black…?" She heard the sounds of snapping, and she looked down to see her own branch sagging. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me," she muttered before it gave out and she fell towards the earth.
Valerie fell right on top of Omi, and taking a bulbous head to the stomach was extremely painful in her opinion. Still, Valerie eventually rolled off the pile that were her friends, and sat up, holding her new aching bruise.
Omi, the only one of them standing at this point, held up one of their tree branches. "It appears someone sawed the limb."
Raimundo, who had been laying on the ground holding his head, peered to his left. "Yeah, so with this one."
"How'd anyone know we'd be standing on those particular tree branches in the first place?" Valerie muttered.
And then they heard the crackling sounds of a large tree falling. Clay was right next to the sagging tree, grinning as it rapidly loomed over them. The four monks tried to run away, but the tree fell on top of them, burying them in dense foliage.
Valerie soon popped her head out and spat out leaves. She joined the others in glaring at Clay. "Gotta go, but let's do it again sometime," he said in his strange hoarse voice. He then laughed maniacally before speeding off.
"Anyone notice that Clay's acting a little strange?" Kimiko asked suspiciously.
"Or his weird beady black eyes?" Valerie asked. "Seriously, I can't be the only one seeing that, right? Guys?"
Later that night
Valerie was finishing up on the latest book in the A Song of Ice and Fire series when Kimiko plucked the book right out of her hands. "Hey!" she cried out indignantly.
"We haven't seen Clay in a while," Kimiko told her as she put a bookmark in Valerie's spot and tucked the book away.
Valerie sat up. "And since he's been acting weird all day…"
"Shen Gong Wu vault," she and Kimiko said together.
They ran outside towards the vault, Raimundo and Omi apparently having the same idea. They got there just in time to see Jack Spicer walk right out the door, Clay in tow with a bulging bag over his shoulder.
"Clay?" Kimiko pointed an accusing finger. "What are you doing with Jack Spicer?"
Jack and Clay walked up to them, Jack smiling happily. "Clay and I have formed an evil super genius alliance."
Omi pointed dramatically, getting dangerously close to the cowboy. "Clay, I order you to put down those Shen Gong Wu! I do not wish to hurt you."
Clay proceeded to pants the little guy, and then give him a wedgie. With an evil laugh Clay threw Omi against the wall.
"Clay, what's gotten into you?" Kimiko asked, throwing her arms up. Valerie blinked, and then Kimiko was thrown right into Omi.
Growling, Valerie aimed a punch right at Clay's smug face, but he grabbed her fist and threw her overhead. She was sent right into the growing dogpile of young monks in training.
Raimundo jumped onto Clay's back and held him in a vice-like grip. As the two boys struggled, Rai said, "Come on, Clay, it's us, your pals!" And then Clay suddenly put Raimundo in a headlock and gave him a devastating noogie. He soon joined the others in the pile.
Clay roared with his crazy laughter and Jack put a hand on his shoulder. "Clay, you have turned into such a freak! I love it!" And then Jack gave his own evil laugh.
Sometime later
"Another raid?" Dojo said disbelievingly. "You know, maybe we should look into getting insurance on these things."
As Valerie and the others walked down the blue-tinted stone steps of the Shen Gong Wu vault, Valerie said, "Can you even put insurance on archaic magical artifacts?"
"Most disturbing." Master Fung peered into one of the many empty drawers, all of which had been wrenched open. "They have taken the Mosaic Scale. It is a most unpredictable Shen Gong Wu, used to create mischief."
"They didn't take it," Kimiko suddenly said, looking guilty as she joined them down the steps. "I did." She then took her hands from behind her back and revealed the Mosaic Scale, or the two pieces of it.
They all quickly left the Vault after that revelation, and Dojo went to find the Ancient Scroll of the Shen Gong Wu. Once he did, he opened it to reveal a holographic projection of the Mosaic Scale. Valerie watched as the see-through Wu spun around slowly in midair and wondered why the Scroll never showed such capabilities before.
"For centuries, a mischievous spirit-Sabini- was trapped inside the Mosaic Scale," Master Fung explained. The hologram stopped spinning, and then snapped in two, right down the middle. Inside the Wu was a weird furry brown creature that looked suspiciously like a spider with a scorpion's tail. "When the Scale was broken, that spirit was freed and took over Clay's body."
Kimiko groaned. "It's all my fault. I broke the scale and hid it in Clay's room. I never knew it would turn him evil!" She buried her face in her hands. As she cried, Master Fung went over to her and knelt down, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Making a mistake is not a sign of weakness, Kimiko," he told her gently. "It is not being able to admit it that is the true mistake." Kimiko gave a watery smile and wiped away her tears.
"What does this Sabini want anyway?" Raimundo asked hesitantly.
"The Monarch Wings," Dojo said ominously. The Scroll projected a hologram of a large Monarch butterfly flying up into the air. It then stopped flapping its wings and languidly spun in midair.
"It is a sister Shen Gong Wu of unimaginable strength," Master Fung continued ominously. "It will reveal within a short time of the other. When the two join, they're powers will become far greater than the two individually. If Sabini gets the Monarch Wings, he will no longer need a host. He will become… invincible."
"In that case, we don't have time to lose," Valerie said stoically. "We need to stop Sabini at all costs."
"Be cautious," Master Fung warned. "The longer the Sabini spirit inhabits Clay, the stronger he becomes."
"Oh, so no pressure then," Valerie quipped flatly.
At dawn
Kimiko held the broken pieces of the Mosaic Scale in her hand. She studied them before declaring, "We've got to find Clay and stop Sabini." She put the Scale away. "Rai, you go north," she ordered. "Omi, you go south. Val, you go east, while Dojo and I take west." Dojo then enlarged and Kimiko jumped on his back, the two of them hitting the sky before Valerie could even blink.
Raimundo waved as he ran north, and Omi smiled as he ran south. Valerie took out her Wu and shouted, "Golden Tiger Claws!" She then jumped into the rip of reality and was sent on her way.
After rolling around in the endless gray vacuum, Valerie finally arrived at her destination, a serene river with large stones surrounding it. The wind rolled over the grass, the sweet scent wafting over her. Ignoring the peaceful setting, Valerie started to shout: "Clay! Come on out, cowboy! Or should I be calling for Sabini, since he's the one in control?"
A minute later, she felt a presence behind her. Valerie turned her head to see Chase Young standing just a few feet away. He was looking sternly at her, two wooden poles in one clenched hand.
Quickly getting over her initial shock, Valerie struck a martial arts pose. "The fuck do you want?" she snarled. The memory of his true scaly form and the devastation he caused was still bitingly clear in her mind.
"Young girls shouldn't say such foul things," Chase chided her.
Valerie snorted. "Take your archaic nonsense far away from me, Chase. I got better things to do than deal with you."
"I know," Chase said. "It's only a matter of time before the Monarch Wings reveal themselves. It will be your challenge to stop Sabini."
"How do you know it'll be mine?" Valerie spat out. "For all you know, it could be Omi."
Chase thought a moment. "True, it could be. No one quite knows what the future has in store for us." He tossed her a pole. Once she had it in her grasp, the two of them began to spar.
Valerie twirled around and tried to hit him numerous times, but Chase easily blocked her attacks. He wasn't even trying to put in effort; everything he did had a graceful ease to it that Valerie couldn't hope to match. And with every hit, Chase calmly advised: "Fight him until he cannot fight anymore. That is the only way to release the spirit."
Valerie gritted her teeth, annoyed at both Chase's ability to simply dodge her attacks without even seeing them and with his sudden desire to fight her. Just what was he up to? "Why are you telling me any of this?" she demanded to know. "Sabini's on your side, remember? You really want the Xiaolin to take down one of your friends?"
Chase Young snorted. "Sabini is no friend of mine. And just because we are on opposite sides does not mean I cannot teach you."
Valerie broke her pole right over her knee, seething. "I don't want to learn anything from you! Why would you even want to anyway?" She threw aside the wooden pieces. "There's probably hundreds of other people you can con into being evil."
Chase put his pole behind him and smirked at her. "Yes, but none of them are quite like you."
The blood in Valerie's veins turned ice cold. Her eyes widened, and she took an involuntary step back. "Do you enjoy being creepy?" she muttered as ferociously as she could.
He cocked his head to the side like the thought confused him. "I do. But I genuinely had no intention of making you uncomfortable. I apologize."
"You don't sound sincere at all," Valerie said, her skin no longer feeling so frigid in spite of herself.
Chase Young's shoulders seemed to shake a little-was he laughing? Chase Young could laugh with mirth? "It is not often I talk with someone with so much spirit. And I do find you someone worth teaching."
"Why?"
"Why not?" Chase Young's smile suddenly turned into a grim line. "Now, since we cannot continue our little spar…" he gestured to the pieces Valerie had thrown away, "I want you to tell me the truth behind this: It is not the strongest opponent who wins, but who is the strongest willed."
"I'm guessing you're talking about Sabini possessing Clay," Valerie said dryly, crossing her arms. She tried not to show how tense her body was. "When fighting someone with superior strength, you have to use his strength against him."
Chase gave her a smile that seemed almost proud. "For someone so young, you are remarkably intelligent."
"I read a lot." Valerie gave him a withering glare.
He smirked. "Is that so?"
"Valerie!" Kimiko's voice suddenly echoed through the valley. She looked up despite the fact that Chase could strike her down if she was distract.
"We'll be right down, girl!" Raimundo shouted.
"The Monarch Wings have revealed themselves!" Omi explained at the top of his lungs.
Valerie furrowed her brow. Could they not see Chase Young from so far up? She looked to him, only to find that he was gone. Not a trace of him or their fight remained. She looked around, searching, as Dojo landed right next to her.
When she didn't hop on immediately, Raimundo asked her worriedly, "Hey, Val, everything cool?"
"I…" Valerie blinked and looked down, furrowing her brow. "I don't know."
"Come on kid, we gotta burn rubber," Dojo told her as she climbed onto his back. "We got the Monarch Wings to find."
The Monarch Wings were hidden in a snowy mountainous valley, with waterfalls and coniferous trees dotting the place. It was serene and peaceful and too cold for someone wearing only shorts and a thin t-shirt. Thankfully Valerie had her strange Xiaolin powers, so the temperature didn't bother her too much. Though how she changed clothes when she hadn't brought a spare outfit eluded her.
Dojo landed near a pool where numerous waterfalls fed into. The pool itself was just another waterfall, but it also had geysers, which was cool. Valerie wanted to check it out more, but there was a Wu to find.
They spotted Clay and Jack close by, with Clay lifting up rocks to find the Monarch Wings. "Sabini!" Omi shouted. "Prepare for a humiliating defeat!"
"You?" the spirit scoffed. "I eat bigger things than you for breakfast!"
"Technically, Clay does," Valerie pointed out. "You're just inhabiting his body." Nevertheless, the four of them surrounded their possessed friend.
"Talk all you want," Omi declared, "but you are going up!"
"I think he means down," Raimundo said tiredly.
"Sorry Clay, but this is for your own good. Judolette Flip: Fire!" Kimiko conjured up large rings of fire before flipping through them, aiming her foot at Clay. Clay blocked the attack, and Kimiko spun in midair, aiming more kicks at her friend. Eventually Clay just knocked her away.
"Typhoon Boom: Wind!" Raimundo clapped his hands and sent a wave of air at Clay. It should have blown him away, But Clay just held onto his hat and steadily made his way over to Rai. He then kicked Rai's feet from under him and threw him into the remnants of the wind attack. Raimundo screamed as he twisted through the air before painfully crashing into a cliff side.
"Tornado Strike: Water!" The nearby geysers suddenly shot themselves at Clay, sending him reeling backwards. And then Clay cried out, "Reversing Mirror!" and sent the attack back at Omi. The little monk screamed as he was swept back into his friends. Once the wave receded, it revealed washed up versions of three of the monks.
"Empyrean Drive: Aether!" A wall of purple energy was sent towards Clay, something too big for the Reversing Mirror to handle. The wall wrapped itself around him, enveloping him in a bright cocoon before Clay burst out of it, flying through the air and landing in front of Valerie. She aimed a kick at his face but he grabbed her foot and promptly threw her away. She soared through the air before roughly tumbling to the ground, the air being knocked right out of her lungs.
"It looks like super evil genius Jack Spicer has finally found the perfect partner-"
"Tangled Web Comb!" Clay sent hairy vines at Jack, ensnaring him in a tight bind.
"Hey! Why'd you do that?" Jack demanded to know as he fell to the ground. "Ouch!"
"What makes you think I need a partner, partner?" Clay walked towards the Monarch Wings and picked it up. As he walked away, he said, "I've got what I came for."
That was when Kimiko kicked the Wings right out of Clay's hands. She kicked at him again, with him blocking her attack. She tried to jump onto his back to get to him, but Clay just tossed her aside. Kimiko landed roughly on the ground.
"We have to keep fighting," she spat out. "We can't let Sabini win!"
Raimundo took that moment to attack Clay, using his natural agility to try to one up him. He was tossed aside as well, rolling to the ground. "How can we stop the unstoppable?" he asked once he stopped.
"By using his strength against him," Valerie said, brandishing a bronze farmer's scythe. Clay went after her, growling loudly. Valerie used the pole of the scythe to block a punch before suddenly falling on her back. Grabbing Clay by his collar and pulling him down with her, she brought both her legs up in a savage kick, sending him high into the air before landing painfully a ways from her.
"Was that 'Repulse the Monkey'?" Omi asked from the sidelines.
"I don't know, but keep it up Val!" Kimiko cheered.
Clay was running at her again. Valerie stayed still, holding her scythe horizontally against her in a calm pose. The spirit inside Clay was screaming-Valerie took a deep breath-
"GHOST SCYTHE!" she shouted, slashing Clay once across his chest. He fell to the ground sideways, and the gray specter of Clay, the one with kind eyes and an even kinder smile, hovered over the body. His fist was gently beating the air, his mouth forming words, but he was silent to the world.
"So, if you're Clay, I'm guessing this is Sabini." Valerie nudged the body of her fallen friend before slowly backing away.
But the body didn't stir. Instead, a furry spider-scorpion thing suddenly crawled out of Clay's ear. Valerie grimaced, wishing she had a jar or something to capture it in.
"Val, watch out!" Kimiko cried out as Sabini suddenly crawled onto her shoe. As Sabini sprung towards her ear, Valerie's eyes glowed white, and the little spirit was suddenly encased inside a white bubble.
She blinked when she saw the bubble hovering right in front of her. Sabini was screaming, trying to find a way out, but the shield was impenetrable. Valerie looked over at Clay, who shrugged his shoulders in confusion.
A hand suddenly clapped onto her shoulder. "Way to go, girl!" Raimundo cheered.
"That was awesome! Where'd you learn 'Repulse the Monkey'?" Kimiko asked curiously.
Valerie shook her head, mystified. "I think it's a Tai Chi move I saw in a movie. I didn't know it had a name." Suddenly she felt the hair on her arms stand up. She turned her head towards one of the waterfalls to find Chase Young staring down at her with a stern expression, arms crossed. He nodded once before turning around and leaping away. She felt ice slip into her bloodstream.
"Val, the sphere's breaking!" Kimiko's sudden cry jerked her back to Sabini. His bubble prison was disappearing, rapidly breaking apart into tiny pieces. Valerie tried to recreate it, but it was draining her too quickly.
"Anyone got a bug jar?" she gasped out before she collapsed.
Valerie must have blacked out, because for some time all she could see was darkness. She could vaguely hear things- a girlish scream, Kimiko declaring something, hissing and snapping noises- but everything else was lost in the sea of unconsciousness.
And then she heard the sounds of rushing water all around her. Slowly she stirred, feeling something warm against her face. Something soft was tickling her nose, and the scent of oranges wafted over her. Her eyes fluttered open, seeing the world through a hazy film.
The geysers inside the pool had reached toward the dark blue sky, elongating into thin, wide strips that constantly moved like thin rivers. The streams were stretched out like haphazard staircases, and some of the geysers acted as pillars and were attached to some of the stairs. Two people were running around in the chaotic space-or more like, one person and one giant brown monster.
It was Kimiko, Valerie remembered. She was fighting inside a Xiaolin Showdown, or trying to at least. Some of the geyser pillars were bending around, sending boiling hot water at her. Kimiko barely dodged the attacks in time, the heads of the pillars hitting the stairs and barely making a dent in them.
Something was being flung through the air…the…the Monarch Wings? Memories were flashing through Valerie's mind, of Clay and his black eyes and foul teeth, of a broken mosaic tile, of a little furry scorpion that traveled like a spider.
The filmy haze cleared, and sounds and sights rushed at Valerie. She was further aware of her surroundings, of Omi was holding the Ghost Scythe, of Raimundo carrying her on his back, of how Clay's body just lied there like a corpse, his gray soul hovering above it and watching the Showdown, as enraptured as the others.
Valerie wanted to stand on her own two feet and watch the Showdown with them, but everything in her body hurt. She felt drained, just like when she created that sphere to distract the Cyclops. Would she be even able to stand on her own at this point? It was a frustrating thought, but then again, Raimundo was warm and smelled nice and no one had noticed her awakening. She could monopolize him for a few more minutes and comfortably watch the rest of the Showdown.
Kimiko, about to grab the Monarch Wings, had been ensnared by hairy vines. Two geyser streams suddenly went after her, and Kimiko sent a blast of lightning from the Eye of Dashi at the vines, somehow not electrocuting herself. She was able to escape before the geysers hit her. The monks cheered at that, though Clay had to do so silently.
And then Sabini hopped onto the stream Kimiko had been on and grabbed the Monarch Wings.
"No, it cannot be!" Omi cried out helplessly.
"Kimiko, do something!" Raimundo yelled.
If Sabini gets the Monarch Wings, he will no longer need a host. He will become…invincible.
The Mosaic Scale that flew away from Kimiko had not only fixed itself but also attached itself to the Monarch Wings. The two Wu glowed gold, and Sabini shrunk. It hopped right into the Mosaic Scale and a bright light exploded out of it, jets of gold reaching out towards the ends of the arena.
"Just because I made a mistake, doesn't mean I can't fix it!" Kimiko declared. "EYE OF DASHI: FIRE!" An enormous river of flames suddenly burst out of the Eye and hit the Mosaic Scale. The entire thing was enveloped in a large sphere of fire, as bright as a miniature sun. Valerie had to close her eyes from the sight.
"Dude, that is so cool!" Raimundo said, completely awed. Valerie would have agreed if she could see it.
"She is trapping Sabini inside the Shen Gong Wu!" Omi realized, pointing a finger at the sphere.
"Go Kimiko!" Clay suddenly shouted. Valerie opened one eye to see Clay's soul back in his body, and just in time too. Kimiko was using the Eye to seal the cracks in the Mosaic Scale with Sabini still inside. The Scale and the Wings suddenly fell, along with all the water in the arena.
A heavy rain fell upon them all, dousing them thoroughly as all the water settled back in the pool. Kimiko landed next to the Monarch Wings, which was still joined with the Mosaic Scale. She picked up all the Wu she won and jumped over the enormous river.
"Way to go, Kimiko!" Raimundo cheered.
"You have redeemed yourself," Omi pointed out happily. "I am most proud."
"Sabini won't be getting out of here again," Kimiko told them, brandishing the two fused Wu.
Valerie then turned to the last member of their team. "Hey, Clay. How're you feeling?" Raimundo stiffed in shock, but didn't set her down.
Clay scratched his cheek. "More tired than a five legged bronco after a bucking contest."
"Well, the big fellas back," Raimundo said just before Clay fell to the ground face first. He then started to snore loudly.
"We should probably help him," Valerie said as she climbed down from Rai's back. Raimundo immediately helped Kimiko pick Clay up. His cowboy hat fluttered to the ground, and Omi picked it up, following the others as they hefted Clay away from the scene.
"You did well, Valerie." She turned around to see Chase Young standing on a geyser, somehow not getting wet or even getting sent flying from the pressure.
Exhausted and still paranoid, Valerie said, "Thanks for the help, but why help in the first place? Why get rid of Sabini?"
"Always so skeptical," Chase mused. "Let's just say I did one small thing for you." He smirked. "One day, maybe you can return the favor." The geyser then shot up, and he disappeared in a cloud of mist.
Valerie let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. Before she could gather her wits, Dojo hovered before her, the monks on his long back and Clay snoozing peacefully. "Hey kid, time to go," he told her, smiling. "You okay?"
"I'm just tired," she said quietly. She jumped onto his back, Raimundo helping her from falling off. "I'll be fine."
Back at the Temple
Everyone crowded around Clay on the steps leading into the Great Hall. The poor boy had a brown blanket wrapped around him, his feet in a washtub of water and a giant ice cube tied to his head. Kimiko held one of his hands. "So, what do you remember?" she asked curiously.
"Not much," Clay admitted. "We were playin' cards, I went to bed…and now I'm here."
"Well, that about covers it!" she said brightly.
"Kimiko," Master Fung warned. He stood somewhat away from them, the windows casting him in the shadows. He crossed his arms and gave Kimiko a look.
"Okay," she huffed before saying quickly, "so I accidentally broke a Shen Gong Wu and didn't tell anyone and hid it under your bed and this gross evil earwig named Sabini crawled into your ear and you were possessed by an evil annoying spirit. But then we fought it and had you beat up and chased it out of your head and trapped it forever back where it came." She took a deep breath.
"And that about covers it," Valerie said wryly. Kimiko gave a nervous smile and winked.
Fun fact: Valerie has trouble controlling her powers when she loses concentration or begins to feel fear. Think about that.
So, thoughts anyone? Oh, and have a Happy Halloween! XD