Chapter 18

Rage

'Wu…'

This was the last word he spoke, the breath that leads their story.

His eyes closed the eyes that saw all, and saw her, and showed the world he loved to everyone.

His hands that felt for his soul, held her close, only felt cold stone.

But once one's body fails, does the spirit truly loose all connections to the world?

It could if it so chooses.

But Sky would not; Even though his daughter and Tiger Lily waited on the other side.

His eyes opened wide, as he almost felt his non existent body hit real ground.

He was in the throne room; Emperor Li watching the form of a crouched down Wu as she touched the remains of the exploding casket that had ended Sky's life.

Master Li wiped his hands on his pants. 'Now then, Wu, You must understand that this was meant to be, he could not live. It was merely my station to end him.'

'But this is all destiny my child. Now that you have been brought down by the gods you are truly able to stand beside me, and without mercy.'

'Why-' Wu's voice whispered broken, 'would I join you?'

'Child, I raised you to. You were supposed to be the god's way of balancing things. But we must bring the fight back down to earth. I raised you with a seed of doubt, the flaw in you're moved that I exploited to kill you. Your journey was supposed to end there.' Sky hadn't realized he was screaming profanities at Li, but since he was a spirit, he could not be heard.

'But you were too clever, and I now see that the Water Dragon's power is the prize. Not the means to victory. So Wu, join me. End this silliness and rule the Empire at my side.'

'You killed Sky-' she whispered and then turned to look at Master Li, tear blotched and furious. 'And you think I'd let you live with that? That I'd JOIN you?'

Wu drew her blade and sprinted to Master Li. 'YOU will die! I WILL avenge his!'

Li ran before Wu could get to him, his hands turning purple.

There was a rumble in the stone, and demons ripped out, elephants and bulls, charging towards her…

Sky shut his eyes, waiting for the piercing scream.

Wu the Lotus Blossom

'Li!' She screamed as the demons fell to the floor behind her, she was so maddened with rage, nothing else in the world mattered but destroying the one thing that ended her light of hope. After Li was dead, Wu would be right behind him to be with Sky.

She suddenly saw Li with his back turned to her, staring at the Jade Heart.

Wu screamed out again and ripped Fortunes Favourite out of it's casing, and them whipped it towards the man who taught her to fight for what she believed in, for all she loved, that she should keep the basic's at heart…

Suddenly with a puff of smoke, he was gone.

Wu's airflow restricted as she was suddenly lifted into the air by her throat. She couldn't help remember so many weeks ago, when Zu choked Sky in Tein's Landing, the colour of Sky's face… The fear in her heart.

But this was all a memory; she did not care for her own life, all she was a killing machine. She had been till she met Sky. When her life truly began…

'Let's test your soul against my will.' Li's voice whispered, cooing her as he did when she was a small child.

Wu let out a gargled cry as under her, Wu's feet turned to stone.

What a day of review, how profoundly ironic. Was she meant to die, was she marked by the sudden visions of her life?

She flashed back to the maddened fox attacked her as the stone grew over her neck and over her head.

Next, was nothing?

Just grey smoke and doubt in her.

This was not death, for she was sure. Her spirit would have been ripped away and taken to paradise… her Sky.

'Now Wu, I show you the worse kind of death. Knowing death is coming and being unable to stop it!'

Out of the smoke came a tall grave stone, with Wu's name.

But Li had misunderstood. This was not something she feared, it never was. But now that the blueness of the sky had been sucked out of the world, the pink of the lotus blossoms, and the green in the grass… Wu craved for death.

Only her task to kill Li was ahead of her, and then she could end the pain.

Wu took the first step towards the grave, because she knew, behind her own grave stood Li. The key to all the pain, all the torture, all the love and war, for meeting Zu and Whirlwind and Hou. The reason for Dawn Star being alive. Why Wu taught Wild Flower everything Wu knew.

The Reason Wu met Sky.

In that moment, Wu wasn't alone anymore.

Her friends, all of them, Zu and Sky included walked towards her grave, their marker of the end. The peace and rest.

Death's Hand was at her side somehow adding to the family she had created, as he walked towards his master, and she knew after doing wrong for so long this was his chance to correct the world.

Wu had never been alone; she was not the leader at all. She was the tip of the arrow as her friends walked beside her. Their spirit's truly linked as one.

It was never her destiny to defeat Li alone. It was theirs all together. Because how could she fight for love, life, and happiness if she had none to pull from.

At the stone they all stopped Wu's doubt in her gone. She knew she could do this. Because unlike Li, she understood that love was not a tool. But the very drive of righteousness.

'We have moved with you Wu.' Zu whispered, almost a breath.

'We've moved with you, keeping silent.' Sky whispered in her ear.

'We did not fight this long for this to end this way!' Dawn Star said with conviction.

'Yes!' Hou said excitedly, 'I'm tired of hiding!'

Kang placed a ticking thing on Wu's grave. 'Yes, this is all our fight.'

Wu looked at Sky's spirit as the thing exploded.

His face disappeared as lightening shot around them, and somehow they were being dragged down ways… back to earth, or their own minds.

Wu opened her eyes as the rock fell. Li was white as a sheet, anger stretched across his face as he said. 'Wu You-'

'There's nothing you can offer my Li.' Wu said cutting him off. 'This ends now, Teacher against Student. No magical beings, no blasts of energy.'

Li stretched out into the grasshopper position, his greatest style. And agreed. 'Master against Student.'

Wu whipped out her blade and pointed it at him and repeated to herself 'Master verses Student.'

Clang!

Blade against armour, fist against fist they fought. And slowly, Wu was being backed up into the corner, her blade shaking in her hand, blood rolling down her arm.

'Say goodnight, Lotus Blossom.' Master Li whispered as his fist shot forward.

Wu suddenly felt hr muscles move as she drove her blade towards Li's chest.

Because what was the point of protecting your heart when you loved no one?

Fortunes Favourite sliced right through Master Li's armour's weakest point, and went right through his heart.

Li screamed and stumbled backwards, pressing his gloved black fingers to his wound to try and stop the bleeding.

In the center of the throne room, Master Li dropped to his knee's and wheezed, 'I'm a better teacher then thought.'

Wu knelt down in front of him, 'You were the best teacher I've ever known, I thank you for that Master Li. I'm sorry our story ends this way.'

Wu curled her hand against Master Li's cheek. All rage gone.

She had one, but in a small way, she lost. Sacrificing the only parent figure she knew… to do what's right.

Master Li's eyes rolled back into his head, as his last breath glistened red, Closed fist.

'You know,' Dawn Star's voice came from behind her. ' A read a passage once about the Closed Fist.'

Wu laid Li down and stood up to face her friend. 'I know, It was in Two Rivers.'

Dawn Star smiled. 'It said: The Closed Fist is not evil, as it is greed. As the human soul is of the purest white and the darkest of black, The Closed Fist is merely man giving into the yearning of power and greed for themselves, to destroy the white, and let the close ones fall.'

'But it is the one of Open Palm with the open eyes, to raise the children, the men, the women from the destruction of The Closed Fist and as the Sun bring day from night, he is to spread hope that the man of the Open Palm hold cherished. As if each person who is called "evil" is born, from that darkness of "evil" there is a shred of light, purity, and innocence.'

Wu snorted shaking her head. 'I never understood what it meant.'

Dawn Star smiled in bliss. 'I didn't either… Till now. It means that when someone rises to hurt people, that person creates light, and someone will rise against them.'

Wu took Dawn Stars hand and lead her to the view of the sky. ' Through death, something humans have been good at from the beginning, killing each other.'

Blue orbs came around them and drifted away, the spirit of the Water Dragon, finally completely free….

Dawn Star raised her head to the clouds, 'Is there anything I can say that will change your mind?' She was smiling, but Wu saw the collection of tears in her eyes.

Wu shook her head. ' It's time I had peace.'

Dawn Star looked at Wu for a long moment, Wu looked back. No longer being able to be swayed. Then Dawn Star hugged her, and out from the sunshine, Wild Flower called Dawn Star's name.

Wu took out a dagger, clean and silver, raising it to her heart, she saw Sky's face and raised the dagger towards her heart.

Suddenly, the ground shook under her.