The Balance in Love, Lies and War
(A/N: Disclaimer: I own none of Xiaolin Showdown and its characters, all I own is the plot of this story, Kaida and any made up Shen Gong Wu.
Review(s)
Calistar Heir: Haruki actually talked to meeeeeeeee!
Other: I don't know if Chase Young's servant that turned from a tiger to a bird was a raven or a crow so I stuck with crow 'cause I'm sick of thinking about ravens. Don't ask.
Also, if things seem to be moving slightly too fast for whatever reason please say so. I am trying to give the feeling that everything is happening too fast for the characters themselves to get a grip but if its becoming confusing or annoying please say so.
And I'm sorry. I'm too nice to make anyone truly evil so Wuya, well, isn't. Very ooc but oh well. If you don't like her, well then don't worry. You won't be seeing her again for a long time after this.
And I've just realised I have no idea how to pronounce Kaida's name
Kaida: Bad author! BAD! No more cookies for you!
Chapter 1: 'Dragging Up The Past'
"JACK! You incompetent fool! Drag your lazy carcass here right NOW!" Jack rolled his crimson eyes at hearing the hag shriek at him. Putting down his wrench, pulling up his spiral goggles and turning around with a scowl on his pale face, the teenage mechanical genius shouted at the ghost,
"What do you want Wuya!" Ever since she had left him for Raimundo three years ago and then came crawling back, their relationship had become more and more strained. He knew she hated him and wanted to find someone better than him. But they both knew no one else would put up with her.
He was rather shocked to see the ghost on the floor, shivering, holding her stomach, taking in deep breaths of air, even though she did not breath. He could have sworn she was in pain. Trying not to show his ever growing amount of concern he sneered and asked again, "What do you want Wuya?" She turned to face him and shouted,
"Run! You have to leave! Right now! Go to the Xiaolin temple, GO!" Her face contorted with pain as her ghost from grew bigger, and Jack could do nothing but gape in shock.
"W-Wuya? What's happening? W-what's wrong? Why do I have to go to those Xiaolin Losers? Why are you turning human!" Wuya began to cough, as her ghost form became more and more human. She grew legs and hands and dark red hair billowed from behind the mask. To Jack's surprise, blood dribbled from underneath the mask as she coughed harder, wheezing,
"He is coming… The greatest evil that ever lived… He will kill you if you stay… He only wants my powers; he cares for nothing else except his princess-" Her voice was cut of by a scream as her mask fell off revealing her pain filled face. Clutching her stomach with one hand, she grasped her mask, which shrank into her hand. Reaching out she dropped the shining object that had once been her mask into his pale hand and whispered,
"Go… take it to the dragons, tell them… I am sorry… please Jack…" he looked down at her, tears filling his eyes, her face looking at him painfully and pleadingly,
"I don't want anything happening to you…" Nodding he backed away slowly, turning, then running up the stairs, taking one look back whispering,
"Good Bye, Wuya… My friend." He closed the heavy metal door and ran as fast as he could out of the house, activating his heli-pack, unable to stop the tears from dribbling down his face.
"Wuya, you are truly pathetic." Called a strong yet smooth voice echoing slightly in the metallic room. Wuya growled menacingly as she shivered on the cold metal floor, sweat dribbling down her face, eyes glazed over. The lights flickered for a few moments before plunging the robot construction zone into total darkness. The only light was the glow of her shimmering body and orange gleam in the metallic darkness. The Heylin witch stared into the shadows where only a pair of glowing orange eyes was visible.
"Look at you, you're just a dog on the floor, a pet dog whimpering. My pet dog. Are you ready to join me willingly? You could rule beside me again Wuya, doesn't that sound tempting?" Wuya hissed and attempted spitting in the voice's direction but gave up and replied coldly,
"How can I rule beside you when you love only her?" She showed no emotion on her face, a frown painted on blood red lips. But the tears gathering in the corners of her eyes told the true story. There was a chuckle from the shadows and the eyes gleamed with amusement.
"That never bothered you before Wuya." A tear rolled slowly down her bronze coloured cheek, the black lines smudging slightly as she replied bitterly,
"You never asked." The orange eyes glimmered, their brightness interrupted only by the slit shape of the pupils and the metallic darkness surrounding them. For a moment, there was an unfamiliar emotion filling them; concern. It disappeared quickly.
"Do you really think that-"
"Don't." interrupted Wuya, silent tears falling slowly. "Don't talk to me, don't touch me, don't even think about me. Not until you care for something more than my powers." She closed her eyes and hung her head, wishing she were anywhere but here. There was a sigh from the shadows.
"Very well." Fingers clicked, and suddenly a purple haze surrounded Wuya. It tightened into a sphere. Wuya was trapped. She did not seem too bothered. There was a pause.
"That boy, Jack Spicer, he reminded me of someone… I cannot quite place it…" Wuya did not seem to notice what he had said. She did not answer. Slowly the sphere shrunk with her inside, the eyes disappearing, and the purple haze disappearing also with her inside. Her shoulders shook as she evaporated into the darkness, crying silent tears and whispering softly,
"He reminds you of your… our son…"
"That was SO boring!" exclaimed a seventeen-year-old Japanese girl, as she stretched her arms, walking down the corridor with the other three monks. Grinning, a seventeen-year-old Brazilian boy put his arm around the girl's shoulders replying cockily,
"You KNOW you didn't know half the stuff on that video!" She pushed his arm off with a scowl painting itself on her pink lips. He flashed her a big grin winking. She huffed and shoved him back while angrily saying,
"Did too! There is such thing as High School!" A smaller, pale yellow skinned monk who looked around fifteen years old, wearing a neat monk's uniform declared,
"I am most certain we did not need to know many of the things on that video at this precise moment in time." The Japanese girl made a 'hmmm' noise and replied thoughtfully,
"Well we are older now, I mean Clay was eighteen last week! Soon we might need that," A faint blush appeared on her pale skin as she finished her sentence,
"sort of stuff." The Texan cowboy nodded when his name was mentioned, the 10-gallon hat placed on his head, blonde hair hiding one of his bright blue eyes. The Brazilian boy sneered and jeered in reply,
"Omi's just annoyed 'cause he'll never get a girlfriend to do any of that stuff with anyway!" Before the Chinese monk could even think of a reply the Japanese teenager cut in angrily,
"Oh yeah! Well I bet Omi could get a girlfriend before you, you jerk!" The Brazilian boy almost laughed when Clay interrupted,
"Technically Kimiko, if Omi had to get a girlfriend, then it'd have to be a girl he knew rather well, and unless some new girls arrive, you're the only girl his age, which means you'd have to be his girlfriend." Kimiko blushed profusely and mumbled,
"Doesn't matter, forget I said anything." Omi frowned and buried himself in deep thought muttering quietly to himself as the Brazilian teenager burst out,
"So Kimiko can choose either one of us, but we only have her to choose from, how is that fair!" Clay laughed while Kimiko giggled and replied,
"Sorry boys, you'll have to wait for some new girls to arrive, you guys are my friends, and just my friends." The Brazilian grinned widely and attempted to put his arm around the girl's shoulders again, saying slyly,
"C'mon Kimiko, you know you want me!" The Japanese girl laughed again, pushing him violently into the wall laughing,
"Yeah, in your dreams Raimundo!" The Brazilian boy looked rather hurt and was about to reply when Omi put his arm in front of them, almost causing them to fall over one another, whispering,
"I believe there is someone watching us." He pointed to a dark shadowy corner, the only thing visible, the sharp point of a silver sword, shining like a beacon from the steam like dark shadows.
"Very well done Omi, how clever of you." drawled a voice. It was smooth, with a slight sinister edge, yet it seemed feminine, almost seductive. Shivers ran down Raimundo's spine as he listened to it,
"Kimiko. I see you're still flirting with all the boys, haven't changed a bit have you." Kimiko blushed again and replied angrily,
"I am not flirting! And how do you have any idea what I used to be like?" The voice laughed a light and tingling laugh that made the corners of the monks' mouths move up slightly. The laugh made Raimundo's knees weak. For a guy who had only flirted with one girl for three years, this strange new sensation was terrifying to the cocky seventeen-year-old Brazilian boy.
"Does the name 'Ken Heyari' ring any bells, Miss 'opps-I-totally-didn't-mean-to-fall-into-your-lap-please-will-you-help-me-up-you-hot-piece-of-man-meat-opps-did-I-say-that-part-out-loud?'" The voice seemed to have lost its sinister edge and though the figure stayed hidden in wispy shadow, the monks felt like they had known that soft, light, tingly laugh for all eternity.
"That was so funny! I was so embarrassed about that and- wait, how did you know that!" Kimiko replied, laughing at the memory, with only a hint of panic showing in her voice.
"You still don't recognise me, pity, I don't want to play memory game forever." The sinister edge had returned, completely contrasting the light tingling laugh that had been there only seconds before.
"You should not be in this building if you are not a Xiaolin warrior or a monk of this temple." Omi added gazing deeply into the shadows, trying to see an outline of a person.
"Omi, I'm surprised you haven't heard of me. Master Fung said you were a complete scroll worm, or was that Raimundo?" These words darkened the monks' expressions.
"If you have hurt Master Fung in any way be prepared for an Earth of pain!" Omi declared bringing out his hands from his sleeves and assuming an attacking position.
"World of hurt Omi." Muttered the Brazilian, feeling slightly light headed, not particularly motivated enough to correct too many of Omi's slang mistakes and fight the strange person behind the tingling laugh and seductive voice.
"Now why would the fifth dragon hurt her master? It really doesn't make sense, does it." There was silence as the voice sighed.
"I suppose its time to end of the game now." Stepping out slowly, the three male monks did not even have time to catch a glimpse of this newcomer, as Kimiko rushed forward and pulled the stranger into a massive hug, as they both screamed gleefully in unison,
"Oh-my-god-you're-a-Xiaokin-monk-this-is-too-cool-wow-loving-your-hair-how-long-has-it-been-four-years-way-too-long-you-haven't-changed-a-bit-oh-my-god-I'm-so-loving-your-shoes!" The male monks simply blinked and did not make a sound, completely confused. Kimiko turned to them and giggled,
"Sorry to leave you in the dark guys, this is Kaida, my best friend." Their mouths dropped open as they observed Kaida. This was not because she was enticingly beautiful, so much so that they had to look at her. She was attractive but it was how different, strange and new she was that made them stare.
She wore the same monk outfit as Kimiko, except the red cloth was replaced with black and the sash and cuffs were white. Underneath, a skin-tight black silk top was visible as it covered her neck and collarbones, which normally would've been shown. Her hands were coated in the same skin-tight black silk. A black leather belt was fastened around her, underneath her white sash, and there hung a black sword sheath. In her gloved hands she held the silver sword, the metal shinning in the light. The end of the hilt was tipped with a black and white Ying and Yang symbol.
She was slightly taller than Kimiko, yet not as tall as Raimundo; her body slim and curved softly. Her skin was the same shade as Kimiko's, a pale creamy colour that looked silky soft in the pale light. Her hair was black, cut into wispy layers ending at her shoulders, the soft silky locks shinning gently in the light. Her side parted fringe, which dangled past her jaw line, covering her left eye completely, was a bright white colour, contrasting with the rest of her black hair. Her lips were glazed with a pale pink colour.
However her eyes were perhaps the most intriguing. Her eyes were not as slanted as Kimiko's, making her seem less like a Japanese citizen and more of a European. Her eyelids were coated in a dusty layer of grey that sparkled dimly in the light, her eyelashes dark and curved, her eyes outlined with black eyeliner. Her irises were a pale grey colour, much lighter than the grey coating her eyelids, and if you looked closely enough, there were flecks of white and black.
As Raimundo soaked up every tiny detail about her, his heart racing in his chest, his eyes never left hers. They were like pools of darkness and light, all mixed together and balanced out. Raimundo felt breathless. She was perfect.
"My name is Kaida Balance, Xiaolin Dragoness of the Zen. It is a pleasure to meet you all, Master Fung hasn't told me much, but from what he has, you are all strong warriors and I will be honoured to fight by your side." Kaida said, bowing slightly at them, her voice slipping into a mix between the seductive drawl and the tingling laugh. Her eyes never left Raimundo's, just like his did not leave hers. Cheeks covered in a pale pink blush, Kaida dragged her gaze away from those emerald green eyes, as the other dragons introduced themselves.
"I am Omi, Dragon of the water. I am glad to have another pupil to teach my most brilliant techniques to. Perhaps you may inform me of your techniques and teach those slightly below us." The smaller monk looked directly at Raimundo when he said this, then gave Kaida a big grin with his eyes closed, holding out his hand. However there was no reply. Omi opened his eyes slightly to find the girl staring at him in amazement.
"Is there something on my face?" Omi asked, holding his cheeks and then turning to the others, repeating the question. Just as Omi reached out to poke the unmoving girl, there was a joy filled, giddy scream,
"Oh my god, you're so CUTE! So small, and yellow, and bald!" Kaida bent down and gathered up the smaller monk in her arms squealing with joy. Kimiko and Clay burst out laughing as Omi raised his eyebrows and grinned at Raimundo exclaiming,
"See Raimundo, I am, as you say, a small child magnet!" Raimundo sighed, slapped his face, and said enviously,
"Babe magnet, dork." Kaida coughed and she pulled herself up, blushing, looking like she just wanted to disappear. Clay took off his hat and said loudly, nudging Omi in the process, with the hopes that he'd stop grinning,
"I'm Clay, Dragon of the Earth. Pleasure to have you aboard ma'am." Kaida bowed and smiled and turned to Raimundo, waiting for him to introduce himself.
The Brazilian stood still, opening and closing his mouth, trying to find the words, but was too nervous to even speak. The other Dragons stared at him while he desperately tried to say something that wouldn't make him seem like an idiot.
'Well it's too late for that you idiot! Say something at least! I won't let you ruin this for me!' Raimundo angrily thought to himself. Clay snickered and Omi nudged Raimundo with a slightly confused look on his face, while Kimiko could barely stop giggling enough to squeeze out the words,
"Yeah, this dork is Raimundo, Dragon of the wind. He's a geek." Kimiko said, almost proudly, a grin plastered on her face as Raimundo went bright red, Kaida blushing as well.
"Nice to meet you Raimundo, I hope, perhaps, in the future, you are more, talkative?" Kaida said nervously, hoping with all her heart that she didn't sound offensive. She held out her hand and smiled awkwardly, a scarlet blush spreading as she realised Kimiko was watching her with an enormous grin on her face. Raimundo didn't move. There was an awkward silence, as everyone watched the two dragons expectantly.
Moving his arm slowly to take her gloved hand, Raimundo felt his heart beat quicker. Locking his eyes with hers, he took the silk covered hand tenderly into his own hand and raised it up carefully, bending down slightly, his emerald green eyes never once moving from her one visible grey eye. Gently, his lips pressed against her hand and the whole room was silent. Raimundo's heart was beating so fast it hurt, and his stomach fluttered. He had a strange feeling that Kaida's was too. The other monks were silent in shock. They had never seen Raimundo act like this before.
Suddenly the doors swung open with a crash and there stood a silhouette of a boy, bright light pouring into the room. All the Xiaolin Dragons stared, not able to move from shock. Angry red eyes observed the scene as Kimiko screeched,
"Jack Spicer! What are you doing here!" She frowned and felt her stomach turn as she thought,
'This day just keeps getting stranger and stranger…" She sighed when suddenly there was a voice,
'Don't deny it child, you're too young to wallow in lies. Don't let my jealousy control you when you have so much to live for…" Kimiko looked around, surprised, as the red eyed boy stomped towards them. Shaking off her shock, she wondered if she was hearing things, and then concentrated on the problem in hand. Jack Spicer.
"Where is Master Fung?" Jack shouted, his brow furrowed, something clutched in his hand, and a half-crazed look in his eyes. Kaida and Raimundo hadn't moved; Raimundo's lips still pressed against her hand. Shocked, the Dragoness of Zen whipped her arm away and Raimundo stood up, both looking sheepish and blushing. Omi took a step towards the on coming villain and was about to retort to his shouts, when the red haired boy shouted again,
"Where is Master Fung!" He seemed hysterical, his dark eyeliner smudged and his eyes rimmed with red.
"I am right here. Please tell me Jack Spicer, what is your business in my temple?" Master Fung replied. Raimundo and Kaida nearly jumped out of their skins, hoping their master had not seen what had just happened moments before. Dojo was wrapped around his shoulders looking just as shocked and surprised as the monks.
Jack stared at him angrily, stamping towards him. Pushing Raimundo and Clay out of the way, not once touching Kimiko, he took Master Fung's hand and dropped the shining object, which had once been Wuya's mask, into it. Closing the old man's fingers, tears dribbling down his face again, Jack angrily hissed,
"Wuya said… she said… he's coming. And she's…" He scrunched his eyes up as another stream of tears ran down his face and the monks watched in amazement: Jack Spicer, crying? And not out of cowardice?
"Wuya says she's sorry." Suddenly Jack broke down into heart wrenching sobs and was immediately taken away by two older monks with stony expressions on their faces. The Xiaolin Dragons stared back at him in disbelief. Kimiko's eyes were watering as she whispered,
"What made him do that? Who's coming?" Kaida shivered and gulped as everyone looked at master Fung. He was starring at the object in awe.
"I cannot believe it…" the old man said softly, Dojo whispering,
"… The 'Heylin's tear'… it's not possible…" everyone stared at the shinning object as the dragon whispered this. It was in the shape of a circle, a ring of triangles encircling a crying eye that was carved into the centre. Omi seemed amazed.
"Why would Wuya give us this most powerful object?" Clay then butted in,
"And apologise?" Master Fung looked at them gravely; noting that Kaida was shaking. He shook his head. This was all happening too soon.
"All shall be explained at dinner tonight, in the mean time, resume your training and I shall inform you of the time you must be ready for dinner." Motioning to the shadowy corridor he had mysteriously arrived from, he continued,
"If you please Kaida, come with me and I shall show you around the temple and then you may join the other Dragons in training if you wish." Kaida nodded and followed Master Fung into the darkness, taking a quick look back at the others, and waving, before being engulfed by darkness.
There was silence.
"What in tarnation just happened here?" Clay asked, shocked. Kimiko shrugged, rubbing her eyes furiously, disgusted at herself for even feeling the tiniest shred of pity for Jack Spicer.
"Who cares, its just Jack Spicer. Let's just get training." They walked in silence; the four Dragons confined to their own thoughts.
Raimundo twitched. He couldn't stand the silence. So many things were buzzing in his mind, so many questions. Eventually he couldn't take it anymore.
"Why did you never mention Kaida before? Why haven't you seen her in four years? Why does she do that really cute laugh and then go all weird and stuff? I thought Keiko was your best friend? What's her favourite-" Kimiko quickly put a finger against his lips, stopping his rush of questions while laughing softly at the Brazilian. Realising what he had said, he blushed and pulled his head away from Kimiko's finger, looking sheepish.
"Me and Kaida go back far. Real far. Been friends since we were two. But she only spent the summer and autumn in Japan, the winter and spring she spent with her family in England. So when she was gone I hung out with Keiko more." She paused, turning to the males, who nodded, listening intently.
"She's always been a bit on the strange side. She used to have violent mood swings, one minute she's be frolicking in the flowers, next she'd be shouting at someone and next she's be completely calm; balanced." Looking up thoughtfully she continued,
"Makes sense now, her being the Dragon of Zen and all." Sighing she pushed open the doors and walked into the courtyard, making her way towards the training area.
"I wasn't allowed to contact her when she was in England, but she'd send me a Christmas card and present and junk like that. I never knew anything about what happened in England; she didn't talk about it much." She sighed again, her voice heavy with sadness and regret.
"When we were thirteen she left for England as normal, but she just, never came back. I got a Christmas card like normal, but when she was supposed to arrive, she didn't. Her house was sold and she never came back to Japan. I never heard from her again. She didn't send me anything, no explanation, just, nothing. It was as if she had disappeared, or died or something. A year later I came here. I eventually gave up hoping that she'd come back and tried to forget about her. I didn't mention it because it hurt so much to loose her and to talk about it would've been like I was accepting she was gone." The three boys looked at her sadly and the silence continued. Kimiko grinned.
"Don't be sad, she's back now. And I have a strange feeling she'll be staying." Laughing she jump kicked a dummy and she, Clay and Omi started to train. Raimundo looked up to the sky dazed.
'I hope she stays this time…' Shaking his head, Raimundo cast that strange thought to the back of his mind and started to train with the others.
"I shall have to tell them tonight." There was a soft feminine sigh.
"I know. This is happening too soon. I couldn't bear it if Kimiko was hurt, if anyone of them was hurt. It'll all be my fault."
"We shall be prepared Kaida, do not worry. I must see to Jack Spicer now, you may do as you wish." There was the sound of footsteps echoing softly, and the creak of a door being closed. Then a sniff, a small sob and a shaking voice speaking as quietly as the gentle morning breeze,
"I wish this was over… why can't he just admit he won't succeed…? I'm so afraid he'll hurt me again… afraid he'll hurt them too…" A tear rolled down her porcelain cheek.
'It's all right to be afraid of him. Just remember that you are not alone in your fight against him anymore.' A small smile lit up on her pale pink lips as Kaida whispered, in that tingling voice,
"You're right Zen, I'm not alone anymore." There was the sound of footsteps and the creak of a door opening and then a whisper, a whisper in a dark yet sad voice,
"But I never was alone in the first place. I never have been alone." There was another sniff and a tiny sob as a dark, sinister and almost angry voice whispered,
"He was always there." The door slammed shut. There was silence. A crow cawed loudly, fluttering its black wings, flying quickly out of the temple, eager to report to its master.