Chapter 3 [Dueling area—Amazon Village
[A/N: Yori belongs to Kim Possible which is Disney's not mine. Once again, she's only referred to here.
Jasmine had risen early that morning to sort out the conflicting thoughts in her head. As with Xena, Gabrielle and her friends from the recent mission, she had difficulty dealing with the events both in the recent past and future. Why did that kind man have to die? It had seemed that since Miranda's friend and former Japanese classmate, Yori Matsumaru, had arrived, a fuse had been lit…as if something else much deeper were about to be set in motion. Who is she really? What is this school that she and Miri trained at? Is she tied to Yodoshi? The thought of her love being duped into that demonic madman's clutches again infuriated her. "Allah preserve me, I say NO!" She drew her scimitar and swung through a nearby tree, cleaving it in two and dropping it to the ground with a resounding crash.
"Remind me not to get you angry anytime soon, Princess," a familiar voice interjected.
Jasmine scowled intensely. However, upon seeing Varia, her face softened and an embarrassed red hue covered her face. "Varia, you saw?" She sighed. "Of course you did."
"Kind of hard to miss the tree crashing down," the other woman informed her. "You've been here for three days. For most of them, you've been withdrawn. I've waited for our sparring."
"It's been difficult. I share the Queen and Xena's sadness." The Javalstani Amazon feinted in frustration at the air well away from her friend and fellow counselor.
"So I gathered. I remember when Celesta took my sister and friends. It is never easy to deal with." Varia held up two fighting staffs. "Work with me." She flipped a staff to her friend and braced herself.
Jasmine caught the staff and sheathed her scimitar. "Fine." She swung the staff savagely; her anger clouding her judgment.
Varia easily parried the motion and countered with a soft attack of her own. "This isn't like you. What's really going on? This wouldn't happen to be about Miranda, is it?" Seeing the other's look go really sour, she added, "Kind of hard to see you losing your focus over anything or anyone else." She knocked the staff out of the other's hand with one deft move. "This isn't like you."
Recalling what both Eve and Gabrielle had told her about Varia's past, she bit back the retort. "Yes. It's about her." She shook her hands to get rid of the stinging she felt there. "Her former classmate is staying with us."
"And Rasniya is also staying with you. Who is this friend of hers?"
Jasmine ran her hand across her forehead wiping the beading sweat off. "Her name is Yori. From what Miranda tells me, they studied together in Japan." She stalked over to the water barrel and drank several handfuls from it. "She's stayed with us for nearly a month and yet we know little about her."
"Is there anything you need to worry about?" Varia posed while joining the other for a cool drink.
"She's a ninja."
"Trained assassin with a secretive streak. Sounds familiar, Princess. Careful. Sounds as if someone's jealous," Varia pointed out.
"It isn't like that! Yori isn't interested in her. She showed up out of nowhere with a warning about Yodoshi," Jasmine explained. "I'm worried."
"With what we all know about Yodoshi, you should be," Varia agreed, recalling the earlier battles between the demonic samurai and Xena. "How is she in a fight?"
"She fought as well as any warrior I've been with," Jasmine drew her scimitar and considered its edge. "I worry about her tie to the demon."
"If she showed up to warn you, why would she be tied to him?" Varia supposed. "Jasmine, relax and listen to yourself. She traveled across the water to be at your side. She handled herself well in a fight. She doesn't want to take Miranda from you. Don't be rash. That is what cost me my standing with the tribe and a great deal more."
Knowing the pain that Varia's situation caused her, Jasmine shook her head. "I have never doubted a comrade before. I feel ashamed."
Varia rubbed Jasmine's shoulder. "As Gabrielle has taught us, be aware yet never push a friend away. If Miranda values her as an ally, then should we all. Now are you ready for a rematch?"
Having calmed down, Jasmine smirked at her friend. "If you are ready." She picked up the staff and swung it in her right hand.
"Never thought you'd ask," Varia concurred before they started into another duel.