Love, Immortal Soup and World Domination

Chapter 12

Karitz Surfaces

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Hikara hated the way Chase's cats never left you go anywhere alone.

So far she had walked several trips in and out of the kitchen, down to Shadow's chamber and into the dining room again and not once had the cats left her go alone. They followed her everywhere she went! Now, as Shadow and herself sat down by the table Hikara had the tingling feeling at the back of her neck like she were being watched.

The tiger's stare seemed to pierce right into the back of her head and pass out the other side. All the while, she kept shuffling in the chair uncomfortably while Shadow lounged on the other side of the table unaffected by her uneasiness or the cats' stares.

Hikara felt bad because Shadow had just gulped down two bowls of Chase's own Lao-Mang-Lone Soup and it was her who gave him permission. She had no right to give Shadow Chase's things but she just certainly hoped Chase wouldn't notice when he returned. I mean, he had a WHOLE room stocked with bowls!! How hard was it to miss just two of them! He hardly counted them everyday did he? That would be slightly strange………but, just where were Chase and Wuya gone anyway?

"Hey Shadow?" she called down the table to the blind hedgehog.

"Hmm?"

"Where are Chase and Wuya gone to?"

There was silence as Shadow pondered about this for a little while. He rested his legs up on the table and leaned back in the chair. "If my senses are right, and Hannibal hasn't screwed them up I'm pretty sure, then I think they're gone in search of a shen-gong wu. Hmm. I wonder if Chase has any more soup around-"

"No!" Hikara snapped at him and the hedgehog rested back further in the chair pouting at her. "No more soup. You've drank enough!"

Shadow shrugged. "I'm thirsty, that's all."

"Sure." Hikara rolled her eyes for she knew well that Shadow's craving for that particular soup was awful. Especially when he exceeded two bowls.

For the remainder of breakfast, which consisted of a plethora of fruits and cereal, they had sat in silence. Shadow was quite the Messer at times and not exactly mannerly but he was alright at other times. And this was what he was doing now. For entertainment he had started petting the tiger beside him. At first the tiger objected to the fact that anyone besides his Master was to pet him but, in turn, the tiger learned Shadow was just as good and leaned into the massage. Shadow really liked cats………Hikara was not sure why. Was it because one of his transformations was a tiger? Or he had liked them since childhood or something?

"The funny thing is," Shadow said suddenly looking at the tiger. "That intellectually, I'm petting a real human."

Hikara spat her apple that she had been munching into her empty cereal bowl. That was NOT on her list of things to hear today.

"Excuse me?" she choked.

"Seriously," Shadow continued calmly ignoring her. "I don't know how Chase could have beaten so many great warriors………he's not that powerful is he? Most certainly not I say." In Shadow's head no one could beat him unless they had the Sword of Light. But just thinking about the relic brought a scowl to his face and Hikara noticed.

It took a bit for Hikara to regain her composure but eventually she looked at Shadow and asked, "just what the heck are you muttering about over there?" She ignored the fact Shadow was angry.

But Shadow was a hedgehog of many emotions and in a second he was smiling again at her, 'The Sword of Light' forgotten.

"Over the years, many great warriors have come to try and defeat Chase," he explained "But Chase didn't just want to fight and win no prize, so he made a deal. If Chase won, then the warriors freedom belonged to him and they were turned into a type of wild cat such as Lion, panther, tiger and others I cannot think of."

"How many are there do you think?"

"Not quite sure," Shadow raised his grey orbs and looking blindly at Hikara, titling his head, and said sarcastically with a smile "I can't exactly see them you know."

"Oh," Hikara laughed but it didn't seem to affect Shadow. "Right I forgot but," her laughter broke into a sly frown and Shadow's grin lessened into a line. Somehow Shadow sensed the slyness creep into her voice even if he couldn't see her.

"How did you find your way all the way from your chamber to here eh?"

At this Shadow chuckled, "simple really, I used Chase's angry voice to lead me here. His voice travelled through the air and I was able to follow the sound waves right back to their origin. Chase Young's mouth." Hikara laughed at Shadow's conclusion and Shadow grinned wildly at her. But Hikara wondered. Her expression became thoughtful as she thought:

"But how does he do it? His power maybe?"

"I did it," Shadow replied like he had read her mind "by using my master of the element air." Shadow failed to mention that he could also read minds.

"What do you mean?" Hikara furrowed her brow and a look of confusion played on her pale face. "What do you mean, by the 'element air'?" Shadow laughed at her silliness and propped himself up in the chair.

"There are four elements," he began still caressing the tiger's head. "Air, earth, water and fire. Now, personally, my favourite is fire but I like the others too. They come in quite handy when you're blind."

"Air, water, earth and fire?"

"Exactly," Shadow replied. "But to master them takes many years, nearly one hundred for me but I think you could do it faster." Shadow's mouth curved in a sly grin and he leaned forward in the chair placing his arms firmly on the table. The tiger groaned at the hault of his petting but Shadow didn't look at him. Hikara tilted her head sceptically at Shadow's sudden change in expression and movements.

"But" Shadow continued "You're special."

"Special?"

"Yes. Listen closely" he ordered and closed his eyes. "The Xiaolin Monks, do you know who they are?"

"Yeah, four kids who can control earth, water, air and fire-oh! The elements!" Hikara grinned but looked back to her former Master and saw he was waiting for her to be serious about the matter. So she grinned sheepishly before her mouth retracted to a straight line.

"Yeah, okay, what about them?"

"Well, technically, there was supposed to be five of them kids yet they couldn't find the fifth one," the Heylin creature continued. "The fifth one was the most important and the Xiaolin are a few steps down because of it. The last kid was female,"

"Ok."

"And she was about your age,"

"Right," Hikara leaned in further, "What else?"

"And to be frank, she was almost indentical to you."

"Eh?" Hikara sank into her chair again confused. She didn't have a twin.

Shadow put a finger to his chin in thought and casually leaned back in his chair resting his legs, once again, on the pristine table cloth. The tiger nudged his hand once and again and Shadow began to pet it.

"The last dragon had a difficult choice to make though" he said ignoring the girl's thoughts of confusion.

"The choice being 'Which side do I go on? Heylin? Or Xiaolin?' I must agree with her though, I wouldn't be able to choose myself if I were in her shoes and had no history of any side."

"Wait," Hikara sank into her chair lower and sighed. "Female? A choice, identical to me? That sounds an awful lot like me Shadow. I have a choice……….Wait," her face lit up and she beamed at Shadow jumping up from the chair, "Is it me!?" she yelped.

Shadow raised an eyebrow at her sudden outburst yet it was expected and he smiled slightly. "Yes Hikara, it is you-"

"YES!!!! What element am I? What powers do I have!!?? Please Shadow, tell me!! Can I fly? Shoot fire balls? Create tidal waves?-" said girl was jumping about erratically ignoring the hedgehog's furrowed brow and sighs of annoyance.

"Not now," Shadow raised a hand and his expression became solid and cold all emotions disappeared. Hikara immediately obeyed and fell back into her seat not wanting to anger her former Master. Shadow's grey eyes directed themselves to the entrance of the Dining Room. "We have unwanted company." Shadow dropped his hand to the table. He looked to the right as Chase Young and Wuya entered the dining room.

"I thrust everything was as you expected Shadow? Hikara?" Chase called to them as he stood beside the table. Shadow just turned his eyes away from the Heylin master and huffed in an annoyed tone.

Hikara sighed at Shadow's ignorance and smiled at Chase. "It was fine. Thank you Chase……um."

"Yes?" Chase asked raising an eyebrow. Shadow just opened one eye to stare at Hikara in wonder and Wuya took to her own quarters not interested in the talk at all. Shadow heard her huff in an annoyed tone. "What's biting her?" the hedgehog wondered as Wuya disappeared out another door.

Hikara thought about asking Chase whether or not he would train her but slowly she felt her cheeks turn red. His cat-like eyes lingered on her waiting for something to be said.

For the first time, Hikara took into mind how toned Chase's body was. Even under his reptile-like armour one could tell his muscles were well defined. Chase looked around seventeen or eighteen while Hikara was sixteen. But Hikara knew that Chase was, in fact, immortal just like Shadow and around the same age too.

Hikara smiled to herself knowing her next thought was quite true and no one could disagree with her.

"Damn. He is hot!!!!"

But she didn't know that 'someone' was reading her mind and that 'someone' didn't see that one coming. The sound of a chair's four legs scraping against the floor was heard with a thrashing sound and something hitting the floor with a big 'thud.'

Shadow fell off the chair in fright.

Hikara jumped up from her seat and Chase lifted a sceptical eyebrow at the fallen hedgehog.

But slowly, a gloved hand appeared and grasped the table cloth. After a while, Shadow resurfaced with grey eyes glancing around. He plopped his chin onto the table and a huge smile played across his muzzle as he looked towards Hikara. Hikara didn't like the way there was a twinkle of mischief in Shadow's eye.

"Let's not think those things Hikara" he said to her his face gleaming. But that was when Hikara realised something terrible.

"He can read minds!"

"You bet I can," Shadow told her. "And your head has become most intriguing.

Chase was confused as he looked from one to the other trying to decipher the ordeal. Then, he frowned and massaged the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"What are you two muttering about?" he asked them, fed up with this nonsense. "Shadow, are you sure your body is functioning right? Perhaps the 'Sword of Light's' wound is still affecting you?"

"For the last time! I'm fine!" Shadow blurted angrily at him and for a second his eyes flashed red. He smacked the table with his fist in resent.

The hedgehog then changed the subject to shen-gong-wu much to Hikara's relief. Though she knew Shadow was avoiding Chase's questions of the sword because he never dwelled upon that stuff for long while conversing with someone.

"So," Shadow said calmly returning to his seat "did you get the shen-gong-wu? What was it if you don't mind me asking?"

Chase seemed relieved at the change of subject and kindly answered Shadow's questions. "Yes. We retrieved it from a desert far from here. However, the Xiaolin Monks never arrived……"

Shadow raised an eyebrow, "oh? What was the name of the shen-gong-wu Chase?" somehow, Shadow had a sneaking suspicion of being the shen-gong-wu he feared……….

"The Aqua Moonstone" Chase said without hesitation.

Once again, Shadow fell from the chair in fright. He was convinced the chair was cursed.

"This chair is cursed damn it!"

Shadow had a history of that particular shen-gong-wu and if he could get his hands on it then, all the better. The 'Aqua Moonstone' was the only thing, besides Shadow, that opened a gate to the 'Heylin Empire' and if it ever reached Karitz's hands Shadow could say goodbye right then and there.

But it was lucky Chase had it and not anyone else elsewhere………. but it was also unlucky because it increased Karitz's chances of arriving to Chase's citadel soon.

Slowly Shadow resurfaced from the floor onto his 'cursed' chair with a sad frown plaguing his tanned muzzle. "Great," he said under his breath "that's the last thing I need right now………."

"But never mind that…….." the hedgehog said in his mind and a smirk crossed his face once again much to the confusion of Chase and Hikara. "I sense a Xiaolin Monk has entered the main entrance. Maybe I should go and greet him. But what's the funniest way to get away from here then? I feel the need to cause trouble heehee."

As the solution occurred to him Shadow smiled deviously. He noticed, somehow, the tiger had curled in between Chase's legs making it perfect for his 'scheme.' He probably sensed its purring ringing through the air to point out its location.

He summoned a ball of green flame in his hand and shot it at the tiger cuddled into Chase's feet. The tiger gave an amazing yelp and scurried away as the fire hit him. Chase, who had been slightly leaning against the animal, fell sideways and crashed into Hikara. Said girl screamed as the two fell onto the ground and Shadow stifled a laugh before disappearing in a green flash of light, gone to greet a bald headed monk.

But, for a small accident, Hikara was somewhat light so it didn't take much for her head to crack off the marble floor.

When Chase recovered from the 'incident', which didn't take long at all, he shook his head and sought out Hikara.

But he only had to look two centimetres before laying eyes on her. Chase now realised he was in a bad situation.

He was lying……..ON TOP of Hikara.

"What the-!?" Chase's evil eyes widened as he was only two metres away from her face. Her eyelashes rested on her pale cheeks and her chest rose and fell with every breath she took.

The next thought that entered Chase's mind hit him like Dashi had thrown the brick at Shadow. It hit him hard.

"She looks so peaceful………like an angel……wait! What!? What are you thinking!? Get a grip!"

Yet this thought didn't stop Chase from brushing a blue lock from her face and tucking it behind her ear. There were little blue teardrops in her ears as earrings. They were a glittering cobalt blue that twinkled in the light.

Then, something snapped in Chase's mind. "GET OFF OF HER YOU IDIOT!!!!!!!!!"

Chase shook his head frantically and hopped off Hikara as fast as he could. He backed away slowly breathing erratically as his eyes lingered on Hikara angelic form until his back met a stone pillar. His eyes were widened trying to figure out what he had just done. Apparently, his conscience remained him of who he was.

"You are Chase Young! Prince of Darkness! Heylin Master! What were you thinking!?"

Chase suddenly noticed Shadow disappeared when the incident occurred which could only mean one thing.

"He did this" Chase seethed through gritted teeth. "I'm going to kill him!" With new thoughts set and an ambition to get revenge on Shadow Chase made his way over to Hikara. He picked her up and again, like in the rain next to Shadow's tiger corpse, he cradled her against his chest.

Slowly Chase lifted Hikara into his arms and carried her out the exit to seek revenge on Shadow. Of course, Chase's revenge wasn't going to life-threaten the hedgehog because of two reasons.

1. Shadow said only the 'Sword of Light' could kill him and

2. Chase saw Shadow as a very powerful creature and would probably use him in his Master plan to turn Omi to the dark side…….

But right now, Chase was having a hard time finding said hedgehog and Hikara wasn't exactly taking to being carried around. As Chase raced around looking for Shadow Hikara had been shifting uncomfortably in Chase's arms making it, all the while, harder to carry her.

Finally, Chase arrived at the main stair of his citadel and sighed when he found no walking, human-like hedgehog.

Well, he didn't exactly look hard.

"So wait……..you're telling me that the fire monk has this little box………that's a…….what-do-you-call-it? Computer? And you can games and stuff and………surf? Surf the internet?"

The bald headed monk frowned, "yes, it is quite complicated and I have no clue as to how Kimiko works it. Perhaps it's another girl thing?"

"I got you there," Shadow concluded (he had many encounters with girls talking of the same thing) before Chase appeared, with Hikara in arms, on the main stair of the citadel.

"Uh-oh," Shadow grinned, "Mister Heylin grumpy had arrived." Omi tried not to laugh.

"Omi," Chase smiled quickly frowned and glared daggers at Shadow. "What was that for!?" the Heylin Master hissed in his mind.

Shadow just smirked. "It wasn't that bad was it?" Chase gritted his teeth but sighed. Once he regained his calm, evil demeanour he looked upon Omi.

"I was wondering where you and your friends had gotten off to," Chase continued and smirked at the small monk. "You missed a shen-gong wu you-"

"I am aware of that Chase Young," Omi was dead solemn "but I came to you for help not information." Omi wasn't here to talk. He needed help and he needed it now.

Immediately, Shadow's ears pricked in high caution. His eyes turned poisonous and red once again as he dipped his head and his ruby orbs glistened. He could sense the predicament Omi was in when the water dragon spoke. In fact, by reading Omi's mind, Shadow knew exactly why the monk came and the ordeal he had to face alone.

"Oh?" Chase continued not even acknowledging Shadow's sudden change in expression. "And what for young monk? Jack Spicer has captured your friends? Hannibal has-"

"Karitz……he has captured your friends Omi. Hasn't he?"

The bald monk looked at Shadow and nodded his head. Omi didn't know how Shadow knew it was an evil demon. Karitz, an immortal maroon hedgehog with toxic green eyes, the demon who had invaded the Xiaolin Temple, captured his friends and stolen the shen-gong-wu. To bring things to basics, Karitz was unstoppable as Omi had seen.

Shadow knew Karitz well as the evil demon who had created the 'Lao Mang Lone Soup.' Yet, for a century and a half, Shadow had failed to uncover how Hannibal came in possession of it.

'Lao Mang Lone Soup' was a bitter liquid/food to taste at first, but gradually as time progressed and you kept drinking it, it became your favourite food. Lao Mang Lone Soup has, as I'm sure you know, a power to make the consumer immortal and evil to the very bone. It also has a transformation effect over you. The usual transformation effect is one but can progress to two or even three! It's very dangerous and only a handful of consumers can master the transformation. The dark hedgehog Shadow, the first consumer of the liquid, has a total of two transformations. The first being a black and red vicious tiger and the second is an unstoppable beast that the only person to ever see it before was Dashi.

Shadow had an intense craving for the liquid and, due to his Heylin power, could even create his own recipes. Lao Mang Lone Soup was made entirely of an evil magic unknown to any man. Not even Chase, the only other person besides Shadow who drank it, knew of its creation history. Lao Mang Lone Soup was made of a special recipe. Its ingredients are a cup of wheat grass juice, a tablespoon of salt, a pinch of dried frog, and one whole dragon. To make the soup more delicious and powerful 'Black Chi' is added.

Black Chi is something only Shadow and Karitz have. It is part of their Heylin power and the chi is used in offensive as well but Shadow and Karitz never use it…….it's too dangerous and could kill a normal person in one hit……..

Shadow knows that if he doesn't drink the soup every day he will transform into his monster-transformation (his second unknown transformation) and remain like that………..forever. That goes the same for Chase. It is critical they both get their daily soup needs.

Shadow closed his eyes thinking hard about Karitz and his sudden appearance. "Why at the Xiaolin Temple of all places?"

"Tell me……….how many are with him Omi?" Shadow asked suddenly reopening his eyes.

"About ten."

"That's not too bad………..I think I could take them then-"

"Wait!"

Hikara tumbled out of Chase's arms suddenly and landed in front of Shadow who raised an eyebrow……..yet again. It just proved the point that many strange things had happened today.

The female stood up and grabbed Shadow's shoulders for support. Had given her that a hell of a hit?

"That's that demon isn't it!?" she asked him frantically. "The one you said that was coming for you and Chase right?"

Shadow was silent, eyebrow still raised at her demeanour and Chase was the same. Coming for him? Who? A demon? Hikara shook Shadow's shoulders and tears pricked her aqua eyes.

"Then why are you going to fight it? Why……………? Why Shadow?"

Shadow folded his arms and his red eyes faded to greyscale again. He looked lazily at Hikara. "Don't worry," he said flatly "he can't kill me now……."

Hikara let go of him and backed away a bit. She cast her eyes downwards. "Are you sure?" Her tone hit Shadow like………….like the time Dashi threw a brick at him! And that brick had hurt………a lot………..

Shadow chuckled nether the less and regained his calm composure. "Hannibal has 'The Sword of Light' Hikara. Karitz needs that 'Sword' to kill me. It's the only thing that can" the hedgehog turned from her to Omi. "Now, Omi, if you would be kind enough to lead me to the Xiaolin Temple I'll take care of Karitz for you."

Chase looked terribly confused at the conversation and Shadow shook his head at him. "I'll tell you when I get back" was all the hedgehog said with a frown before grabbing Omi and disappearing in a green light.

Wuya had only appeared with a hairbrush in her hand when Shadow had disappeared. She placed her hands on her hips and looked at Hikara "he's gone to fight Karitz hasn't he Hikara?"

Hikara nodded and Chase gritted his teeth before bellowing "someone tell me who is Karitz before I devour both of you!"

Well? I know……..it's a little boring but the next chapter (or two) will be exciting!! This chapter was supposed to be a bit funny………READ AND REVIEW PLEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!