BOOM. Another chapter bites the dust.
As Chase approached his home, he could feel a nervous energy humming throughout the palace. There were few of his felines around as he entered, and the ones that were, gave him a wide berth. It was suspicious, but as he heard the distance murmur of a familiar human voice, the emperor felt a migraine begin to form and growled in irritation.
He had already put up with Wuya and her manipulative nonsense, why on earth did he have to put up with her buffoon sidekick?
As he advanced towards the holding chambers of his throne room, the voice grew louder, as well as the voice of General Stein, whispering harshly back at the boy to be quiet.
" I can't," Spicer replied, " I talk when I'm nervous and right now, I think I am going to throw up from stress."
" Shut up." Stein tried again, with urgency.
" But what will happen? I mean, it wasn't my fault! Chase has to know that."
" Do I?" said man asked, finally entering the room.
Spicer was twitching in his seat, and at the sound of the annoyed emperor, he grew even worse.
" What damage have you cause to my home, now?" Chase prompted. However, he received no response. The master casted a glance at his servant, but the hulking man was stone faced as always. Or . . . perhaps not.
While his face gave nothing away, his posture was tight. The general was not angry at some pitiful human's stunt. He was worried.
" What. Has. Happened?" The dragon warrior prompted again, this time leaving nor room for them to ignore him.
" There has been an incident -"
" I am so sorry! I didn't think it would cause any harm!" Jack sprang from his seat.
Stein snarled at the human to sit back down, to no avail.
" Unless you wish to tell the whole story?"
That calmed Spicer enough to sit down and be quiet.
Chase watched them both with trepidation. A heavy feeling developed in his stomach, the cause of which could only be one thing.
" Where is Lan-Ying?" he hissed, and without waiting for a reply, began the journey to their room.
" Master, please, before you see her we must explain." Stein yelled, rushing to catch up.
Despite his efforts, though, Stein could not slow the emperor, and when he tried to get a word in, he was silenced with a sharp glare.
No matter what anyone told him, he would not listen to anything until he was assured that his mate was safe and present, were she should be. All else could wait.
Bursting into the room, he was met with Mao's calm features.
" My Lord, welcome back."
Chase ignored him, gently approaching the bed. At first, he was relieved to see Lan-Ying's sleeping figure on her usual side of the bed.
But, as he grew closer, he noticed the scratch marks, on both Mao's and her face.
He turned to his trusted advisor, waiting for an explanation before he lost his temper.
" My lord. There has been a change in the empress's state of being." Mao began.
With the general's pause, he reexamined his mate. There was indeed something different. Her energy was muted, tired. Lighter.
" And what exactly would that change be, Mao?" Chase bit out.
" As of now, we are unsure. Mr. Spicer and Lan-Ying were in here, playing a sort of game, from what I understand," said Stein, glaring at the boy who had dragged along with them.
All eyes turned to the human, who looked ready for the earth to swallow him whole.
" I -it was nothing! We were playing Goo Zombies 4 in here, which by the way I objected to because this is where you guys do the nasty, and she started losing it!" Jack offered, talking at the speed of light.
" Without any prompt?" Mao asked in an icy tone.
The human's face paled so much that his usual white face paint couldn't compare.
" I may have accidently called her Kimiko" Jack mumbled, hoping his words would be lost.
Unfortunately, all three men had supernatural hearing. The two feline warriors groaned at Jack's stupidity, but Chase's reaction was much worse. The roar that erupted from his throat was a sound no other creature could make. It was pain and anger and disbelief all in one.
" YOU WHAT." the dragon bit out once he could finally form words again.
" It was a slip of the tongue! I tried to cover it up, but before I could, she started screaming and tearing at herself." Spicer said, slowly edging to the door.
Chase turned back to the female on the bed. She looked so frail and helpless, nothing like either Kimiko or Lan-Ying.
" What happened after that?" the emperor demanded, not taking his eyes from her slumbering face.
" I gave her a mixture of tranquilizers and sleeping herbs. Just enough to let her rest until a plan can be made." Mao said, stepping away from the bed as his master loomed.
Chase stepped over to the bed, slowly crawling atop it, and cradling his sleeping mate's face.
" Spicer. I want you out of my home right this minute. If you return, I will eviscerate you. Stein, Mao, make sure he leaves, then get the palace in order. I do not want to be disturbed," he said in a tone devote of all emotion.
He did not see the relief that Jack had at being able to stay alive, nor his general bow and leave the room, locking the door on their way out.
Instead, all he saw were the long scratches along pale cheeks, chapped bleeding lips and puffy eyes from unseen tears.
Leaning down, he gently ran his lips over her cheeks, healing them. He gave her lips the same treatment, giving them a soft lick, before repositioning her lax body so that she was cradled between his legs, his arms pulling her back up against his chest.
Right now, his only comfort was her steady breathing, the rise and fall of her chest against his palms.
When she woke up, he had not idea what he would face. Kimiko? Lan-Ying? Or someone completely new?
It is too soon he thought to himself. He didn't have a plan for this yet, was not sure how to keep her with him. They had the blood oath she swore when she first arrived, but in all the years of knowing Kimiko, he knew that would not keep her from, at the very least, returning to assure her friends she was well.
And if she returned to the Xiaolin temple, he would never see her again.
Unless. . . .
The day faded into night, and as the hours grew, so did Chases plan.
Of course, it would only matter if she woke up Xiaolin instead of Heylin. He had to wait and see, so instead he curled around her and slept.
Meanwhile, at the Xiaolin Temple
" I know what I saw," declared a voice, small but stubborn.
" I understand that, Omi, but what you saw was wrong." Raimundo replied, finishing the evening meal.
Clay sat at the table, watching the argument. The same argument that they had been having since they returned from their encounter with Chase Young.
" Just because you are the leader does not make you right all the time, Raimundo" Omi huffed, taking the seat next to Clay.
The Brazilian boy shook his head.
" Did I say that?"
" No, but you are acting like it. I saw Kimiko," the yellow monk said with finality.
Clay finally spoke up.
" Listen, partner. I know you miss her. We all do. And we are trying our damnest to find her. But looking at shadows will lead to nothing."
Omi shot out of his seat
" I saw no shadow! I saw Kimiko, with Chase. He has here, I know it and while you sit around and doubt me, she is trapped, with him."
With that he moved towards the door.
" Omi . . . " Clay started.
" I am not hungry. Good evening"
The two dragons left stared at the empty doorway, before Raimundo turned to resume stirring their dinner.
" Rai. Maybe we should listen to him. It has been a bit strained here since Kimi went missing, so it couldn't hurt to look into It." the Texan said gently.
The leader just scoffed.
Clay approached him.
" I know that you having been feeling her absentence more acutely. But you have to look past your feelings- "
Raimundo cut him off with a dry chuckle.
" What about my feelings, Clay? What do you know." he bit out, his gaze never straying from his cooking.
The earth dragon set his jaw.
" Don't pretend that y'all are some big mystery. Your feelings for Kimiko have been obvious for years, and you think that her missing is somehow you failing to protect her." Clay backed away as the Brazilian whipped around to look at him.
" So what. You think you have it all figured out, but you are wrong. I love her, and everyday she is gone, I can feel her getting farther from me. I can't . . . I don't know what to do."
A heavy hand rested on his shoulder.
" We will find her together, partner. You aren't alone"
The two lapsed into silence, unaware of the water dragon's scheming.
The empress slept for three days.
Chase did not choose to leave her side, wanting to be there the minute she woke up, but evil empires do not run themselves, and so he had round the clock watch set on her, with a feline warrior posted both outside her door and at her bed.
In-between his meetings and planning, he made sure to check on the woman. She looked so beautiful when she slept, and he tried to grasp on to these moments, for when she woke, their lives were bound to change.
Even if, by some miracle she did not retrieve her memories, he could not treat her like some fragile project, a secret hidden from the world. Their trip out to the forest proved that she was unhappy being chained to the palace.
An ache began to form behind his eyes and he let Mao know he was retiring for the night, heading to his chambers.
The door creaked as he entered the room, the only light being the glow from the fireplace.
The black hair girl slept in the middle, her hair cascading around her face.
Chase leaned over her, pushing it to the side and gently stroking her cheek. Looking down, he began running his hands down her body, feeling her soft curves against his palm. In the past days, he had be without her, and his mind conjured imagines of her warm body against his, her lips ghosting across his chest, the feel of her heat surrounding him.
After knowing the bliss of being with her, he would never give her up. Let heaven or hell fight him for her, he would be victorious.
Taking deep breathes, the dragon emperor willed his body to be calm. Being aroused did him no good at this time.
Yet, he saw no harm in a small indulgence. In a swift movement, he pressed his lip against hers, letting his tongue swipe across her lips to taste what he had been denied.
The jerking of the body beneath him, however, woke him from his fantasy and pushed him away.
The female lurched forward, breathing heavily, as if taking her first breaths after drowning. " Lan-Ying." He voiced, watching her movements.
She looked up at him, the same mismatched eyes glaring at him.
Her mouth moved, but not words came out. Chase moved towards the bed table, grabbing a glass of water and moving to give it to her.
She smacked his hand away, causing the glass to tumbled to the floor and shatter. Coughs raked her body, and the Heylin warrior watched as she clutched her throat. Grabbing another glass, he moved more slowly this time, approaching her like a wounded animal.
She glared still, but allowed him closer, his hand seizing the back of her neck and tipping it, so as to create a smoother pathway for the water.
Once she had drank enough to sooth her aching throat, he moved away.
" Chase." was the first word she spoke, visibly more composed now.
He did not reply, unsure of her state of mind, and instead moved to sit next to her on the bed.
" What is happening to me?" she asked, pulling her knees close and resting her forehead atop of them.
" You must tell me. I am not in your mind."
" Everything is so grey. I am Lan-Ying, but I am also someone else. Memories are invading me and it is confusing and painful." came her muffled voice. She then turned to face him.
" And you. You are confusing me more than anything."
Chase frowned. " Yes? How so."
" I love you." she said bluntly, stunning the powerful man in from of her. Before he could reply, though, she continued.
" But I also hate you. With every part of my being" a tear slipped down her face.
He moved to wipe it away, staring into her eyes.
" You don't have to, though," he whispered, cupping her face, " If you want, I can set things back. Rid you of those painful memories. We will be together again."
She shoved him harshly, glowering at him. He forced back a growl, but could not stop himself from grabbing her wrists and pining her to the mattress.
" Maybe I should rephrase myself, then. You are mine, no matter what you say."
She struggled against his hold.
" What did you even do to me?" she snapped, refusing to stop resisting him.
He threw her hands back at her in aggravation.
" I did nothing. It was your beloved Shen Gong Wu that did this. The Dragons Fang. I helped you. Took you in when they turned against you. I gave you a home, trained you to be strong. I gave you everything while they only took"
Chase began pacing the floor, his skin turning to green scales, his teeth growing into fangs.
" And why am I returned, then?"
His pacing increased, as well as his agitation.
" I imagine it is your body finally adapting to the fang. Its power was never meant for someone like you, someone strong like you. It is suppose to consume until there is nothing left."
The green haired man turned to her, staring her down as she adapted to the information.
After a beat, he barked out, " And now what will you do, little dragon?"
She bristled, finally arising from the bed, onto her knees so that they were face to face.
" I want to go home."
" You are home."
Their glaring contest was interrupted but insistent knocking at the door.
" Enter!" Chase yelled.
The door cracked to reveal General Stein.
" I told you I wasn't to be disturbed," the emperor said with a snarl.
Stein bowed quickly, glancing at the two angry occupants of the room nervously.
" I understand, sire. But an emergency broke out in the outer territories. We need your guidance before any measures can be taken."
The Heylin warrior sneered, but made his way towards the door, turning only when he was almost out.
" We are not done here," he said, slamming the door behind him, just in time to miss the water glass being thrown.
" Bastard." the woman whispered, before getting off the bed.
Her memories were returning, slowly but surely. She concentrated, sorting them out.
From her childhood with her papa in Japan, to being recruited to the Xiaolin Temple to her last mission, finding the Dragon Fang.
As she worked on blending her memories together, she also remembered all her time as Yan-Ling, Heylin apprentice.
Holy shit I slept with Chase fucking Young.
The reality of her situation was much more complicated than just finding her way back to the temple. She had given her loyalty to Chase. Did it count when she didn't remember it?
She had to see Master Fung. That was her only option right now.
Looking around, she saw the balcony. Rushing outside, she examined the drop.
I can do this. I have jumped from way higher.
Jumping on top of the railing, she looked for a place with better leverage.
Unfortunately, in her haste, she missed how her body began to heat up. Standing so high up, her head became fuzzy and the world spun.
Luckily, Chase Young was wise enough to know that to leave her alone was asking for trouble. Mao was behind to catch her before she even registered she was falling.
With little effort, he dragged her back to the bed, handing her the water before checking her heartbeat.
" Mao" she said weakly, gulping down the water, " What is going on?"
" The power in your body is fighting to take over," he said with a rush, taking out the black powder.
At the sight of it, Kimiko panicked.
" No, not again. Please" she pleaded.
" Just a bit, my empress. Just to calm you down" he said sympathetically.
She resisted for a moment, before finally sighing and swallowing a bit of the concoction.
" Thank you, Mao," she said, relaxing against the pillows as he bowed and left the room.
" How is she?" Chase asked as Mao slipped into the throne room. The Heylin emperor had just dismissed his troops and was finishing reading a scroll.
" Resting, but weary. Now that her memories are back, the magic will look for other ways to drain her. "
Chase was silent for a moment, before whipping the scroll across the room in anger.
Mao, cautiously, approached the throne.
" Sire. If I may?"
Golden eyes gave the feline warrior all his attention.
" The magic of the Shen Gong Wu is not my expertise. If she is to have any chance of surviving, I suggest -" The dragon man growled.
" No"
Mao sighed.
" Sire."
" Absolutely not. She is my apprentice, but more importantly, she is my mate. She stays, you will figure out how to heal her. " He snapped, standing to dismiss his aide.
" And if I can't?" The words give the emperor pause.
" If nothing I have can heal her, and she grows worse, you would rather see her dead that with the Xiaolins?"
Chase said nothing, storming out of the room.
Oh Chase, you are having a tough time. And it is going to get worst. Next up, a daring break in, decisions are made and reunions are had.
Read, Review and enjoy :)