Runa CH. 3
A/N: Happy Labor Day! I updated. Crazy, ain't it? I am so dang close to having this thing done! SO CLOSE! Ahem. Chapter four will more'n likely take forever to get up, mostly because of the 'no screens' thing we do during the week at my house. Today being an exception because it's a holiday. In any case, have some Raikim. Enjoy!
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" The collective scream of the Xiaolin Warriors echoed down the pipes as they ran for their lives. An enormous viper and an army of giant chess pieces followed them, the chess pieces for revenge and the snake for reasons unknown. "This way!" Raimundo yelled, darting down a pipe that led towards a light source. It was painted a bright gold, though none of them noticed.
"Please don't be Voldemort, please don't be Voldemort, please don't be Voldemort," Emma chanted under her breath. They leapt out into where the pipe fed off, realizing what it was.
"A hallway?" Omi asked, looking down it. It wasn't unlike something you'd see in a hotel- normal wooden doors at even intervals down a carpeted hallway that stretched into the distance. The strangest thing about it, though, was that each door had someone's name on it.
"Guys, check it out!" Kimiko called, the others gathering near the door she was in front of. Her name was etched onto a small gold plaque that was on the door where a room number would normally be.
"Well... Ah say open it," Clay said, glancing down the pipe they'd come from. "Don't seem th' varmits chasin' us 're still on our trail."
Cautiously, Kimiko pushed open the door. She gasped when she saw what was behind it. "Oh. Em. Gee." A huge room full of the latest and greatest fashions was spread out in front of her. Accessories were on seemingly endless shelves, rows of shoes in every style and color everywhere.
"This is amazing," Kimiko said happily. "It's, like, my dream room! Dream closet, anyway."
Suddenly, Omi realized something. "Wait one moment. If this room has all of Kimiko's favorite things, then what is in the rooms with out names?" The Warriors shared a glance before running to the rooms that had the plaques with their names, Kimiko running happily into her endless closet.
Omi reached his first. Pulling it open, he gave a happy gasp at what he saw. A whole city dedicated to him! Buildings that clearly resonated of China lined beautiful, clean streets. People wearing robes like his walked down the streets, talking lightly of their daily business. Omi walked in, entranced. He passed by a newsscroll stand with headlines like 'Emperor Omi decrees National Omi Day' and 'New Show, Everybody Loves Omi, Is National Hit'.
"Emperor Omi!" A man that looked almost exactly like Grand Master Dashi wearing glasses and holding an armful of scrolls ran up to the little monk. "Why are you not in your palace, sir? The masses are awaiting a speech from their beloved Emperor!"
"Oh, uh, yes! Yes, of course, let us be rolling," Omi said, walking beside him to the huge palace in the center of the city. "I am sure that as Emperor, I have many important duties!"
"You most certainly do, your Majesty. First off is your signing of the Bill of Omi Rights..."
Raimundo was stoked. Actually, stoked didn't even begin to describe it. He was back in Rio de Janero, except... he wasn't. The beach was purged of all those annoying tourists, leaving it all to himself. The sun was shining, the waves were perfect, and there was a sweet new board leaning against the palm tree over there. And those girls. There were girls everywhere, all in bathing suits, and all fangirling over him.
"Oh my gosh, it's Raimundo Pedrosa!" a blonde squealed.
"The famous surfer?" a redhead asked excitedly.
"Duh! No other guy's that drop-dead sexy!" a girl that looked startlingly like Kimiko exclaimed.
"He's so much cooler than those other monks!"
"And his jokes are way better, too!"
"Let's go ask to watch him surf!" In seconds, Raimundo was mobbed by a ton of squealing fangirls.
"Ladies, ladies, please!" he said, raising his hands and giving them a devilish grin that made them swoon. "There's plenty of time to tell me how awesome I am."
Clay couldn't have been happier. He and Dojo were in a gorgeous ballroom, but that wasn't at all what made him so ecstatic. A feast fit for a king was laid out in front of him, every kind of meat from every kind of animal, foods from all nations, everything he could ever eat and more.
Dojo was wide-eyed from his perch on the Texan's hat. Food everywhere, all his favorite kinds, laid out on elegant tables in an equally elegant room. In his opinion, it was the meal he'd seen since... ever.
They dove in.
"Last, you must not ever stray from the path you've laid today. For if you give up the fight, the water takes your life tonight."
Emma stood outside her door. She could feel the magic resonating throughout the hallway, and had no doubts that the rooms behind the doors were enchanted. She'd watched the others go into their respective rooms, and it appeared that behind each door was the thing they coveted most. Emma wasn't sure she wanted to see what that was for her. She raised a hand to the doorknob, pausing a moment. Then she went higher, lightly brushing the plaque that said 'Emma' in beautiful cursive. It suddenly moved, making the Irish girl draw back in surprise. Her name shifted and faded, a new words coming to take it's place.
Emma squinted, adjusting the copper frames perched on her nose. When she saw what it was, her eyes widened, and she stumbled back. She then ran down the hallway, racing to the other's doors. Where her name had once been beautifully written, it had been replaced with an ugly scrawl. The word itself was cause enough for her fear, especially with her theory as to who had built the tunnels. On the plaque, the word SLOTH had been exchanged with her name.
She reached Kimiko's door, touching the plaque with her name. GREED came up instead of Kimiko, making Emma blanch. She pulled open the door, running inside to find Kimiko wearing a beautiful vibrant red ball gown with black flames along the hem, black pumps and black arm-length gloves. She didn't seem satisfied with her beauty, however, and shrieked in anger, ripping at the vibrant fabric of the dress. "NO! IT ISN'T GOOD ENOUGH!" she screeched, tearing through the clothes racks. "I NEED MORE!"
"Kimiko?" Emma whispered, tentatively approaching her hysteric friend. The Japanese girl whipped around, her hair in disarray, her makeup ruined and her dress in shambles. The most startling thing, though, were her eyes. They had become bloodshot and wide, her pupils turned into dots darting around like a cornered animal.
"Who are you? Are you here to take my things? They're MY things! Mine! Not yours!" she hissed, acting like a territorial animal.
"No, Kim, it's me, Emma. Y'know, that annoying chick that doesn't leave you alone?" she asked, giggling nervously. Kimiko bared her teeth, not reacting well to Emma's laughter.
"I don't know you, but you must lie! You ARE here to take my things!" Emma frowned, trying to think of a way to get Kimiko to leave the room. She figured that the rooms had spells on them, and once you left, the spell dissipated. Only problem was, how do you get someone to leave the place of their dreams?
"Think, Em. What would Raimundo do?" she muttered, wracking her brain for ideas. Then a slow grin spread across her face. "He'd annoy her, of course!" She pulled a canary yellow dress from one of the racks, holding it in front of her. "Hey, Kimiko, mind if I borrow this?"
The Japanese girl growled and lunged at Emma, who sidestepped and ran for the door. She dashed out into the hallway, Kimiko right on her heels. As soon as Kimiko left the room, however, both her dress and the one in Emma's hands dissipated into thin air. Kimiko stumbled forward, the aftershock of the spell having taken its toll. Emma moved forward and managed to catch her before she hit the carpet, helping her friend to stand. "Kimiko! You okay?"
Kimiko groaned. "I feel like I just ran a marathon wearing high heels, but... yeah. What the heck was that?"
"The third test. It's our greatest temptation, and the spell keeps you there forever, overindulging to the point of madness... at least until someone new comes along to get trapped," Emma replied. Kimiko stood herself up, her face a little paler than normal but otherwise unharmed. "Then what's happening to the others?"
"Probably the same thing that happened to you," Emma replied. "Speaking of." She walked forward and shut the door to Kimiko's room. "That's enough of that. Now let's go!" They ran over to Raimundo's door, pausing as Emma touched the plaque. ENVY returned in place of his name, and both girls glanced at each other. "Just a warning," Emma said quietly. "You're not gonna like what you see, so just remember, it's not really Raimundo."
Kimiko nodded, her nervousness apparent in her blue eyes. "Right. Here goes." She opened the door, both Warriors surprised at the beautiful scenery. A beautiful beach with glistening white sand sprawled out in front of them, sparkling turquoise water lapping up to meet the shore and reflecting the fluffy white clouds drifting along a perfect blue sky. Their attention was quickly drawn to the horde of screaming girls in bikinis at the shoreline, who were cheering Raimundo on as he caught a massive wave.
"Okay, you got a plan?" Emma asked quietly.
"What? I thought you had a plan!" Kimiko hissed.
"Since when am I the one with the plans?"
"Since you're the one that can get us through magic barriers and crap!"
"One, it's an enchantment, not a barrier. Two, my plan was to get you and make you figure out the plan, 'cause you're way smarter than me!"
Kimiko sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ugh. Fine. Lemme think... envy... and with... yeah, okay... I think I got something. Just let me do the talking." She headed towards the group of fangirls, Emma right behind. "Hey, Raimundo!" she yelled, waving. He glanced up at the familiar voice, breaking off from the wave and gliding to shore.
"Hey, Kimiko. Here to admire me with the others?" he asked, grinning. He looked normal enough, except for his eyes; what had once been a bright emerald had turned into an awful shade of green. Emma peered out from behind the group of girls, realizing why. "Green-eyed monster, yeowch," she muttered.
"Actually, Rai, I'm here to give you two options. One, come with me and Emma. Two, come with me and Emma."
"Oh yeah? And why should I?" Raimundo asked, planting his feet and crossing his arms.
"Here's an idea." Emma had expected Kimiko to lunge at the Brazilian, hands aflame. She didn't. At all. Instead, she grabbed him by the front of his shirt (which was somehow not wet or covered in sand,) and pulled him down to kiss him. Everyone but Kimiko was wide-eyed in surprise, and she quickly let go, Raimundo paralyzed from shock. "Quick, grab him!" Kimiko said.
"Oh, right!" Emma grabbed his legs while Kimiko took his arms and they made a mad dash for the door. The fangirls cried out in horror, running after them. "Kimiko, they're gaining!" Emma yelled, glancing back. "Also, our fearless leader needs to lose some weight, 'cause my back's already sore..."
"Hold him!" Kimiko commanded, letting Emma prop him up against a rock as she moved back. "Wudai Mars, Fire!" A stream of flame erupted from her hands, aimed straight for the other girls. They shrieked in terror and moved back, but didn't run away. "Oh, for the love of- how do I chase 'em off without hurting them?" Kimiko yelled at Emma.
"They're magical constructs, burn all ya like," Emma called back, sitting next to Raimundo to watch. Kimiko grinned and turned back to the girls, who had tried to advance again. "Works for me!" she cackled, sending a massive wall of flame at them. They screamed as it hit them, and began to melt as the fire sizzled out on the sand. "Eww."
"C'mon, Kim, we don't have a lot of time!" Emma said, dragging Raimundo's body towards the door. Kimiko dashed over and helped, pulling Raimundo out into the hall as Emma slammed the door shut. He groaned and rubbed his head, blinking his eyes open. Both girls were relieved to see that they had returned to their normal shade, although Raimundo seemed confused.
"Uh... where are we?" he asked, looking around.
"You don't remember?" Kimiko asked.
"I remember going into the door, and seeing the beach, but after that it's all one big green blur," he muttered, standing. "What happened?"
"Basically, you went in, got taken over by the envy you have for others and needed a support group, i.e. rabid fangirls. While that may have looked like pride, your folly is in counting yourself short and wishing you could be better, when what you don't realize is that you're just as good as anyone else, and that's why you were chosen to be leader," Emma said, pulling a bubble pipe out of nowhere. "Also, Kimiko-"
"- Rescued you!" the Japanese girl interrupted, grinning nervously. "I, uh, melted the fangirls."
"Oh. Well, thanks." He glanced around. "Wait, what's with the doors?"
"The rooms trap you using your greatest weakness and/or biggest temptation," Kimiko said. "Emma can explain it in detail later, but for now, Omi, Clay and Dojo are still trapped. This way!" They ran down the hall, stopping at Omi's door. Emma touched the plaque, wincing when the word PRIDE replaced his name.
They walked in, gawking at the beautiful city around them. "It's a city of Omi," Raimundo said, and the girls nodded in agreement. It was like the time they had gone to find Omi's parents, except this place was clean and bright and metropolitan, to a level. Stands sold various goods, scrolls proclaiming the latest news from Emperor Omi lining the cobblestone streets. They walked down the streets, heading for the huge palace in the center of the city. A statue of Omi was in front, not surprisingly, and two guards stood at the front of the giant doors that led inside.
"How do we get in?" Kimiko asked.
"Easy," Raimundo said, grinning. "I've seen this in movies tons of times. Just follow my lead!" He walked up to the guards, who glared at him. "Excuse me, good sirs, but my friends and I have an audience with the Emperor."
"Who are you?" the one on the right asked, squinting.
"We're the Official Party Planners of his Highness, of course," he said, his tone turning haughty. "How can you not know who we are?"
"Uh-"
"If you cannot properly recognize those that are coming to meet the Emperor, how can you do your job right? Why, I have half a mind to tell him of the extents of your ineptitude!" he barked, jabbing him in the chest. "First you ask who we are and then you keep us waiting? The Emperor's time is valuable!"
"O-of course, our mistake," the guard said, moving aside and unlocking the doors. Raimundo nodded curtly and strode through, saying "It is indeed." The other two followed him, all three breaking into giggles when the doors closed behind them.
"Circus days?" Kimiko asked, grinning.
"You know it!" he replied, high-fiving her. "Now let's go find Omi!" They walked towards what seemed to be the center of the palace, Raimundo using his powers to guide them via drafts. They quickly made it to the throne room, pushing open the doors to see a huge grand hall. A table was laid out in front with a feast fit for a king, and it certainly seemed Omi was being treated like one. He was sitting on a throne, surrounded by courtiers, oozing praise about his every move.
"OMI!" all three teenagers yelled, shoving past attendants to get to the boy. He seemed shocked to see them, as did his courtiers. They formed a sort of blockade around him, making the trio skid to a halt. A mix of confusion and surprise was visible on Omi's face, which only served to worry the others more.
"Remember, the driving force here is pride," Emma whispered to Raimundo and Kimiko. "Play to his ego. Get him out of here and run."
"You're talking like you won't be there to help," Kimiko whispered back.
"I won't. Somebody's gotta distract the toadies," Emma added when it looked like they were about to protest. "And y'all know I'm best qualified for ruckus duty."
Raimundo nodded slowly. "Yeah. Yeah, okay. We'll meet you back in the hallway, alright?"
"Right," Emma replied. "Unless I'm dead."
"Dea-"
"Who are you and why do you enter the Emperor's throne room in such a manner?" one courtier asked, stepping forward. Emma pushed her glasses up and stepped forward as well, crossing her arms.
"We're here to make it easy for you," she said as Kimiko and Raimundo slipped behind the throne. "We're gonna kidnap the Emperor, so you can either hand him over quietly or lose a fight."
"Ha! Emperor Omi's palace is impenetrable. You couldn't get him out, and now that you've revealed your infantile plan, neither will you!" he crowed, eliciting nods and murmurs of agreement. Emma casually pointed at the throne, making all of them turn. It was empty. They whirled back around to Emma, who was grinning maniacally.
"Catch me if you can!" she yelled, darting away. "GET HER!" the head courtier yelled, the whole group running after the cackling teenager. The second they left the room, however, Raimundo peered out from behind the throne. He and Kimiko cautiously walked out, Omi wrapped in a tapestry to keep him from struggling.
"Let's go," Kimiko said. They went out a door in the back that was probably used for servants. They managed to make it out of the castle without running into anyone, but ducked into a back alley when they got into the village. "How are we gonna get past all those villagers without getting seen?" Kimiko whispered. Raimundo frowned, looking around the grungy alley.
"Okay, here's what we'll do. I'll take that rope over there, and then you-"
"AY-KAI-KAI-KAIIIII!" Both teens turned to the source of the scream, eyes going wide at what they saw. Emma ran by, an insane grin on her face, with almost the entire castle behind her. They guessed by the sparks her heels were kicking up that she was using a spell to make herself fast enough to avoid capture, but slow enough so that they thought they still had a chance of catching her. Raimundo and Kimiko exchanged a glance, then grabbed Omi and ran the opposite way while all the villagers were watching the chase.
They darted behind newsscroll stands and houses as they made their way back to the door. Why nobody questioned a random door in the middle of the road at the end of town was beyond them, but they had more pressing matters at the moment. Emma rocketed by, yelling "HurryguysIthinkthey'reontous!" Both teens glanced back to see the courtiers advancing rapidly. They turned back to the door, where Emma already stood, and ran. They made it through with seconds to spare, Emma slamming the door behind them. She turned back to Raimundo and Kimiko, who had set Omi on the floor. The tapestry they'd wrapped around him was gone, as were his formal robes.
He blinked slowly, looking around. "... Why do I feel as if I have been stepped upon by several annoyed pachyderms?"
"OMI!" the other three cried, group hugging him. "We missed you!" Kimiko said happily.
"Was I gone?" Omi squeaked. They released him, and Raimundo patted him on the head. "You could day that," he chuckled.
"But... where are Clay and Dojo?" he asked, glancing between the other three.
"Aw, frag!" Emma yelped, eyes going wide. "C'mon, let's go!" The four Warriors ran down the hallway, stopping at the door labeled Clay. Emma tapped it, going pale when the word GLUTTONY replaced his name. "No..."
"Emma?" Kimiko asked gently, putting a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You gonna be okay? You can stay out here..."
Emma shook her head. "No. I'd be worse off out here wondering what's goin' on than in there helpin'."
"Then let's do this!" Raimundo yelled, throwing open the door. The kids were surprised to see a huge banquet hall, with food everywhere. Tables were laid out like a maze, piled high with all sorts of delicacies. "Uh... Clay?" the Shoku called. "You in here, dude?"
"Look at all the meat," Emma said, shuddering. "I feel like I'm in a slaughterhouse." And indeed, most of the food was comprised of meat or some sort of dessert. The odd thing was, none of it looked like it had been touched. Omi walked over to a table and picked up a cupcake, examining it. Another cupcake sprung up in it's place, making him start and drop his cupcake.
"Oh, I think I get it," Kimiko said. "It's a literal all-you-can-eat buffet. Even if you eat everything, it just keeps coming back."
"And I bet it has no negative side effects," Raimundo said, catching on. "Like everything's zero calories or whatever. You can just keep eating and eating and eating, without any consequences."
Emma bit her lip and walked further in. "Clay? Dojo? Where are you guys?" The hall got progressively darker, and she shuddered when she realized the others had gone off in a different direction. "Okay, so this just got creepy. Guys? Hello? Anybody?" She continued down the pathway, trying to ignore the blackness creeping in. Then, just ahead, she saw the silhouette of someone lying down. She gasped and darted forward, kneeling next to them.
"... Clay?" He groaned, rolling over to look at her. He didn't look any different at first glance, but a closer look said otherwise. His skin was a shade of gray that was too close to that of a corpse for Emma's liking. His face was tinged with green and his eyes were dull and hollow. "Oh, Clay," she whispered in a mixture of pity and admonishment. "What did you do to yourself?"
"Too... much..." he whispered, turning over again and groaning. Emma gently pulled him up, getting him to stand, though he had to lean on her for support.
"C'mon, big guy," she grunted, helping him walk. "No negative side effects, huh? Spell must've gone on too long. Sure took a lot outta ya." Clay just nodded weakly, doing his best not to collapse. As they reentered the beginning of the hall, they nearly ran into the other three. Raimundo was holding a limp Dojo, who was several shades paler than he should have been.
"We gotta get 'em outside," Kimiko said. "That's when the enchantment wears off." Raimundo nodded and handed Dojo to Omi, going to help Emma support Clay. They got out with no trouble, setting Clay and Dojo down as Omi closed the door. Clay tried to stand, but doubled over and began vomiting. Everyone winced, even Dojo, who managed to keep his food down.
After about two minutes straight of throwing up, Clay finally emptied his stomach. He wiped his mouth off and coughed quietly, but managed to stand. He and Dojo were still both too pale, but the little dragon looked better and the light was returning to Clay's eyes. "Remind me never to do that again," he said hoarsely.
"Will do," Raimundo chuckled.
"You gonna be okay?" Emma asked, unnaturally quiet.
"Y-yeah, Ah'll be fine," the Texan said, nodding. "But we'd better get a move on." He picked up Dojo and let him curl around his hat, and started down the hall with the others. They walked back to the pipe, going through and looking both ways.
"I think we're in the clear," Raimundo said. "I can't hear anything; the chess pieces must have gone back, and the snake's gone."
"Me neither," said Kimiko. "But let's keep going just in case they decide to come back." The others nodded, setting off in the opposite direction from where they'd come.
Meanwhile, a pair of amber eyes narrowed. "They can't be trapped, they can't be fooled and they can't be discouraged," a voice hissed, filled with annoyance. "Then perhaps it's time we circle back. The tests were necessary, yes, but this time you are free to kill them."
A red pair of eyes disappeared into the dark.
A/N: See that button down there? The one that says review? It loves you. You should click it. If you don't, it has no reason to exist. Are you really going to take away the review button's purpose in life? ARE YOU THAT CRUEL?
Emma: Yes.
I wasn't talking to you!
Emma: Oh, I wasn't either.
Oh, okay then. Wait, what was I saying?
Emma: That you're gonna write a story where Clay confesses his undying love for me?
You wish.
Emma: I do.
Anyway, please review!