"The Revelation: Part I"
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Xiaolin Showdown' in any way.
A/N: So, here it is – the conclusion of 'Dojo's Other Half'. I originally thought that I could fit the entire ending into this chapter, but that's just not going to happen. I'm separating the final chapter "The Revelation" into three parts. Enjoy.
Open on the Xiaolin Temple. Night. Jon Li rests on the ground leaning up against one of the walls. After knocking his former pupil out, Master Fung makes sure that Jon Li won't have the opportunity to lash out again, so the old man ties him up for now. Once he finishes tightening the knot, Master Fung stands up to examine his foe. Inside, the old monk wishes it didn't have to be like this. If ever given the chance, he would instantly go back into time to undo his mistakes.
Master Fung shuts his eyes as he begins to search his memories, recalling that extremely upsetting day in Beijing 1,500 years ago. The monk remembers how happy Dojo used to be. Doja was everything to him … Doja was his whole world. They never spent more than a moment apart. However, during meditation one day at the Temple, Master Fung and his fellow monks discovered something horrible … A revelation. It was confirmed only in the Temple scrolls … and it dealt upon the dragons' relationship. It was not to be spoken of, but a tremendous and unbeatable evil would rise if the dragons stayed together. The monks could not inform anyone else about it, so they took matters into their own hands. Master Fung decided that the one and only way to prevent this from coming true was to break the dragons up … forever. No questions asked.
It pained him to force the dragons apart, but he had no other choice. It was for the sake of humanity.
Flashback to the day in Beijing. Dojo and Doja are holding hands while slithering by stalls of an outdoor market. The place is overrun with customers buying a variety of things, but mostly fruits and vegetables. The dragons always used to go to the market and wait for someone to drop some type of food on the ground. Dojo spots a tomato rolling off one of the stalls. It drops and slowly rolls underneath another stall. Dojo tells Doja that he's getting that tomato for her. While he crawls underneath the stall, a man wearing black robes suddenly appears from behind one of the nearby stalls, as if he was following them the entire time, and snatches Doja. Hurrying, the man makes his way through the market while gagging her. Once Dojo located the tomato, he turned to find Doja missing. He immediately released the tomato and began to panic.
At first, he thought she was playing a joke on him, but that didn't last very long. Dojo flew straight up above the market and turned into his full-size, which alarmed the market's customers. He then began to fly back and forth, carefully scanning the entire market for any sign of Doja. After that, he searched the surrounding city, and after that, he scoured the city's outskirts. Day soon turned into night. There was no way that Dojo was giving up. It then turned into the next day … the next night. After four consecutive days, Dojo could barely fly anymore as he was simply ridden with despair. On the fourth night, he screamed her name into the heavens, overcome with grief and confusion. He kept turning up with nothing. Doja was nowhere to be found. He failed her …
On the fifth morning, Dojo returned to the Xiaolin Temple and locked himself in his room for weeks. During that time, the dragon continuously asked why this had to occur, but he only made himself sick every time he thought about it. Master Fung repeatedly stood outside of Dojo's room aching to tell Dojo. However, the old monk knew what would happen if he did. To this day, it has remained a secret. Although, recent circumstances can and most likely will force him to reveal his 1,500 year-old secret … and, at long last, Dojo will know the truth.
Master Fung opens his eyes and gazes into the night sky. He then lowers his head in sadness.
"I am so sorry, Dojo Kanojo Cho."
"Sorry?" a voice interrupts from behind. Master Fung turns to see a frazzled-looking Raimundo standing across from him.
"Raimundo. Where are the others?"
"That's the best you can do? 'Sorry'? You have no idea what kind of pain I've gone through." Master Fung narrows his eyes and then nods, understanding now.
"Doja," the old monk begins, "You must understand –"
"I don't want to hear it! You took my life away!" the dragon screams as she holds up the letter. She morphs back into her regular body and then into Jon Li's. "This is the man who took me. I was scared and confused … It all happened so fast. He brought me to some secret location and locked me in a spare bedroom. Whenever I asked him why he was doing this, I never got an answer. For months, I was left alone and only saw the man for when he brought food." She morphs back into her normal body. "He sometimes sat with me while I ate, too. He didn't really say much, but after a while, I found his presence to be … comforting. However, one day, I was told that I'd be going somewhere else." She then morphs into Silax. "I was sent to this man … yet he didn't treat me the same." Doja morphs back and frowns.
"It was never meant to be like this. You were taken for your own safety," Master Fung says as Doja starts to approach him.
"But why? Was I in danger? Was Dojo?" she asks with concern in her voice.
"I …" Master Fung lowers his head. "… I am forbidden to say." Doja scoffs and looks away.
"Figures," she whispers. Master Fung approaches the anxious dragon and bends down on one knee in front of her.
"We can still make it right," the old monk says softly. Doja tilts her head up, revealing tears in her eyes.
"How?" Master Fung smiles and gently places his hand on her shoulder.
"A wise man once said … 'The strength of the heart comes from the soundness of the faith.' We must remain steadfast in believing that the Apprentices can accomplish their mission and finally defeat the evil that has plagued us time and time again."
Mildly unconvinced, Doja averts her eyes. However, after thinking about it, she looks back at the old monk and nods.
"I wouldn't count on it," a voice interrupts. Master Fung and Doja turn to the temple's entrance and see Clay standing there while forming a black ball in his hand. "I got orders to bring you in."
Master Fung stands up and gets in front of Doja. The dragon tilts her head up at the tall monk and smiles, grateful for his protection. Clay frowns as he moves towards them.
"Back off, Master Fung. I don't want to hurt you."
"You will have to in order to get past me," the old monk replies, still serene as ever. Clay scoffs as he starts to produce a second black ball.
"Don't say I didn't warn ya …"
Meanwhile, miles away from the rest of civilization, Omi, Jack, and Kimiko continue to be stranded. The Bloodhound-bots' flames from the wreckage have long gone out. Kimiko remains unconscious but is being tended to by Jack. He keeps her warm by covering her with his coat. He also sits next to her and intermittently checks her condition. As the night goes on, the air gets cooler. Jack pushes his knees close to his chest to keep warm and rubs his shoulders. Omi sits alone a few meters away in the same position. There, the young monk sulks while persisting in staring deep into the distance.
Jack's teeth begin to chatter due to the drop in the temperature. Yet, he proceeds to check Kimiko and thoroughly tuck the coat in around her. He then looks over at Omi to see how he's holding up.
"I could try to fix the Bloodhound-bots again. Most of the parts salvaged from the fire have enough –"
"Do not bother," the young monk replies while sounding incredibly sullen. Jack scowls and then stands up.
"Come on! The Omi I know would never give up even if all odds were against him." Jack walks over to the monk. "You have your ego to thank for that," he finishes while smirking. Nevertheless, Omi continues to linger. Jack sighs and then proceeds to sit next to him. He joins Omi in blankly staring across the vast land. A minute passes before the awkward silence is broken.
"Your assistance is no longer necessary," the young monk says. Jack looks at him and raises an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Your help was requested because we were not allowed to have any part in rescuing Dojo. However, now that we are past that point …"
"Whoa, back up," Jack chimes. "You seriously expect me to leave you and Kimiko here just because my part of the deal is over?" Jack shakes his head. "I'm staying."
"Do not be a fool, Jack Spicer. It is hopeless to –"
"Stop saying that!" Jack stands back up and sighs. After glancing over at Kimiko, the evil boy genius turns to peer down at his depressed companion. "The longer we stay and feel sorry for ourselves, the worse it's gonna get. Sure, it may be down to the three of us – or the two – but …" Jack groans after seeing that Omi isn't paying attention. He sits back down and crosses his arms.
"Look, I've made my share of mistakes. Ok? Too many to count. But you know what I've noticed?" Jack asks. Omi looks down and then at Jack. "I've noticed that each and every mistake can be undone. The letter that I chose not to tell you about? Big mistake … but it can be undone. Clay turning to the dark side? Big mistake for him … but that can also be undone."
"How can you be so certain?" Omi asks.
"I know these things," Jack simply says. "Take, for example, Raimundo turning to the dark side. It took a while, but he ended up realizing that he made a huge mistake … because while Wuya promised him money, power, and pretty much anything else he asked for … she was unable to give him the one thing that he desired the most," Jack finishes as Omi looks away.
"That may be, but this is entirely different," the monk says.
"No, it's not. I mean, even though Clay joined the dark side, he regretted harming Kimiko." Jack starts to tear up but tries to hold it together. "I can't help but blame myself for not being able to save her this time. If she doesn't pull through, I …" Omi glances over at him curiously. Jack hangs his head and sniffs. "I'm not totally sure that this particular mistake has the chance of becoming –"
"Undone?" a voice asks from behind them. Omi and Jack flinch, and Omi whips around to see Kimiko sitting up with the coat down to her legs. All of Omi's depression vanishes instantly as he proceeds to run over to her. However, Jack remains where he is, frozen.
"Kimiko!" the little monk yells in joy as he jumps into her arms. Kimiko laughs as they begin to hug each other.
"Was I out that long?" she asks with a smile. Omi hugs her once more and then gets off.
"How are you feeling?" Omi asks while inspecting her wound.
"A little tired," she says as she turns to Jack. "But I'll pull through." She stands up and approaches him. Jack sniffs again and then quickly wipes the tear from his eye. He then gets up and spins around.
"Were you crying, Jack?"
"Ha! Cry? Evil Boy Genius, Jack Spicer? No way!" he says while trying to walk past her. She grabs his arm to pull him back.
"Jack …"
"Ow! Not so hard! You know I bruise easily," he says with a whimper. Kimiko and Omi stare at him with an eyebrow raised. Jack shifts his eyes and then clears his throat. "I mean … I love pain."
Another awkward silence commences.
"Anyway …" Kimiko begins as she loosens her grip on Jack's arm. "… Thank you for taking care of me and keeping me warm," she says while raising Jack's coat. She gives it back and then walks to Omi. Jack glances down at his coat and then at Kimiko.
"Anytime," he whispers.
"So, how we going to get the letter back?" she asks.
"You … heard that?" Omi wonders.
"Oh, I heard everything you two said," she replies causing Jack's eyes to widen.
"We believe 'impostor Raimundo' has already arrived at the Temple," Omi says. "Clay seemed determined to stop the impostor … but for other reasons."
"Right. So, let's get going. Like Jack said, the longer we stay, the worse it's gonna get," Kimiko states.
"Well, maybe you didn't hear everything we were saying," Jack chimes. "Besides walking, we have no other way of gettin' there. And, uh … I don't suggest walking since it's the middle of the night and we don't know which direction the Temple's –"
"East," Omi interrupts while pointing to the direction where he was staring all that time. Kimiko nods.
"East it is."
Omi and Kimiko waste no time in heading east as Jack stays behind, looking a bit nervous.
"Hey! Didn't you hear me? It-It's dark out and we don't know this area that well …" Kimiko stops to turn to Jack.
"Don't tell me you're afraid of the dark," she says while placing her hands on her hips. Omi tries to stifle his laughter.
"Hey, can it, cue-ball!" Jack exclaims.
"What if I lit a fire every now and then?" Kimiko asks while snapping her fingers, producing a flame. Jack shrugs, deciding to join them. Kimiko smiles as all three of them embark on their journey back to the Temple.
"So, tell me, why is it that all you're set and rarin' to go now when I couldn't even get you to move ten minutes ago?" Jack asks Omi. The little monk laughs again.
"You honestly think I was going to save all of mankind with you at my side? Do I look like I was born tomorrow??"
Kimiko opens her mouth in shock and then stares at Jack. The evil boy genius simply shrugs and looks ahead.
"Works for me …" Omi nods approvingly. "… Cheese ball!" Jack shoves Omi down while cackling and running away.
"Return at once, Jack Spicer!" Omi orders as Kimiko follows them while also laughing.
"Sure you'll be able to catch me with those stumpy legs?" Jack shouts behind him. Omi growls and jumps high into the air.
"WATER!"
An enormous wave comes out of nowhere and crashes into a naive Jack Spicer. His trademark scream follows as Omi lands and exchanges high-fives with Kimiko.
Open on the sky. Day. It's an ideal sunny day with very few clouds out. Two dragons are seen gracefully soaring through the sky. It's revealed to be Dojo and Doja flying close together. Dojo tilts his head down to notice an outdoor market with hundreds of people scurrying around. The dragon smiles and turns to Doja.
"What do you say we grab a quick bite to eat?" he asks. Doja groans, glances at the market, and then turns to her companion.
"Not now, Dojo. You know we can't be late to my parents' house again. You're not exactly on my dad's good side to begin with," she replies. Dojo scoffs and gently places her hand in his.
"Come on. Quick bite. I promise we'll make it to your house on time."
"Dojo …" she says, mildly annoyed. Dojo stares into her eyes using his notorious puppy dog face. Doja smirks and lets out a long sigh.
"You got three minutes," she orders. Dojo nods as they start to descend towards the market.
Fade out on the sky...
… And fade into the black ball world where Raimundo is nudging Dojo to wake up.
"Yo! Dojo! Time to wake up, little dude!" The dragon grunts a few times before finally opening his eyes. As soon as he does, Dojo gasps in fright.
"Raimundo!"
"Yeah, it's me. Are you ok? You've been out for a while."
"What are – How did you get here?" Dojo asks while panicking.
"Well, once Silax made you disappear, I went after him."
"That explains it," Dojo says. The dragon clutches his forehead and falls back to the ground. Raimundo sits next to him.
"You were smiling while I was trying to wake you up," the Brazilian points out.
"I was dreaming about Doja … about that day at the market. Been dreaming the same thing for days now," the dragon says in a distressing tone. "I can never seem to finish it, though."
"'Cause you know how it ends?" Raimundo asks. Dojo nods as he shuts his eyes.
"It's my fault. We were going to her parents' house when I made her stop at the market. If I wasn't so stupid by opening my big mouth, none of this would've ever happened."
"You can't blame yourself. It was just … the wrong place at the wrong time," Raimundo says with a shrug. Dojo opens his eyes and thinks for a moment. He then sits up and briefly scans the black ball world.
"Silax made the biggest mistake of his life 1,500 years ago," Dojo begins. He then grows to his full-size and hovers above the ground. Raimundo looks straight up as Dojo breathes a strong streak of fire which slightly brightens the dark area. The Brazilian is taken aback by Dojo's sudden change of heart. The dragon narrows his eyes and then turns to Raimundo.
"Today is judgment day."
Cut to black.
TO BE CONTINUED …