Chen arrived at the temple with a silk pouch and a sheath dagger among his personal possessions. That was actually Shen Gong Wu with a strange joint ability that Kaori was surprised he found. Had her welcome with a bowl of soup in exchange for these two items. She didn't horde for herself since the time hadn't come for her to use them. Instead she took them to the vault where the Shen Gong Wu were currently being stored away. Putting the silk pouch in a draw labeled the Jade Hearts and a dagger in the drawer labeled Ghost Blade. Stopping to thank the fates for allowing her son to come back to her in one piece.
"Time has been kind to you," A rich baritone voice complimented her on her mature appearance, "You raised him well."
"I tried to keep him from turning bitter and keep an open mind to how he came to be," She answered in this voice, "He reminds me of when you were truly kind and good."
Quietness that follows when she looks upon a form she hadn't seen since her youth beside her sister. A face that still carried the appearance of a man her foolish self as a teen once loved. One that now had eyes of a cold blooded reptile and armor of a seasoned warrior. One whose name carried heavy regret in her heart as she stood still in his presence.
"I am not here to steal," He stepped closer to her, "I am here to verify a feeling. "
He swore upon stepping onto the grounds of the temple. There was one heartbeat he couldn't hear. One that he knew from his ancient memory with each step taken. Had him now standing before her and needing to know.
"Go ahead," She wasn't stopping him, "Do what you need most."
He reached with one hand to press against her chest and didn't like what he felt. Away he pulled from her trying to control his further unknown anger.
"Why?" He was on the verge of growling.
"Heartache of losing you and my sister," She answered, "Everything that changed that one night … made me numb."
"Now you live with a fake heart for what?" He asked, trying to stay calm.
His answer never came when he quickly raised a hand to her and hit her with a chin strike. Into an unconscious state that had him catching her with his tail for what he had planned. Pulling the items from their draws she put away since he had what was needed for the final step. Needing to make sure to hurry before he got caught by the monks and accused of stealing.
8*8
A pleasant smell filled the dining area of the temple that had Clay recalling his mother's apple pie. Omi and Kimiko ask him to describe the park as Raimundo went in search of the scent. What he found was Kaori tending to new pastries she was removing from baking sheets.
"See my surprise is ruined," She placed the baking sheet down, "Want one? Their apple upside-down pastry."
To the counter he walked with his eyes on the usual baked item being eyed wit(his hand behind his back. When he got close enough that he ended up moving a single hand. Toward the ones stacked on a nearby plate he would reach with his fingers rested on and then pick them up. Noting he needed to ask lay what his mother's apple pie jaw truly liked. Taking the pastry to his lips with a pause before he let it pass his lips and took a bite.
"Well?" Kaori asked him.
"I taste apple and cheese?" He asked to take a few more bites.
"Bre." She pointed out the half of a wheel she used.
"Guys," Raimundo calls to everyone, "You need to try this?"
Into the kitchen the young monks hurried and took one of the pastries from the plate or baking sheet. Biting into the shell and getting a taste of Honey and apple mixed with cheese. Chewing had them all giving mixed reactions to this new treat that was made for them. Apikalia and Trent were reminded of their grandmother's apple inspired dishes from their childhood. Ambrose was reminded of her family's farm and what they make. Omi and Ping Pong were too immersed in the taste to say a thing as Clay and Kimiko quietly chewed.
"Kimiko?" Kaori noticed her tears, "Is everything ok?"
First few bites Kimiko brought back memories of her own mother flooding back from the depths of her mind. Only images she could make out were blurry and without much sound to them. Since the face of whoever she recalls couldn't be completely made out by her. Just lips being slightly raised at the corners and bright eyes of an optimist that looked like Kaori. We're only details that could be summed up with watering of her eyes to follow.
"You alright?" Ping Pong asked.
"Youncould water my grandma's turnips with those tears." Ambrose never saw any tears.
"The new delight must have stirred something up in her." Clay guessed.
"Stirred up what's the problem." Trent wondered.
"Here." Apikalia hands Kimiko a napkin.
Omi and Raimundo didn't have much to say about this new discovery about their fellow monk. Being that the two were touched in different ways about how she was feeling about her mother. Bringing up old topics of homesickness for Brazil and parentlessness. Those two took over comforting Kimiko in their own ways with Chen watching from the shadows.
"Are you lurking or joining?" Shu Yung rested on his shoulders, "Right now to you acting like your daddy."
"Figuring out how to get those baked goods," He pointed at his mother's apple pastries, "Before Dojo."
"I like how you think." Shu Yung smelled the air.
8*8
Omi's chance came for him to take Trent, Ping Pong, and Amber along on a Shen Gong Wu retrieval. This time riding on Dojo to a small settlement in the province of Antártica Chilena. Went by the name of Villa Las Estrella, where the Heavenly Wind Archer had awakened.
"Bow made of platinum with enchanted wind for strings. Users may form their element into a custom arrow to use for range attacks against an opponent.." Omi recalled the scroll's information, "Perfect time to show you all true mastery of such a Shen Gong Wu."
"Why do I feel this retrieval isn't going to go well?" Trent whispered to Amber.
"Let's have confidence in our fellow teacher," Ping Pong gave them a thumbs up, "Ok?"
Amber couldn't ever turn him down now and during their training days under Master Monk Guan and Chen. He always put so much effort into the simple training moments they had. Always had a cutesy spin to it since he always had to adjust his eye glasses, or tumbled at the end. Left Trent to sigh out of disappointment for how this day would go for them. Even when temperature started to drop when Dojo got closer to icy skies of the Antártica.
"What a brisk breeze," Omi comments on the wind chill that hit them, "Right everyone?"
"Yea." Ping Pong was the only one to answer.
Trent and Amber were too cold from the upcoming below zero cold when Dojo began descending to land. Not really complaining about the freezing sensation that slowly crept up. Since he breathed in and out every few hours to take in the smell of snow and snowflakes.
"Head up," Dojo figured he should warn them, "It's going to be a bumping coming in."
They all took that to heart when he carefully lowered himself on the outskirts of the permanently inhabited outpost. Got Trent whistling at the sight when he noticed this place had a post office. Amber was ready to suggest Ping Pong take a lap to spot where the bow was.
"We shall search together," Omi loudly announced, "Follow me in an orderly fashion and keep your ears open."
"Roger!" Ping Pong was right behind him.
Amber and Trent followed without making a sound with Dojo catching a ride on Trent for warmth. Already guessing that everything was going wrong the way Omi was behaving as a leader. Since the lecture about needing to keep one's eyes glued open when looking around. Had Amber ready to correct Omi when Ping Pong silently shushed her so as not to interrupt. Left to her to lower her eyes brows out of frustration while Trent turned his head.
"Huh," He said, " Company?"
"No," Dojo knew who it was, "Just your typical want- be evil genius by the name Jack Spicer."
"You mean the person Ping Pong called our greatest evil." Trent looked at Amber.
"Pretty much." She wasn't going to like this.
Omi had the hurry onward to further search for the bow and let him interact with Jack. Ping Pong agreed with him as Amber and Trent were unable to say a thing about dividing into pairs. Which never happened when Omi was given the stick eyes by Jack flew passed them.
"You'll be feat upon my dust." Omi took a pointed index finger at Jack.
Jack did a fake I am so scared faced at Omi before waving his hands at him, a dismissive gesture. What had Omi let his anger get the best of him and try to knock Jack off the sky. Omi sent water spouts with chucks of ice just one after another at home with unwavering opposition. Jack taunts Omi the whole time by dodging each water stream or frozen chuck. He ended up sending Jackbot every now and then when Omi took time drawing water fourth. Just Amber, Trent, and Ping Pong were the ones that had to dodge left and right. Moving individually within the air to keep from being struck down by a robot's part or water. Left them to slowly move forward with little progress being made when one of Jack's bot got the bow. Leaving him to give Omi the stick eye when he showed what he sent his bots after. Before he had the bow taken before he waved farewell to the monks upon retreating.
"This is not going to be easy to explain." Dojo crawled out from under Trent's collar.