The Balance in Love, Lies and War
Chapter 20:
'Time is slowly changing'
"Idiot. How is this going to help you?" Kaida looked away, the critical voice harsh and cold. Her eyes were narrowed, glazing with annoyance, fists clenching. The woman snorted in impatience, her foot tapping against the hard wooden floor. "You're just wasting my time." She turned to leave, white curls cascading around her like heavy raindrops, but a thin, shaky hand clasped her leg. Kaida looked up, eyes burning.
"I could say the same about you, Mother."
"Morning all!" Kimiko cried, entering the kitchen happily. Clay turned away from the toaster for a minute, smiling broadly, continuing to butter the hot, crispy bread.
"You're a lil' late this morning Kimiko." Taking her seat next to Omi, who was shovelling the cereal into his mouth like it would disappear if he didn't eat it right this very second, the Japanese teenager sighed. She rubbed her shoulder wearily, looking up at Clay mournfully.
"I stayed up a teeny tiny bit later than usual downloading the new goo zombies PC game… It wasn't worth it…" she said miserably, head hitting the table, her droopy eyes closed. Clay laughed, putting down a plate of toast in front of her and sitting down with his.
"So you weren't with Jack all night then?" Kimiko shot up, crimson.
"Of course not!" There was a laugh at the door as Jack strolled in, taking his seat, stealing a slice of Clay's toast.
"Boy did I join the conversation at a wrong time!" Laughter echoed in the little room as even Omi, with his full mouth, couldn't stop himself from giggling. The others were chatting happily, discussing Jack's incompetence at not only martial arts but also yoga, a class he'd been forced to take up by his Master (Stick him on an ice rink and he'd dazzle you with his skills; ask him to do the downward facing dog and things got a little messy). It made the poor boy blush. Of course, the minute he got a little peck from Kimiko the teasing didn't really matter.
"Is Kaida up? Omi asked suddenly, the conversation grinding to a halt. Kim and Clay looked at each other nervously. Jack replied rather happily, unable to sense the oncoming black mood.
"Yeah, I saw her training already, It's not even six and she's already at it again, what's she like!" There was a silence. Kimiko smiled sadly.
"People have been asking about her, Raimundo too." Another silence. The crunch of the toast in their mouths. Uneasy swallows.
"We'll just have to keep lying then." Clay said, his hat tugged down over his eyes, standing up to put his plate in the sink, mooching off to start the day's training. Jack looked at Kimiko worriedly before he caught sight of his watch in a panic.
"Shoot Baby, I gotta go, if I'm late again she'll make me do the hardest ones! You'll never be able untangle me!" So with a peck on his girlfriend's cheek and a pat on Omi's back, the scientist rushed off, leaving Kimiko and Omi eating quietly.
"This feels strange." Kimiko whispered, hands suddenly shaking, eyes flicking up to catch Omi's. Their gazes held for what felt like hours, although only moments passed.
"I know what you mean." Was all Omi said quietly in reply, both resigning themselves to their silent breakfast.
She kicked away her daughter's hand, upper lip raised in contempt, hair hiding her eyes for a moment before she continued towards the door. Kaida stood up shakily, black and white fire suddenly swirling around her tightly clenched fists.
"Hey!" There was no answer, just the continuous noise of heels clicking against the wooden floor. "Hey! Come back here!" Still she was ignored, her mother reaching out towards the door. Losing her temper, Kaida hurtled a ball of black fire at the woman, screaming, "I said come back here!" Ariella turned, catching the black fire as her palm shone white, eyes brighter and whiter than ever. Her coat dropped to the floor as she took up a fighting stance, her pale lips smiling crookedly.
"You seem angry, darling daughter, is something the matter?" Kaida did not answer in words, her fists flying forwards, each blow caught in Ariella's glowing hands, much to the girl's frustration. Tutting in disbelief, Ariella blasted Kaida with flashes of bright white, sending her own daughter crashing into the opposite wall. "You've been slacking haven't you, you can't even touch me!" Ariella laughed cruelly as Kaida forced her legs to support her, arms shaking as they gripped the walls. Growling, she raised her fists and let the fire consume them, voice harsh as silver, cold as ice and hot as anger.
"Come and get me." Ariella pursued.
Daisuke jumped up impatiently. Frowning, he realised he still couldn't reach; being short clearly wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Shaking his head to empty it of useless thoughts he stood, puzzled, wondering how he achieve his goal. Just as he was deep in thought, Adrastos walked by, jumping into the room happily, clapping his small friend on the shoulder.
"Daisuke! I was looking for you, what's going on here?" The eleven-year-old turned around to look at his friend with watery eyes, lips pouting.
"I can't reach the cookies. I really want a cookie." Adrastos smiled, patting his head in sympathy.
"Want a piggyback?" Daisuke nodded his head enthusiastically; jumping on to the fifteen-year-old's back before he could even bend down. Shifting his weight slightly, the Greek craned his head, looking around. "Can you reach it?" Daisuke peered into the cupboard, spying the cookie jar (which was hidden terribly behind jars of spice and jam). Excited, Daisuke tried to reach it, leaning over, but forgot about being on Adrastos' back, causing the two to fall over, Adrastos kindly cushioning his fall.
"What are you two doing?" Daichi cried, jogging in, stifling his chuckles as he saw the two tangled up on the floor, Adrastos groaning. "We've got to hurry if we want to get to class on time!" Adrastos and Daisuke looked at each other; Daisuke was pouting, clearly still craving the prize hidden away on the top shelf.
Sighing, the Greek boy ran his hand through his hair, helping Daisuke up back onto his shoulders, grinning at Daichi.
"You wanna help us get the cookies? It'll be worth it!" Daichi sighed, smiling with his dark eyes, the glasses hiding the glint in them.
"Sure, sure, but you better be right, Sensei's going to be so angry…" Daisuke laughed so happily he clapped his hands together, hugging Adrastos' head tightly.
"Yay, cookies!"
"Dinner time already? Lovely." Raimundo smirked, shifting his weight around, reaching out towards the bowl offered. The chains at his wrists creaked, scraping against the wooden floor. Empty, the room had a ghostly echo, bare of furniture, window fixed. Raimundo looked up from his dinner, wiping his chin with his sleeve, heavy eyebrows quirked up. "Still not talking to me?" Silence ensued. Shrugging, the Brazilian carried on eating, murky green eyes fixated on the person sat across from him. "You come here everyday and you never say anything, what's the point? You got a problem?" Silence continued. Carefully, china clinking against the floor, Raimundo put his bowl down and inched forward, leaning on his hand. "Speak up Kai, I can't hear you."
The girl was motionless, eyes never ending in their stare, her hands clasped gently in her lap. The boy felt a sudden twinge of annoyance, how could she be so stoic every time? She was carved out of stone and he couldn't figure out how to crack her rock hard skin. A change in tactics was required. His eyes closed momentarily. When they opened he gave her the smuggest and dirtiest look he could muster staring directly into her cold, hard eyes that stared endlessly into his. "Better bring me another bowl after this, I've still got your disgusting taste in my mouth"
Kaida blinked slowly, unaffected. Raimundo chuckled, taking another sip. "I should've expected such a terrible taste though, there's nothing about you that I can enjoy." He saw it. The twinge in her fist as her muscles tightened, the only display of emotion he'd seen from her in weeks. He had just found her weakest spot. "Maybe if you hadn't had cried so much we could've actually had-" Before he could finish his sentence she was gone, reappearing to snatch away his bowl and smash it over his face, the burning soup scalding his skin, the boy cursing as he wildly waved his fists, eyes blurry, blinking furiously. The doors slammed and she was gone.
Cursing ever louder, throwing away shards of the china, snorting as he wiped his watering eyes, fury welling up inside of him, Raimundo growled loudly, the noise echoing menacingly. You better fix yourself soon Kaida Balance, he though darkly, because I'm going to break you all over again.
"Happy now?" Ariella hissed, palms glowing with light. Kaida did not move, chest heaving as she gulped in the air deeply.
"I don't want to fight you." Ariella cupped a hand to her ear.
"I'm sorry what was that?" Kaida's shoulders hunched tighter together.
"I don't want to fight you!" She screamed. The room was suddenly quiet, the thick tension masking the sounds of their hearts pounding. A foreboding awkwardness seemed to make them fidget. Ariella snorted and Kaida tensed tighter, eyes scrunching shut.
"But this is what we do best-"
"I don't care!" There was a stunned silence as Ariella hesitated. "I don't care, you're my mother! Why are you always pushing me away, why are you always like this!" There were no tears, just fury, a built up rage that had lasted four years, growing steadily by the second. Ariella smiled unhappily stretching her arms high above her head.
"Because I have to be like this." Before Kaida could even reply, Ariella charged towards her.
"Time is moving along rather strangely." Chase noted tiredly, staring out of the window with half closed eyes.
"Did you think the world would stay the same after what happened?" Athanasius added, leaning his head round the back of his chair, leafing through a thick volume.
"I wasn't asking you, I was merely observing the fact." Chase said rather huffily, leaning on his hand almost sulkily. Athanasius rolled his eyes.
"Oh shut up you little half-and-half." Then he chuckled mischievously. "You probably can't remember the last time I called you that."
"Of course I can, I'd prefer it if you wouldn't insult me for merely stating the obvious." Chase twisted round only to see a suspicious grin on the Demon's face, a strange twinkle in his eye.
"If you remembered you'd know it wasn't an insult." Chase wasn't sure what to say to this so he bustled off to his meditation room, pushing it out of his mind, writing it off as Athanasius just teasing him.
The Demon King meanwhile swirled the deep red wine in his glass, that mischievous grin not leaving his lips, evil chuckle not leaving his throat. He carried on leafing through the book, sighing in happiness.
"I don't get it!" Kaida cried, pushing back her mother with brutal force. The woman laughed, pushing white strands out of her light eyes.
"Of course you don't, you don't understand anyone!" She laughed heartlessly, but Kaida shook her head frantically, voice feverish with misery and confusion.
"Yes! Yes I do! But not you! Never you! What's wrong with you!" Her mother continued to laugh so hollowly and Kaida, blinking back dewy eyes decided she had had enough. "I don't understand you!" Ariella rushed forward, a derogatory 'ch' sound escaping her upturned lip.
"Instead of trying to get a stronger body, why don't you try and improve up here!" Head butting her violently, Ariella turned away, ignoring her daughter's cry of pain, her knees crashing into the wooden floor, a tiny drizzle of blood meandering down her brow. Kaida's fists clenched so tight that the silk strained, eyes so narrow and blurred with anger she couldn't see a thing past her mother's retreating figure. Her arms started to shake. Fury boiled in her heart, blood dripped on the floor.
Hissing, spitting, her voice was like a snake's. I hate you, she whispered, not meaning a word.
Wuya woke up, groggy. She yawned. How long had she been asleep? Trying to stretch was futile; she was still chained to the wall, so she contented herself with shifting her weight a little instead. Drowsiness was already grasping her, her eyes half-closing already; the witch might've felt lazy but caring was beyond her now. In her last few seconds of consciousness she managed a pout.
"I feel like I've been forgotten…"
"Bella, I heard you were l-looking for me…" the aforementioned girl turned at the voice, smiling warmly.
"Adrastos! Yeah, I found your CD, I thought I better give it back, I've been hogging it for ages." The boy blushed, taking the object in question, hands shaking slightly.
"It's fine it's f-fine, what's mine is yours whatever." Realising what he said, his back suddenly straightened eyes wide. "I-I mean, friends give stuff to, um, each other, no problem!" Bella smiled again and he felt his insides melt.
"You've seemed kinda strange lately, is everything alright?" The boy's eyes connected with the floor, laughing loudly, cheeks crimson at this point.
"Yeah yeah, everything's fine! I have to go now, b-bye Bella!" He rushed off, cursing himself under his breath, clutching the CD very tightly. Bella just smiled.
"He's so cute."
Steps echoing slightly, Ariella didn't stop walking away, ignoring her daughter to the last. But Kaida was determined not to let it end like this.
"How many times have I told you, don't walk away from me!" as she shouted her fists crashed into the floor, dark and light energy tearing up the wooden boards, stopping Ariella in her tracks. She twirled around to face her daughter but she was no longer there, reappearing to her left in a flash of white, fists aiming for her mother's pale face. Her mother caught on too quickly however.
Grabbing Kaida's frail arms, the woman tossed the girl over her head, crashing her into the broken floor, stepping on her chest to make sure she stayed down.
"I'll walk away all I damned please." Kaida struggled against the pressure on her chest, but gave up, fury boiling.
"Do you have any idea how much you've hurt me! After dad left you didn't talk to me for four months! Four months! And when you did you were so cold and cryptic there wasn't even any point talking to you! I can forgive Dad for what happened, but you were never there to help me! You never comforted me or trained with me or talked with me properly since! I can't forgive you! You're not my mother, you're a monster!" She cried out in pain as her mother's foot crushed down, the woman's voice sharp as a sword.
"What did you call me!" Struggling, coughing out her spiteful words, the daughter stared at her mother with burning eyes.
"A monster! I called you a monster!" The pressure on her chest lessened, Ariella's voice losing a little edge, blunt.
"What did you say?" Kaida took deep breaths, still angry and feverish with emotion.
"A monster! You're a monster! A demon! You're not my mother!" Her whole foot lifted off this time, Ariella stepping back, those cascading curls hiding her eyes.
"What did you say I was again?" Noticing the change in her mother's behaviour sixteen-year-old couldn't help but feel defeated, weak and confused. But she answered her mother one more time.
"A monster." Instead of sneering and looking down at her daughter, Ariella smiled earnestly for the first time in four years.
"You've finally realised then." She sat gracefully next to her daughter, crossing her legs, tiny tears in her white eyes. Kaida, confused, couldn't edge away. "I'm the monster you'll eventually turn into." There wasn't anything the sixteen year old could say so she didn't say anything, starring at her mother with wide eyes. She didn't realise it, but her arms were shaking. "If you push everyone away, like I did, you'll end up all alone. It hurts, but you have to become strong enough to rely on others." Kaida was silent, her eyes wide with disbelief. Ariella looked away for a moment before turning back, her gaze brutal. "I failed to help you as your mother. This was the only way to make sure you didn't repeat my mistakes, I would never wish that upon you." Kaida was silent for a moment, staring intently at the floor, her mother's gaze burning holes through her shoulders.
"You're crazy. That... That doesn't even make any sense."
"Does anything really make sense anymore?"
"…No, not really…" They were silent. Ariella slipped an arm around Kaida's shoulders, holding her close. They said nothing but Kaida's arm slowly reached out and they embraced for the first time in four years.
Clay slumped to the floor, sweating, the warm sun beating down on him. Rearranging his hat, he wiped his brow, his shaded eyes looking up to the sky, watching the clouds carefully as they ambled on by. There was a sudden pang of homesickness but he willed it away, starring back down at the Earth to stop him from wishing he'd been starring at the Texas sky, rather than the Xiaolin Temple sky.
"Damn… sure would be nice to see the folks…"
"I'm not interrupting am I?" Clay jumped at the soft voice, noticing that Kaida was stood next to him sheepishly. He looked around in confusion.
"You're… talking to me? You ain't talked to anyone since…" The girl smiled awkwardly, sitting herself next to him.
"I know. I'm sorry." There was a comfortable silence, the early June breeze winding around them, cherry blossoms mostly blown away. "I talked to my mum the other day. Kinda put things in perspective." Clay simply nodded, waiting. "I realise now that," she hesitated before she continued, stealing a quick, nervous glance at th friend sat next to her; she blushed a little when their eyes met. "I was wrong to push you all away. I've been wrong from the beginning, hiding stuff and… it's not fair to do that to my team mates."
"Hey, if you got secrets that's fine, we've all got them." The clouds started to slow, the trickles of white veining across the wide expanse of blue. Kaida's eyes brimmed with determination, her hands a little jittery.
"No, hiding and pushing you all away, that's not going to help anyone. Ever since I got here all I've done is mess things up and it's not very fair…" Her lips twisted down at the corners and Clay felt his own face pulled into a frown.
"Now don't you start all that again lil' missy, the Xiaolin Warriors are a team you hear, and all that stuff wi' Chase were inevitable, so I don't wanna hear you go on 'bout how it's your fault." Kaida didn't look away, but her brow furrowed a little bit.
"I didn't mean that Clay… I meant it's unfair that I've caused you so much trouble…" Clay's eyebrows lifted in confusion.
"Trouble? When have you ever caused any trouble?" His joking tone was not lost on the girl and they laughed, Kaida's big grin breaking the frown that had previously occupied her face, the sun shining that little bit brighter.
"I want a clean slate. No more lies, or hiding or nothing. I was us to be proper friends." She held out her hand, her thin black hair tussled in the breeze. The American boy smiled.
"Sure. Name's Clay Bailey lil' lady."
"Kaida Balance." They shook hands, their grip on each other tight, mouths wide in happiness. Settling back down, taking in the sun, eyes starring up into the endless blue of the sky, Clay decided to be the first to share.
"I've got a little sis, name's Jessie. Ma used to worry that she'd end up in The Black Vipers, but she's a good kid really."
"Only child. Mum said she'd never want another me running around." Clay laughed, stretching his arms as the girl continued slowly. "My dad left four years ago. Something really bad happened with Chase and…" Her voice stopped, words caught in her dry throat. The light blue in Clay's eyes tore straight through her hesitation.
"Somethin' to do wi' them scars?" Kaida blushed a little again and nodded, starring at the tiled flooring they sat upon. "I saw 'em in the war, after you got brought back." Kaida nodded and there was another silence. Her hands were still shaking. Noticing this, the Earth smiled gently deep inside of him.
'Her rock you shall be.'
His hand found hers, clasping tightly, light blue starring into the murky grey. "Talk when you wanna talk, I won't rush you."
Warm, his hands were warm. Another person's touch made her shiver in fear, her skin unable to forget what had happened the last time, but the warmth in his hands calmed her. His blue eyes reassured her. There were no poisonous snakes in his wake, here he was, plain and simple Clay, the sturdiest rock one could ever find.
"I was twelve… when it happened…"
"Jack, hey Jack" the pale red head turned at the voice, frowning, unable to recognise it, gasping when he saw who was calling out to him.
"Kaida! You're smiling! What's wrong with you!" She laughed and ran up to him her arms wide, as if she was about to hug him, but she changed her mind, patting him on the back instead.
"I signed up to yoga so we'll be in the same class!" His smile brightened his teeth white.
"Really! Brilliant, I won't have to be the only one my age there!" Kaida nodded and they chatted happily, Jack slightly disappointed after discovering that Kaida had indeed done yoga before, although not for a considerable amount of time.
"I've gotta go, but I'll see you at dinner tonight, Clay's helping me cook for you guys." Jack smiled and waved as she left, heart warm with happiness. Kimiko was going to be so happy when she found out Kaida had finally come out of whatever black hole of emotion she had been wallowing in, and when Kimiko was happy, Jack was very, very happy.
"Slimy whore, back again I see. Although this time no dinner. What do you want?" Raimundo's voice was clearly full of anger, he was no longer subtly trying to disarm her, too angry for those underhanded tactics. Kaida on the other hand…
Her smile was too warm and bright for him to be comfortable with, he shifted irately, scowl deepening the shadows of his face. "What's up with you? Someone finally put you on happy pills?" She shrugged walking closer, rummaging in her pockets; that warm smile strangely never left her lips. Raimundo honestly thought she had snapped.
"Hey, hey, don't come any closer, if you hit me again I'll-" No words could come out. He was frozen, speechless. She unlocked his chains one by one, careful not to touch him or come too close. He saw her hands trembled with the cold metal. When she looked back at him her expression was so unreadable the teenager couldn't help but wince. "What are you doing?" He hissed.
That smile never left her lips. The warmth could not reach Raimundo, like watching a sunny day pass by through thick, glass windows, he could do nothing but watch how it affected everything else. The room seemed brighter.
"Just because you're a monster and you've hurt me doesn't mean you don't deserve my forgiveness." She stood up, Raimundo mirroring her shakily, dark green eyes wide, that splash of crimson all too evident. There was a tense moment where Raimundo did not know what she would say or what she would do, but his lightening fast reactions could not respond to what she did next.
Grabbing the scruff of his neck she smashed him back down to the floor, arm crashing into the ground as he yelped in pain, his eyes darting up in fury to meet her own. That smile still warmed the room, lighting up this dark little hole, even for him it would not leave; but the voice that escaped that smile was sinister, like the calm before the storm.
"But don't you dare forget you have to earn it." She left, walking with a slight skip to her step. Raimundo waited until he could no longer hear her footsteps before breathing again, gulping in oxygen and sitting up shakily. And then he laughed. Chuckling and cackling, gasping for air in between, his laugh was demonic.
He deserved her forgiveness? He laughed some more, clutching his sides, eyes swirling with crimson.
"Idiot, as if I'd ever want that!" His laugh was hysterical now, falling back onto the floor, tears of laughter spilling out of the corners of his eyes, trickling down to his red face.
Deep in Chase's lair, Athanasius was laughing too, gloating, mocking and crying with joy.
It was silent in the hospital wing. Although Master Fung had a visitor, their talk was quiet and hushed. Dojo sat outside, pressing his head against the door, desperate to hear what was going on, having been kicked out only moments before. Their voices were too quiet however, so the disgruntled dragon had to wait until the woman had left, grumbling as he slithered back inside, waiting until the click of her heels disappeared down the corridor.
"What did she want?" The gecko-sized dragon asked smartly, perching himself back on the Master's shoulder.
"To wish my speedy recover. And to request something." The dragon perked up a little.
"What did she want?" The old man sighed, leaning back a little into his pillows.
"For Yoshiro Akashki to be kept away from her daughter." The dragon's head cocked in puzzlement.
"Why would Ariella want that?" The old man shook his head. He was far too old for this.
A/N: Xiaolin Showdown isn't mine yadda yadda yadda... Have a chapter, enjoy.
Will also be uploading the rewrite for the prolouge so check it out, it's a lot better.