Hi everyone, welcome back with more J-WITCH. This is one particular chapter that proved to be rather… interesting to write. Since we had the whole subplot with Will's mother trying to get them to move away removed from the canon episode, it had me think of what I can use to 'fill in the gaps', so-to-speak. Overall, there really isn't a sub-plot to this chapter as it'll mostly focus on the dreams, but it will also have a connection to the overall story centered around Nerissa that I got going on. You'll see by the end. Now, with that all out of the way, let us begin.
Nightmares and Daydreams
Jackie, Will, Jade, Irma, Hay Lin, Cornelia, Taranee, Alchemy, Tohru, Elyon, Uncle, and Matt all sat around a large table at the Silver Dragon as Yan Lin brought in some food for all of them.
"Here you all go! Enjoy!" Yan Lin said with a smile as she handed food to everyone present.
"Thanks Miss Lin." Jade smiled as she immediately took her chopsticks to the noodles in front of her. A bark drew Jade's attention as she looked to her side to see Scruffy running up to the table, his tail wagging.
Out of Will's pocket, Mr. Huggles popped up and leapt to the ground with Scruffy immediately chasing after the dormouse. Surprisingly, nobody was particularly worried as it looked like the two animals were more playing than anything else.
Jade and Will both shared laughs as they sat next to each other. That is until Will saw a tiny flash of red out of the corner of her eye. She noticed that on her placemat, which had pictures of the Chinese Zodiac on it, the image of the dragon began to move as its eyes turned blood red and glared at her.
Suddenly, both Will and Jade were knocked back as the ghostly image of Shendu emerged from the table. Yet, surprisingly, nobody else noticed him. Not even Jackie as Shendu's ghost phased directly into Jackie's body, just like during that whole mess with the book of ages.
But rather than possess Jackie, his human form began to grow, shift, and change. Tearing away his clothes as he grew to enormous size before taking the physical shape of the Fire Demon himself.
"Shendu!?" Will exclaimed.
The Fire Demon noticed Scruffy and Mr. Huggles chasing each other before raising his foot to stomp on them like insects.
"No!" Jade screamed.
Then there was a strange sound. An odd melody that played around them, one that seemed to corelate to Matt as he strung his guitar, sitting on the table that the other girls, Uncle, and Tohru, all continued to sit and eat at, oblivious to the giant demon before them. Shendu noticed them all as he turned toward the helpless Will and Jade with a sinister smirk.
Sensing his malicious intentions, Will took out the Heart of Kandrakar to transform herself and her best friend. "Guardians Unite!"
However, the Heart suddenly shattered like a glass bulb in her hands, much to her horror.
Shendu then opened his mouth to unleash a deadly inferno upon all their friends and family. The fires continued to blaze, even as they saw the charred skeletons of those they cared for. Shendu then loomed over Will and Jade, both clinging to each other as they backed against the wall in terror.
When Shendu's mouth opened again, his tongue extended to reveal Drago's upper body coming out of it, his lower body being attached to the tongue like a serpent. They heard Shendu's laugh, Drago's laugh, and a third form of laughter from someone they didn't recognize, someone that sounded like a woman. That laughter would go on, even as Drago and Shendu both set lose their fire breath on them.
Jade shot up from her bed with a scream. Her breath sounded like she was about to have a panic attack as her body was drenched in sweat. She looked around herself to see that she was still in her room, and it was the middle of the night. Jade glanced off the side of her bed to see Scruffy asleep in the doggy bed that she had bought for him.
Taking a moment to calm herself down, placing a hand over her chest, Jade breathed a sigh. "The heck did I eat last night?"
The next morning, Will could barely keep her eyes open as she tried to eat a spoonful of cereal, but she found herself unable to as her head lowered, her eyes closing. When it looked like her face was about to fall flat in her breakfast, Susan quickly caught her daughter by her shoulders.
"Will!" A light shake brought Will back to her senses.
"I'm awake! I-I'm awake…" The redhead straightened herself out.
"What's wrong? You barely even touched your breakfast." Susan pointed out, sitting next to her.
"Nothing just… had some trouble sleeping last night." Will said.
"Nightmares?" Susan guessed, causing Will to turn to her mom in surprise. "I kinda heard you tossing and turning in your sleep. By the way, what's a 'Shendu'?"
Will tried to fight back her expression of surprise. Did she really say that name last night? "J-just something from a horror story that Jade was writing. A dragon from a myth it's… it's nothing."
Susan looked somewhat questionably at her daughter. "Will, you've had nightmares before growing up. Watching a scary movie, or something on TV, but you've never got nightmares from reading anything." Her expression turned to one with concern. "Is something going on?"
"No, there's nothing going on, Mom." Will tried to say. "It was just… a bad night for me, don't worry about it. Everyone gets those."
Deciding to trust her, Susan let it go. "Alright if you say so. But Will, you know you can talk to me if something's going on."
"I know." Will gave a smile but yawned slightly. "Though… I wouldn't mind some coffee."
"Coffee? Okay, now I know something's wrong." Susan joked. "When you tried to drink iced coffee, you said it tasted like dirt."
Will chuckled. "Yeah." It was honestly a good thing that it was Sunday. After some breakfast, maybe she could take a quick nap or walk around the neighborhood a little bit to get some exercise to hopefully wake herself up.
But that was honestly the craziest nightmare she ever had. Shendu's ghost going into Jackie to turn him into Shendu? Her friends being burned alive, just like how Shendu killed Cedric? Not to mention Drago coming out of his mouth! Will wondered if that's how Drago came into the world, but just picturing that gave her the willies. Shendu was the most terrifying threat she and her friends had ever fought before, but this was the first time she had a nightmare about him. Hopefully last night's bad dream would be the only one like that.
Meanwhile, at the steel mill just outside of Heatherfield, Nerissa sat meditatively in a magical dome made out of musical notes that rang around her. She had written each note from magic and placed them in a specific order to play that a certain tune that only she could hear within the dome. However, she opened her eyes and the tune stopped, the dome slightly expanding as the moving magical notes paused.
Nerissa gazed with a calculating expression at the orb in front of her, the orb that contained the breath of Jade that she had subtly taken from her during her birthday celebration as she saw a spectral image of Jade herself.
"What's up?" Drago asked, walking into the room.
"The most peculiar thing happened." Nerissa explained. "I attempted to penetrate young Jade's mind, and I was successful of course. However, I also ended up connecting to the mind of young Will, even though I didn't intend to."
Drago raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Maybe it was just a fluke. Or you both got Quintessence or something."
"That doesn't explain how they shared the same dream." Nerissa revealed, causing her half-demon son to look in surprise.
"Come again?"
"I didn't even begin to tamper with it and yet, both their dreams had connected to one." Nerissa said as she stroked her chin. "The only explanation I can think of, is that it may be due to their bond."
Drago rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me it's because of the 'magic of friendship' or some other kid-cartoon garbage." However, he saw the serious look in his mother's eyes. "Wait… for real?!"
"This a rare phenomenon, mostly because it occurs under specific circumstances." Nerissa began. "If two magic users have connection with one another, be it romantic, friendship, or familial, a bond of sorts can form between them. Though the type of bond that they form also depends on the type of magic they wield. Will uses my power of Quintessence, while Jade is the x-factor with her shadow element."
"Her power did cancel out the Quintessence in the Annihilators. Sucked it right out of them." Drago pointed out.
"Indeed. And opposites do attract after all." Nerissa began to think. "I'll need to look more into this, perhaps peer into the minds of the others and see what they know."
"Don't you need their breath to do that? It's how you got into Jade's head." Drago told her.
"Yes, but we know she shares a connection with Will. And by extension, that gives us a means to connect to the current wielder of the Heart, which connects to other Guardians." Nerissa grinned, looking into the orb as she began to cast more of her magic into it. "I should be ready by tonight, but I may need you to take a bit of a… direct approach later on. Can I count on you, son?"
"Always." Drago said as he sat across from her with a sinister grin of his own. "Just tell me what you need me to do."
Cornelia faced Caleb on the beach of Heatherfield, the two appearing to be in yet another squabble with one another.
"You know what? I am so over you!" Cornelia said to her ex. "Half of the time, I don't even remember your name! Uh… kabab?" She mocked.
"I'm sorry, have we met?" Caleb shot back.
That really hit where it hurts as Cornelia gave a frustrated yell before placing her hand on the ground. She smirked as she used her powers to grow a plant tendril from the ground to ensnare Caleb by his ankles and fling him into the water.
"Ha ha!" Cornelia laughed genuinely and mockingly at Caleb as he got up, spitting water from his mouth to glare at her.
Suddenly, a stream of water shot up from the ocean, perched at the top was Miranda who bore the same appearance as when she absorbed the Water Demon Chi. The demonically transformed shapeshifter raised her hands to create large hands made from water that rose from the ocean to grab Caleb and lift him up to her level.
"Cornelia! Help!" Caleb called to her.
She tried to rush and help her, only for a wall of fire to rise in front of her and encircle her on all sides. Walking out of the flames with a chuckle was none other than Drago. She tried to throw a punch at him, but he easily caught her fist and pulled her into a tight bearhug. As she struggled in his grasp, she failed to notice musical notes in the flames around her, as well as that same tune playing around her.
Drago forced her to watch as the Water Demon Chi empowered Miranda drown Caleb in a sphere of water. "Caleb! NO!" She screamed as his body melted into the water right before a tidal wave was raised and then brought down onto her.
Cornelia woke up with a gasp in her room. One quick look around was enough to convince her that none of that was real.
"Just a dream…" However, when she sat up from her bed, she noticed drops of water on the floor… When she turned on the lights to get a good look at herself, she found herself soaking wet.
"Hey, this nightgown is chiffon! Dry-clean only!"
The next day, the group of seven girls all walked through the courtyard of Sheffield to start their day of school. But, with the exception of Alchemy, all of them appeared to be more than a little tried, evident by Cornelia giving a big yawn.
"Hey, ixnay on the awningyay…" Irma said with a yawn of her own. "I can barely keep my eyes open as it is…"
"Sorry… had this messed up nightmare with our favorite lizard boy…" Cornelia said in a partial yawn, but when she turned around to see the shocked and knowing looks on most of her friends' face, she was struck with an unexpected realization. "What… You too?! All of you?!"
"Not me. I've been sleeping just fine." Alchemy said.
"I didn't." Hay Lin shook her head. "Last night, I dreamt was in that International Island Challenge again… with Drago trying to force all those bugs down my throat!"
"Could it be a coincidence?" Taranee wondered.
"What, that we all had scale-face in our dreams?" Irma questioned.
Jade gave her titular scoff. "You think that's messed up? The night before last, I had Drago and Shendu up in my head!"
"…At the Silver Dragon… where his ghost possessed Jackie and turned into him…" Will went on with wide and circular eyes, mirroring Jade's expression. "Wait… did…"
"Did we have the same dream?" Jade finished, sounding just as shocked as her friend, while the other girls shared confused looks. "Did any of you have that same dream?" She asked the other girls.
"No, I was Shendu-free." Cornelia shook her head.
"Same." Taranee added.
"Ditto." Hay Lin put in.
"This is crazy…" Alchemy said. "Think maybe Drago's trying to mess with you guys again? Trying to get inside your dreams."
"Ew!" Cornelia cringed. "We already get enough of that psychotic freak during the day, I don't want him up in my head now!"
"Okay, when class gets out, we'll talk with Jackie and the others and see what's going on." Will said as they all walked into the building. "I'd rather get this figured out as quick as possible."
"Girl, I hear ya." Jade agreed.
Unbeknownst to them, perched on the rooftop of their very own school, Drago had been watching them all with a sinister smirk. "Sorry girls, but I'm gonna be the man of your dreams for a while." He said as he patted a sack that he had tied around his sash.
Uncle's Rare Finds
The eldest of the Chan Clan worked alongside his apprentice as they mixed together various spell ingredients in cauldrons and beakers around them. "How does scale of salamander boil?" Uncle asked.
"At a steady rate, Sensei." Tohru answered. "But we may need a stronger dose of reptilian blood, along with some extra firefly."
"Uncle." Jackie walked into the back room with some tea for all three of them. "You and Tohru have been working on this for the past couple of days. Might I ask what it is?"
"A special locator spell that should help us to locate Drago." Uncle explained.
"We suspect he and the Knights of Vengeance must have some kind of hideout here on Earth." Tohru went on. "While Elyon and Caleb try to find their base in Meridian, we'll locate them here."
"You've managed to make locator spells more quickly." Jackie said. "Why is this one taking longer?"
"Because Drago has some kind of outside magic protecting him." Uncle answered. "Another's magic has made locating him much more difficult."
Jackie thought for a moment. "We've suspected that there was another party involved with Drago. Do you think they may be responsible?"
"Possibly." Tohru answered. "Although, if we were to acquire a sample of Drago himself, like a scale or even a few drops of blood."
"If possible, I'd rather get it done now than through another confrontation with Drago." Jackie said. "He's caused the girls enough trouble, up to the point where Jade said she had a nightmare about him the night before."
Sheffield
Later that day, the bell rang out and already all the students began to leave the school, something Drago had observed as he remained perched on the school's rooftop. He then went over to an air-duct, tore off the top and dropped down. Once inside the air ducts, and facing an active fan, Drago took out the sack his mother gave him and opened the contents, to reveal a batch of purple colored powder, which he spread with a blow of air into the fan, which caused the powder to further spread throughout the school's ventilation system.
"Sweet dreams." He grinned.
Irma and Cornelia both walked out of their final class for the day and happened to pass directly under an air vent on the ceiling, when that had some of that purple powder flow out from. The two girls didn't even notice them inhaling it, which caused them to become even more tired than before.
Cornelia was the first to yawn. "I told you to stop…" Irma said before yawning herself. "Yawning."
"Sorry I… I just need to sit down." Cornelia said as she sat herself down on a nearby bench in-between a pair of lockers, with Irma sitting down next to her.
"Yeah… that's a good idea." Irma muttered, her eyes barley kept open before they closed and both girls fell to sleep while leaning on each other.
Meanwhile, Will and Hay Lin, both found themselves in a similar situation. Having also breathed in the powder through the vents tat Nerissa created specifically for the six Guardians, these two had slumped against the locker walls of the empty hallways of Sheffield and fell asleep, leaning on one another.
"Guys! Guys! Wake up!" Alchemy tried to push Jade and Taranee awake, both of them have also fallen asleep too as they were in another hallway that had also been emptied of students and staff. Alchemy had to bring them onto a bench to give them something to sit on so they didn't just slump on the floor.
"Oh man… what is going on here…?" Alchemy took out her phone, not noticing an air vent on the side opening up. "Better call Jackie…!" She screamed however as a pair of scaly hands grabbed her from behind and lifted her up. She struggled in the assailant's grasp and was able to free herself, only to look in terror to see who was behind her.
"Oh, did I scare you?" Drago asked mockingly.
Despite being frightened by his sudden appearance, Alchemy tried to put on a brave face. "Yeah well… looks aren't everything!"
Drago gave a slight growl with smoke shooting out from between his teeth when he noticed Jade and Taranee asleep on the side. "Those two got the right idea. So how about I put you down for a nap too? A dirt nap!" He unleashed his fire breath toward Alchemy, who ducked to avoid the blast as she ran for her life with Drago right behind her.
Irma heard an elderly woman's cackle in her head before she gasped in surprise, finding herself at the back of a massive stage, wearing a dorky white dress that seemed like a mix between something from an 80s prom and a wedding gown, complete with a large red bow tied at her back.
"Up next is my unbiased choice for the Miss Cucumber Crown!" Martin announced, wearing a tuxedo at the center of the stage with a giant humanoid cucumber right next to him that also happened to be wearing a crown. "The sweetest pickle in the jar… Miss Irma Lair!"
"No-no-no-no-no! No way!" Irma protested. "I am not going on stage in this stupid girly dress!"
"What's wrong? You look super cute." Cornelia teased as she suddenly and somehow appeared next to her.
"Miss Irma Lair?" Martin called out again, encouraging her to step out with the cucumber next to him giving her a peace-sign.
"Nuh-uh!" Irma was about to protest, only for Cornelia to push her forward.
"Oh, stop being such a baby! Get out there and take it like a cucumber!"
Right after hearing a cackle echo through her ears, Hay Lin found herself cleaning down a table at the Silver Dragon and had just finished, right as she saw her grandmother roll past and around her on a pair of roller-skates.
"One down, a hundred million to go!" Yan Lin said cheerfully, showing a long hallway of hundreds of thousands of dirty tables, much to Hay Lin's horror.
Will looked around in confusion at where she was, with Hay Lin grabbing her arm in fright. "Is this a nightmare or what?!"
"Maybe but it's not my nightmare…" Will said.
"Get to work!" Yan Lin threw a pair of sponges at their faces. "Dreams don't pay for themselves!"
The sinister laugh of an elderly woman. That was all she heard, until she heard her own name being called.
"Miss Cook! Wake up!" Taranee's eyes shot open as she suddenly found herself in a classroom with Professor Collins standing next to her. "To the board! Right now!"
Jade blinked a couple times, finding herself sitting in the desk next to Taranee. "Didn't we just get out of class?"
Suddenly, Taranee found herself at the front of the classroom by the chalkboard with all sorts of college-level math problems written on it. "Wait… You teach history!" She said to Collins.
"Solve the equation!" Collins handed her a piece of chalk as Taranee tried to write something down. But whenever she tried to get the chalk on the board, the equation itself moved, unnaturally.
"Wait… I can't! The numbers…!" Suddenly, all the numbers flew off the board and began to swarm Taranee, who backed into Collins.
"This is a dark day for your grade-point-average, Miss Cook."
Jade's eyes then widened in realization. "I get it." She narrowed her eyes before climbing to the top of her desk and gave a martial arts yell as she leapt forward with a kick to send Collings flying to the wall.
"Jade! You just kicked our teacher!" Taranee exclaimed.
"That ain't our teacher, because this isn't our real school!" Jade stated. "This is all one big dream! Drago's gotta be messing with our heads!"
"Well, it seems you are smarter than I gave you credit for."
That came from Collins as his body levitated in the air, but the voice that came from his mouth was not his own. Rather it sounded like an elderly woman's that neither of them recognized.
"You are truly the wild card, aren't you Young Jade? So, tell me, what is your secret?"
"Who is that…? That's not Professor Collins…" Taranee noted while Jade glared.
"Find out for yourself!" She tried to launch another flying kick, only for 'Collins' to lift his hand and blast a dark magic beam at her to knock her back to the wall.
Suddenly, 'Collins' began to glow as his whole body shifted and changed, taking up the appearance of Moon Demon Chi empowered Raythor, who extended all four of his hands to blast a wave of dark gravity magic to blow away all the walls around them, leaving only a dark void as the pair faced their enemy.
Uncle's Rare Finds
Jackie looked at his watch with concern. "They should have gotten out of class by now."
"Maybe Jade decided to go out with the other girls." Tohru suggested.
"She'd at least let me know about that." Jackie replied. "She's getting better with communicating, so this rather odd."
The phone for the shop rang and Uncle was quick to answer. "Hello? Uncle's Rare Finds?"
"Uncle, it's Alchemy! Drago's at the school! The girls are asleep! You, Jackie, and Tohru need to get here, like now!"
"Aiya…!" Uncle exclaimed even as he heard the sounds of explosions in the background on the other line. "Drago is attacking girls' school!"
"Then let's go!" Jackie immediately ran out of the store, with Tohru and Uncle right behind him.
Irma's Dream
Blunk acted as conductor for an orchestra, dressed in a tuxedo, as he tapped his wand on a music stand and got all the other hundreds of Blunks in the orchestra to play some music. Music that just so happened to carry the same tune that's been heard in every dream so far.
"So, Miss Lair, tell us your goals, hopes, dreams… maybe even some secrets involving your friends?" Martin offered. "Come on, you know you can tell little old me."
Once Irma heard that, a scowl appeared on her face. "Oh, I see where this is going. Sorry, but I ain't ratting out my friends. And for the record, if you're gonna try to lure me into a false sense of security or whatever, try a different face… Drago!"
A cackle escaped from 'Martin' before his body shifted and changed, tearing out of the suit he wore, to reveal the appearance of Drago as he grabbed Irma by the shoulders.
"Well, if you're not going to say anything… then what good is that mouth of yours?"
Irma tried to speak up, only to look in horror as her lips suddenly began to melt and merge together. Before she knew it, her mouth had completely vanished from her face and all she could get out were a series of muffled screams.
Cornelia tried to run in and help Irma, only to find Hak Foo breaking out of the ground and standing in her way. He slashed at her to knock her down, cutting at her arm to tear away her sleeve and leave a bleeding scratch along her forearm. And it wasn't just Hak Foo, the transformed Ice Crew also appeared to surround her from all sides.
"You want to know my hopes and dreams?" The Drago that still kept a firm hold over the mouthless Irma asked as bolts of blue lightning escaped his arms to ensnare and bind Irma, rendering her completely helpless. "To create a perfect universe..." But that wasn't Drago's voice coming from his mouth, rather that, unbeknownst to Irma, was actually that of his mother. "One that no longer has a need for any more Guardians."
Reality
Alchemy ran as fast as she could through the hallways, trying to find the nearest exit. She rounded one corner and found the front door. And just when it seemed like she was home free… Drago, who had leapt from wall-to-ceiling had leapt down in front of her to cut off her path as she slid to a halt.
"Nice try." Drago's breath was already sizzling as Alchemy tried to back away. "Bet you wish you still had that some of that Wind Demon Chi now, don't ya?"
"Yeah… a little bit…" The frightened girl admitted. But right when Drago was ready to unleash an inferno, a yell came bursting through the door behind him as Jackie landed a flying kick to Drago's back to send him flying over Alchemy and tumbling across the floor.
"Jackie!" Alchemy exclaimed with joy upon seeing him, Tohru and Uncle enter the school.
"Alchemy, where the girls?" Jackie asked seriously.
"Asleep!" She tried to explain as best as she could. "I don't know what happened! I was with Taranee and Jade and for some reason they just… dropped on the floor! Then Drago popped in and…"
"Take Uncle to girls." Uncle instructed as he took out a dried lizard. "We will find the source of this problem."
"Jackie and I will deal with Drago, now go!" Tohru added.
"Right." Alchemy nodded as she took Uncle's hand. "Follow me." She proceeded to lead him down the halls and deeper into the school.
But Drago had managed to pull himself up. He looked with a glare to see Alchemy leading Uncle away, but they weren't his problem right now as Jackie dashed in front of him to block his path, while Tohru approached the half-demon from behind, cracking his knuckles.
"Why are you here, Drago?" Jackie questioned. "What is it you want with the girls this time?"
"To get rid of em. Thought that was obvious by now." The Son of Shendu answered. "And you guys just happen to be on that list too." He shot his fire breath at Jackie, forcing him to run away. He turned around to see the incoming Tohru and shot his fire at him too, which struck him in his massive chest and sent the sumo crashing along the wall and skidding to the ground.
Drago then leapt toward Jackie slashing his claws at him, but Jackie quickly parried all his strikes but was unable to block a kick that sent Jackie crashing into an empty janitor's closet. He quickly took notice of a mop in a nearby bucket and saw Drago about to blast his fire breath again. Acting quickly, Jackie grabbed the mop by the handle and swung it with enough force to send the bucket full of water flying, spilling the water over the young Fire Demon and stopping him from attacking with his signature element. With Drago briefly off-balance, Jackie spun the mop in his hands like a staff before swiping it at Drago to knock him down.
The half-demon pulled himself back up and was about to attack Jackie once more, only for the recovered Tohru to quickly grab him by his tail and slam him into the lockers behind him with enough force to break the metal doors off their hinges and then proceeded to slam Drago into the lockers on the other side and then lifted him up to slam him hard on the ground. But Tohru wasn't done yet, with Drago down, he jumped up to land his enormous belly right on top of the half-demon, the intent to crush him underneath his weight.
It seemed like Tohru's plan had succeeded as he and Jackie exchanged smiles. However, Tohru felt something burning underneath him and looked with horror to see smoke coming out from under him, followed by an intense pain at his belly, one that caused him to yell as he pushed himself up, the front of his clothes on fire, which Jackie helped to quickly pat down and put it out. They both then looked to see Drago stand up, albeit shakily, flames burning from the sides of his mouth as he glared hard at the pair.
Hay Lin's Dream
How long had they been there? How long have Hay Lin and Will be cleaning the tables in this massive version of the Silver Dragon? That's what they were both wondering as they continued to work. For some reason, Yan Lin skated in-between all the tables, blowing a trumpet to play that melody.
"I wonder if that strange music means anything…" Hay Lin muttered.
"What does someone have to do to get a little service around here?" Both girls were stunned to see the Tracker sitting at one table, as if he were a guest at the restaurant. But what was weird was that not only did he speak, the words that came from his mouth seemed to come from an elderly woman.
"Wait… you can't talk!" Hay Lin pointed out.
Yan Lin then propelled herself toward the Tracker, using rocket-skates, with a tray of food in her hand. "Buffet tonight! All you can eat! And everything's on the menu!"
"Excellent." The Tracker then transformed, taking up the appearance of when he absorbed the Wind Demon Chi and grabbed Yan Lin with one hand.
"Grandma!" Hay Lin rushed to try and help her with Will right behind her. However, the Tracker waved his hand to send a gust of wind to trip up both girls and knock them on the hard ground. "Ugh! My knees!" Hay Lin rubbed her sore knees, but she was helpless to watch as the Wind Demon Chi empowered Tracker open his massive mouth and swallow Yan Lin whole.
As Hay Lin screamed, Will heard something else. It appeared to be coming from the floor, and it sounded like a familiar voice. She pressed her ear against it to try and tried to focus on that sound, and that's when she heard it. The grunts of her best friend as she fought an unknown enemy.
"Jade…?"
Taranee's Dream
The Moon Demon Chi empowered Raythor laughed as he used his gravity powers to lift every desk and object in the room, as well as various math equations from the chalk board, and spun it above himself, towering over Jade and Taranee before he used magic to transform and mold all the objects into swords, spears, and other similar weapons and sent them at the pair.
Jade tackled Taranee to the ground to avoid getting skewered, but even while keeping themselves as close to the ground as possible, the flying weapons sliced at their backs, causing them both to grunt in pain.
"Jade…?"
Her own eyes widened as she heard her best friend say her name. "Will?" It seemed to be coming from the floor underneath her and Taranee. "Did you hear that?"
"Hear what?! The sound of metal slicing away at our flesh!?" Taranee exclaimed in a panic.
Taranee couldn't hear it, but Jade could. She was positive she heard Will say her name. In fact, the moment she could, she could feel Will's presence and it felt close. Very close. Like she was right on the other side of this floor, she just had to bust through it.
"Wait a minute…" Jade was then struck with realization. "This is a dream, right?" She said as she spotted a piece of chalk flying through the air along with everything else and was quick to reach out and grab it. The second she did, she wasted no time in drawing on the floor. "If it's a dream, that means we can do whatever we want!" She had drawn a door on the floor.
Suddenly, the entire dream tilted a complete ninety-degree angle, as if the floor was now a horizontal wall and Jade grabbed onto the handle of the door she had drawn, while also grabbing Taranee's hand before pulling it open.
On the other side of the new opening was Will, with her and Hay Lin caught in the middle of a tornado in the Silver Dragon. "Will! Hay Lin! Over here!" Jade called out to them.
Will appeared to hear her and turned to her side to look in surprise at who called to her. "Jade!"
"Grab my hand!" Jade reached through the doorway as Will reached toward her as well, her hand getting cut up slightly as she pushed her hand through the tornado. Their fingers were only inches apart before they touched and grasped to each other.
The second their hands linked, something unexpected happened. A mixture of pink and purple energy shined out from their palms and exploded in a flash of light.
Will and Hay Lin both shot awake, back at Sheffield, standing up from the floor they were sleeping on, and they weren't the only ones.
Jade and Taranee had also awakened with gasps of surprise.
"You're awake!" Alchemy exclaimed with relief with Uncle standing beside her.
"Alchemy? Uncle? What's going…?" Taranee tried to ask.
"No time to question!" Uncle told them. "Drago is here! If other girls are asleep, they must awaken now!"
Taranee and Jade exchanged serious looks and nods with each other as the Fire Guardian reached out with her psychic powers to her friends. 'Will! Cornelia! Can anyone hear me?! WAKE UP!' As she shouted in her mind, flames reflected in her glasses.
While Will and Hay Lin were already awake, Irma and Cornelia had yet to be awoken, but Taranee's psychic shout had forced them awake with gasps of their own.
Irma felt her mouth and could tell that it was still there. "Yes! I still have my mouth!" However, her voice sounded incredibly strained, like she had been screaming her lungs out for some time. Cornelia also noticed the clothes on her right forearm were cut up, along with the bleeding scratch.
Meanwhile, Jackie had spun his mop like a staff to lunge at Drago, who sliced at it with his claws to break it in half, but when Drago lashed out again, Jackie used the upper part of the mop to smack Drago's hand and knock it down while stuffing the mophead into his face to blind him before sweeping his feet to knock him down. But even while down, Drago blasted his fire breath at Jackie, forcing him to backflip away and allowing Drago to stand up right, only to get pulled into a bearhug by Tohru, who rushed to the nearest wall to slam him face-first into a set of lockers.
However, Drago kicked his feet against the lockers to push himself and Tohru back, forcing the sumo to fall on his back and release Drago who leapt over and back on his feet. But when it looked like he was about to attack again, he was blasted back by a point-blank attack of shadow-fire.
Rolling on the ground and getting back up, Drago looked with a growl to see the girls of J-WITCH, having transformed into their Guardian forms, hovering above Uncle and Alchemy, the former had his dried lizard glowing with Chi Magic, as it looked like they were all prepared to give the half-demon a serious beatdown.
Realizing there was no point in staying any longer, Drago decided to retreat. "See ya later." He threw a fireball from his hand to the floor to create a makeshift flash bomb to briefly blind the heroes. When they looked again, they saw that Drago was gone.
"Good riddance." Cornelia breathed as the mood became much more relaxed.
"Are you girls alright?" Jackie asked.
"We're fine, Jackie…" Will replied. "But we just had some pretty intense dreams."
"Not mere dreams." Uncle said as he rubbed his fingers to reveal some of the purple powder that was used to put the girls to sleep. "Drago put you to sleep so someone could invade your minds."
"So, what do we do?" Hay Lin asked.
"Drago is still out there." Jackie stated. "First, we go to Section 13 where it's safe. I'll call Miss Lin and tell her what's going on so she can speak to your parents and not have them worry."
"While we're there…" Taranee began.
"We need to/must do research." She and Uncle both said at the same time, much to their own surprise and the frightening concern of their friends.
"Oh god… now there's two of them…" Irma said with her voice still hoarse.
As the evening sun slowly began to set, Drago had returned to the steel mill to approach his mother as she remained in the same spot as before, no longer using her spell as she looked at her crystal orb to see what had transpired in the girls' dreams, specifically when Will and Jade made contact with one another.
"We have a problem, my son." Nerissa said.
"What's wrong?" Drago asked.
"That connection between Will and Jade is becoming a hinderance." Nerissa replied. "Those two weren't even near each other and yet… one was able to penetrate the other's dream to reach out to the other. And those weren't even their own dreams. Just touching one another caused their energies to spike up exponentially, forcing their dreams to shatter and awaken themselves without even knowing."
Drago growled. "And let me guess, with the old guy, they'll be able to figure it out and use it against us."
"Precisely." Nerissa answered gravely. "I've only managed to gather bits and pieces from their memories, but not a complete picture. One more trip into their dreamscape, that's all I need to get it. Only this time, they'll know that someone is invading their mind and will do what they can to fight back." She looked up toward him. "I need your help, Son."
"What do you need?" Drago asked seriously.
"Tell me, have you ever heard of… lucid dreaming?"
Section 13
After Yan Lin had called each of the girls' parents and told them they were doing a study session at the library, where she and Jackie would be supervising, she met up with everyone else at Section 13, where Taranee, Uncle, and Tohru had spent the last hour researching and they had compared notes with one another to discuss their plan for counterattack.
"So, just to make sure I got this right, somebody is attacking you girls in your sleep?" Captain Black summed up.
"Yeah, they're invading our dreams physically, using our fears and memories to conjure up dream images of our enemies." Taranee explained.
"But it's not Drago?" Will said.
"Nope. He was fighting Jackie and Tohru outside while we were all sleeping." Taranee confirmed. "So, it couldn't have been him."
"But Irma and I both saw him in our dream." Cornelia remembered.
"And he was in mine and Will's a couple days ago, not to mention all the other times we've seen him." Jade added.
"It was more likely the psychic invader was using your memory of Drago to directly attack your minds." Tohru assumed.
"But is this invader in your dreams?" Jackie asked.
"I don't think so." Taranee shook her head. "Maybe it's my own psychic powers but somehow I sense the intruder is calling us… long distance."
"Remind me to turn off my cell phone." Irma said as she drank some tea that Yan Lin had provided her to sooth her sore throat.
"If that's the case, the intruder isn't in any physical danger from any outside force." Tohru commented. "That's rather clever, actually."
"Invader must be quite skilled in magic." Uncle spoke, as he rubbed some of the powder that Drago used in-between his fingers. "To concoct a sleeping powder that only affects Guardians, as well as affect their dreams from a distance. Drago may have magic and be child of Demon Sorcerer, but this is work of someone else."
"We kinda had a feeling someone else was involved since that whole mess with the Water Demon Chi, maybe it's them." Alchemy guessed.
"Perhaps, but that doesn't quite help us to solve the problem." Jackie said with a sigh. "If we had acquired a sample from Drago, we could have used a locator spell to find him and whoever is helping him."
"Even if you did, there is a chance that this person helping Drago may be in a separate location all together." Captain Black put his two cents in.
"But even if this person isn't in danger, we still are?" Hay Lin asked.
"Oh yeah." Taranee confirmed gravely. "Our own minds are being turned against us, using our new psychic strengths to manifest the effects of the dream."
"Is that why we were all injured after we woke up?" Irma asked. It was true, all the girls had suffered some cuts and bruises in some way. While it was nothing too serious, the idea that they could be hurt inside their dreams was still a scary one. "And why my throat still hurts?"
"Dreams are gateway to the subconscious." Uncle explained. "And since invader is attacking dream, they have direct pathway into the center of mind. The body cannot work without the mind, if the mind is destroyed the body will follow."
"Wait… are you saying…?" Cornelia seemed to figure it out.
"If we die in our dreams, we die in real life." Taranee stated.
Jade shivered. "Like Freddy Krueger pulling a 'Matrix' on us. Don't suppose we can go all 'Neo' on em and kick them out of our heads?"
"Actually, you might be onto something, Jade." Taranee said to her. "It's what the three of us were researching…" She gestured to herself, Uncle, and Tohru. "Lucid dreaming. The theory is, if we know we're asleep, we can control our dream and we can help each other."
"So, it really is just like the Matrix." Alchemy put in.
"Based on what you've told us… Jade and Taranee shared the same dream because they were so close together." Jackie recalled. "The same was with Will and Hay Lin, as well as Irma and Cornelia."
"So, if we all fall asleep together… we'd all share one big dream?" Cornelia assumed.
"Like one big sleep over?" Hay Lin asked.
"It would seem so." Jackie said.
"But…" Will and Jade each shared a look with one another. "How were Jade and I able to share the same dream before all of this?"
"And it wasn't just back then either." Jade added. "When Taranee and I were stuck together, I could hear Will call my name… but it wasn't just that. It was like… Like I could feel her. Like she was on the other side of a wall. I… think I might have used that to make a door in that wall."
"I could feel Jade too, and when the two of us touched each other… we just woke up." Will said.
Most of the group all looked in confusion, all for save Yan Lin and Uncle as they shared surprised glances. "Spiritual Connection." They both said at the same time.
"Saywhat now?" Jade asked.
"It is a very rare occurrence in magic…" Yan Lin began. "But two kindred spirits are capable of forming a bond with one another if certain conditions are met. Somehow, perhaps even well before now, a connection was formed between Will and Jade."
"Will did use the Heart of Kandrakar to cure Jade when Tarakudo corrupted her." Tohru recalled. "And that led to the creation of the sixth Auramere."
"Creation of sixth Auramere is only part of it." Now it was Uncle's turn. "Jade's element is shadow, which can nullify light and even magic itself. Will's element is Quintessence, from which life and energy originates. Light and dark, push and pull, opposite yet equal…"
"Yin and Yang!" Jackie said in realization. "Balance."
"Exactly." Yan Lin confirmed. "It is the nature of the universe to always seek balance, even in the smallest of things. And since these opposing powers manifested in two living beings, it's created a spiritual connection that is unique only to Will and Jade." She looked towards the two girls. "You two are now bonded with one another. More than just friends… but Spirit Sisters."
"Spirit Sisters?" The two questioned at the same time.
"A bond that does not require that of blood relation or even romance." Uncle explained. "If two form a strong connection to one another, a bond can be formed. A literal bond if magic is involved."
Yan Lin however quickly noticed how worried that seemed to make them. "Do not worry, this is a good thing." She made her way towards the pair as she gently held Will's hand in her left and Jade's in her right. "You two have a strong and positive friendship with one another, and that connection, along with the universal nature of balance, has allowed this bond to form. And that bond will only help your spirits and souls to grow stronger." She placed their hands together. "Your lives are intertwined now, and that thought… is a hopeful one."
As their hands linked, Will and Jade couldn't help but stare at each other in amazement. It was already established that the two were best friends, with their bond only growing stronger the more time they spent together, whether as Guardians fighting a common threat or as two friends hanging out with each other. In fact, the way their magics just seemed to balance with each other almost mirrored how their relationship functioned with Will's responsibility and compassion balancing Jade's energy and mischief, with the two rubbing off on each other with their most positive aspects. They just seemed to bring out the best in each other. Warm and gentle smiles formed on each of their faces as they could only now feel that kind of connection, and it felt very warm.
"Okay, this is nice and all but… how do we deal with the bad guys that are trying to kill us in our brains?" Cornelia brought everyone back to the situation at hand.
"Yeah, I gotta go with Corny for once." Irma added. "I get sharing a dream together should let us help each other, but is that really gonna beat them?"
"I might actually have an idea." Tohru spoke up. "We turn the invader's own method against them."
Everyone only looked to each other in confusion. "I'm not sure I follow, Tohru." Jackie said.
"Here, let me show up." Tohru went up to a whiteboard in Captain Black's office and took a marker to draw a circle in the middle of it. "This is the dream world that the girls share." He then drew a line on the left side of the circle that connected to a stick-figure that he also drew. "And this is the intruder who is using a special kind of magic to connect directly to the dream world. Even if they're in no danger in the physical world due to using this spell at a distance, they are still connected to the dream world and are able to manipulate it to attack the girls." Tohru then drew a second stick figure on the right of the circle and a line to connect that to the circle. "If we are able to use a similar spell to connect to the dream, and maybe even send someone else in, we can use that to cast a powerful spell to expel the invader from the dream world and break their connection."
"It would make sense… but how are you going to do that?" Taranee asked.
Tohru smiled. "With the Sheep Talisman."
Everyone looked in surprise while Uncle seemed to get it. "Of course! The power of Astral Projection!"
"Precisely." Tohru confirmed. "While the girls are asleep, someone on the outside can use the Sheep Talisman to separate their astral form from their physical body and enter their conjoined dream. And since the astral projection isn't a creation of their mind like the dreams…"
"They will not be affected by the intruder's magic!" Jackie said in understanding.
"And if we use a means to connect to that astral projection, it should allow the rest of us to cast the spell through that and into the dream…" Tohru went on.
"Which will expel the intruder and break their hold!" Yan Lin finished before she smiled. "Tohru, you are such a genius." She pinched his cheek in congratulatory fashion, causing him to smile with a blush.
Everyone else looked with excitement and smiles as it seemed they have a plan. "Alright! We got a plan to fight back!" Will stated.
"So, who's the lucky winner that's invading the invader?" Jade asked with a smirk.
"I will go." Jackie volunteered. "I've been with your girls every step of the way since this whole journey began, and I don't plan on letting you face this threat alone."
"Awe, we love you too, Uncle Jackie." Hay Lin smiled.
"Yeah, just don't go looking for anything private while you're in my head." Cornelia joked.
"So, let's get this magic sleep over underway." Irma stated.
"I think I know a way I can help." Captain Black offered.
The whole group had been led to Section 13's medical wing, which fortunately didn't have any patients in it, meaning the group could work undisturbed. Will, Jade, Irma, Hay Lin, Taranee, and Cornelia all sat in beds with IVs and heart monitors connected to each of them.
"This is… weird." Hay Lin said. "Kinda feels like we're at the hospital."
"Here's the deal, girls." Captain Black explained to all of them as he, Yan Lin, and Alchemy stood in front of them. "I'll administer a light dose of anesthesia to each of you, nothing too serious that it knocks you out completely, just puts you to sleep. These heart monitors will allow us to monitor your vitals, and if something happens in there, I can administer some adrenaline to wake you all up."
"While you're all asleep, I will use the Sheep Talisman to send my astral projection into each of you." Jackie said as he sat in the bed next to them and held said Talisman in his hand while Uncle tied a thread around his wrist as Tohru casted a spell with a blowfish.
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao." With that simple chant, a small Chi-Spell was cast on the thread, causing it to glow green as Uncle held the thread. "This spell will allow us to connect to your astral form when it enters the dream world." Tohru explained. "When you find the intruder, simply tug on it, and we will cast the expulsion spell."
Uncle looked to his apprentice with pride as he patted him on his back. Tohru had come up with this whole spell all on his own, and a complex one at that. It is only a matter of time until Tohru became a full-fledged Chi Wizard.
"Alright, who's ready to kick some tail?" Jade said eagerly.
"Let's do this." Will nodded.
"We're ready, Captain Black." Taranee said to him.
With a nod, the head of Section 13 administered the sedative, which flowed directly into all six girls through their respective IVs. It didn't take long for their eyes to close as all six fell back. Just as Captain Black said, it was a light dosage that wasn't meant to knock them all out completely, but rather put them to sleep.
Once they were out of it, Jackie relaxed in his bed as he clenched the Sheep Talisman and activated its power. His whole body glowed white before his transparent spirit left his physical form, which fell back on the bed. Taking a minute to steady himself, Jackie looked towards his wrist, and while the physical thread was still tied around his physical form, a green energy ring glowed around the wrist of his astral spirit. With a look of determination, Jackie's spirit flew directly into Jade as he entered their dream realm.
"So, now what do we do?" Alchemy asked.
"Now, we wait." Yan Lin answered.
As the six girls let themselves drift into the darkness of their sleep, the same melody again played through their minds, and it seems Hay Lin was the only one able to hear it.
"Hey, it's that tune again…" The Air Guardian muttered.
Jade's eyes shifted slightly as she felt something soft and coarse on the ground beneath her. "Hey… does anyone kinda… sandy?"
"If you're gonna do a Star Wars quote Jade, I'm gonna punch you!" Cornelia stated.
"No, seriously… what is…?" Jade's eyes opened along with everyone else as all the girls looked around to see that they appeared to be in the middle of a desert.
"Whoa…" Irma awed at their new environment, she picked up a handful of the sand from the ground beneath them and looked in dread as she saw a smirking face in said sand. "We're in the middle of a giant Sandpit!"
Suddenly, a sandy whirlwind picked up around them as they were all caught in the middle of a sandstorm, and their bodies began to sink into the ground as if it were quicksand. They initially and instinctively struggled to escape, but Taranee was the first to focus.
"Will, use the Heart now! Before it's too late!"
She took out the Heart of Kandrakar and tried to say the magic words. "Guardians…" however, the Heart turned dark as if it burnt out like a lightbulb, much to Will's horror.
"Remember, this is our dream! Take control!" Taranee reminded.
"Yeah, let's take control and kick some ass like always! Right, bestie?" Jade encouraged with a grin as she grabbed onto the Heart and Will's hand. And it wasn't just her. Taranee, Cornelia, Irma, and Hay Lin all grasped around Will's hand and the Heart as they focused their minds.
That was all Will needed. "Guardians Unite!"
In its usual flare, the six Guardians of J-WITCH flew up and out of the sandy ground and went on the attack.
"Air!" Hay Lin conjured a massive tornado and threw it down at the ground, blasting away much of the massive Sandpit that made up the whole desert.
"Water!" Irma caused it to rain in all directions, turning the entire desert into a muddy mess.
"Earth!" Cornelia clenched her fists to harden the ground, making it solid as a rock.
"Fire!" Taranee waved her arms to increase the temperature of the rock-hard ground and melt it, turning it into molten lava.
"Shadow!" Jade created a massive black-hole underneath the lava to suck it all in, before hoisting up the shadow-ball high in the air.
"Quintessence!" Will blasted a surge of bright pink energy into the shadow-ball. The opposing magics cancelled each other out and destroyed everything that was inside out.
Jade and Will both smiled as they shared a high-five. "Opposites attract!" Jade beamed.
"It worked! The lucid dreaming rocks!" Taranee exclaimed with a smile.
"Yeah. It does, doesn't it?"
All eyes turned upward to see Drago hovering in the sky above them. He just stood there with crossed arms and an arrogant smirk on his face.
"Oh great. Him again." Cornelia scowled.
"Don't worry, it's not really Drago." Taranee assured. "Just another dream image of him."
Suddenly, Drago appeared right in front of Taranee, moving at such high speeds that it gave the Rabbit Talisman a run for its money. "You sure about that four-eyes?" He told the shocked Fire Guardian as his face was less than an inch from hers. He then unleashed a massive column of fire from his mouth right at her, it was about as bright as the sun and carried enough force to send Taranee plummeting to the cloudy ground beneath them all.
The other Guardians tried to fly and gain some distance before Irma attacked first. She pointed her finger-guns to blast two water geysers at him, but Drago extended his hands to catch and take control of the water, curving it around him before throwing it back at the shocked Irma to knock her down as well. Hay Lin tried to engulf him in a tornado, but Drago opened his mouth to inhale all of the air she used to try and trap him before blasting it all out from his mouth, pushing her to the ground too. Cornelia grew an enormous tree from below to try and strike at Drago, its branches pointed upward to impale him. But with a clench of Drago's fist, the tree turned to solid stone before he broke it apart and shot them at Cornelia. He clenched his fist again to bring all the stones at her, trapping her in a stone-fist that fell towards the ground.
All that was left were Will and Jade as they tried to catch him in a cross-attack of Quintessence and shadow, but Drago merely opened his mouth to literally eat both their attacks like nothing, much to their shock.
"Hmm, tasty." Drago rubbed his stomach before raising his hands and brought them down to bring down two powerful bolts of lightning from the sky to zap and send both of them crashing to the ground with the rest of their friends.
All of this was being watched and observed by Jackie, who remained in his astral form with the green energy still around his wrist. He wished he could step in and help them, but since he wasn't a part of their dream, there was little he can do other than watch and hope to find the one responsible for all of this.
"Okay… what?" Irma questioned as she and her friends looked up to the hovering Drago in shock.
"What the heck just happened?! I thought we could control our dream!" Cornelia stated.
"Don't you mean, our dream?" Drago teased.
"What are you talking about?" Will questioned.
"Hold on a sec…" Jade remembered how Drago just attacked and brought down each of them. "He hit Taranee with fire… Irma with water… Hay Lin with wind… Cornelia with rocks… then he ate mine and Will's attacks and zapped us with lightning…" Her eyes then widened in horror as she recognized each of those powers, and they were not that of her friends. "Oh no."
"Somebody's figured it out. But let me explain anyway." Drago began. "Lucid dreaming, where you control the outcome, right? I may not have been in your dreams before, but I am now. Like you ladies, I'm also catching the Zs. A little bit of magic thrown in, and bing-bang-boom, all seven of us are sharing a single dream!"
"He's sharing a dream with us?!" Hay Lin questioned.
"Okay, what are you some kind of stalker? Get a hobby, creep!" Cornelia exclaimed.
"Guys… I don't think you get it." Taranee told them. "If what he said is true… and he's also dreaming… he has just as much control of this place as we do!"
"And those powers he attacked us with… I think he's dreaming of himself empowered with all the Demon Chi!" Jade stated in realization. "The powers of his whole twisted family!"
"Bingo." Drago confirmed. Suddenly, the bright blue sky above him turned a blood red, dark clouds encircling around him like something from an apocalypse as Drago himself appeared to undergo a horrific transformation. His body grew to enormous size, equivalent to that of a mountain, just like Po Kong. He also grew a set of massive wings, identical to that of Hsi Wu, and about as big as current size. Two equally sized arms grew out from his sides underneath him, giving him a total of four arms like Tso Lan, but they were large and muscular like Tchang Zu. A pair of curved horns like those of Dai Gui grew from his forehead, while a multitude of aquatic tentacles from Bai Tza grew out from his chin like a beard with his face becoming more elongated with pointed cheeks like that of Xiao Fung. Finally, his eyes glowed a bright red and carried just as much malice as his father.
Drago gave a loud and bone-chilling laugh as he let the horrified Guardians below see his newfound and titanic transformation.
"You have got to be kidding me…" Irma muttered.
"Bad dream…" Will and the observing Jackie both said at the same time.
"Pretty cool, huh?" The transformed Drago showed off. "Maybe you guys could use a makeover too. Something a bit more… flat!" He extended one hand to channel a surge of intense gravity magic and force the six Guardians down hard to the ground.
"I… can't move…!" Hay Lin winced.
"He's gonna crush us…!" Cornelia grimaced.
"No… we're still thinking like Guardians!" Taranee told them.
"And that's wrong because…?" Irma questioned.
"Because this is a dream!" Jade realized as well. "If we're sharing a dream with Junior up there, that means we're just a strong as he is!"
"That's right!" Taranee confirmed. "Why be limited by our waking powers, when we're only figments of our own imagination!" Her entire body turned into a column of fire as she grew and shot herself up straight to the sky, forcing the transformed Drago back slightly.
"Now this, I like." Hay Lin followed Taranee's lead as her entire body transformed into a cyclone of air and flew up, with the others right behind her as they all transformed their physical bodies into those of their respective elements, as well as grew them to the size of Drago's current form before they all encircled him on all sides.
Will's body had turned into pure Quintessence, a humanoid form of semi-transparent pink energy. Jade's was that of a fluent shadow as dark streams encircled around her. Taranee had turned into sentient flame that barely took her own shape as her own features were barely recognizable. Irma's body was made entirely out of water that had taken her own identical shape. Hay Lin was now completely air as she had a whirlwind around her lower body. Most of Cornelia's body had turned into wood mixed with dirt and mud, while her hair grew out to enormous proportions and became much more plant-like.
"Ready to pick on someone your own size, Drago?" Jade challenged.
Rather than be intimidated or angered, a chuckle escaped Drago's mouth. "Looks like we're all gods here. So, who's up for a clash of titans?"
"It's go time!" Will was the first to attack, blasting pure Quintessence at Drago, who retaliated with thunderbolts from his lower arms to clash their respective powers at each other. Cornelia then extended her plant-hair to bind and ensnare Drago from behind before hoisting him upward to slam him on the ground below. Taranee tried to blast her fire-form forward at him while he was down, but Drago let loose a tornado-like force of wind from his mouth to blast her flames backwards. He then set himself on fire to set Cornelia's hair ablaze, freeing him from his bindings as he took to the air again and raised his upper arms to create a tidal wave from behind and send it right at the group.
However, Hay Lin rushed forward and spun herself like a tornado to shatter the wave before Irma splashed her whole body onto Drago before the water covering him extended and encompassed him in a sphere. But that sphere of water was blasted apart as his whole body zapped with lightning to blast away Irma. He then raised his lower arms to bring up several mountains around all six of his enemies and then channeled his Earth powers to bring all the mountains down onto them. However, Jade was quick to erect a sphere of shadow around herself and all her friends, which functioned just like a black hole to suck up all the crumbling mountains and make them vanish. Taranee then fired herself at Drago like a missile and scored a direct hit that sent him crashing to the ground, and with him down, Will tried to trap him in a dome of pink energy that would enclose around him.
But Drago was far from finished. His body was engulfed with both flames and lightning, which he used to break free of the dome before he shot himself straight up to the blood red sky. The dark clouds cleared out to reveal a massive moon that appeared out of nowhere. He then used his gravity powers to grab ahold of the moon with dark energy and, with a wave of his hand, sent it straight towards them with enough speed and force that it looked like a massive asteroid.
"Is he seriously chucking a moon at us?!" Cornelia questioned.
"Dream world. Remember?" Irma reminded.
"Yeah, and in our dreams… a moon means jack-squat." Jade stated as she and Will both shot forward at the incoming moon that was a hundred times their own size.
Both girls grasped each other's hands as they spun their elemental bodies around, creating a spiral of Quintessence and shadow, pink and black spiraling down below them. But if one were to look at them from above, the swirling mass of pink and purple took a more fluent and recognizable shape, one that symbolized balance and harmony with one another despite their opposite natures.
Yin and Yang.
The second they struck the moon, it exploded in a massive flash, one that lit up the whole sky in a mixture of different colors.
The transformed Drago scowled as all six Guardians flew around him in their elemental forms to attack him from all sides as he fought back with his combined Demon powers. But both sides appeared evenly matched.
The whole clash was being witnessed by Jackie, who couldn't help but feel a strong sense of pride from each of them. They turned one of their most dangerous predicaments in their favor and appeared to be holding their own quite well.
But he still had his own job to do, and that was to find whoever was responsible for all of this and shut them down. As he flew in his astral form throughout the raging dream scape, he tried to look for anything that might seem out of the ordinary, for a dream anyway. But as he looked, his eyes couldn't see anything. However,… he did hear something.
"Music?" Jackie wondered aloud as he heard a melody that repeated itself over and over.
And he wasn't the only one that heard it. Hay Lin, in her own elemental form, heard it as well. She also happened to notice Jackie's astral form and seemed to get an idea of what was going on with him. Breaking off from the battle, Hay Lin's body vanished completely.
The Air Guardian, now appearing as a normal Guardian, appeared before Jackie to speak to him directly. "Jackie… this is gonna sound weird but… do you hear music?"
"Yes… I think I do." Jackie confirmed. "A melody."
"I heard it before when Will and I were trapped in my dream." Hay Lin remembered. "But I don't think the others can hear it."
"Music is sound, and soundwaves are carried by air." Jackie said. "As the Air Guardian, your senses may be able to pick up a sound that is supposed to be unheard by everyone else. And since I'm not a creation of this dream, but rather in my astral form, I may be able to hear it as well. But it's coming from all directions, and I can't find the source."
"Well, if it's in the air… maybe I can make you see it." Hay Lin channeled her own powers and focused her sense of hearing on the music. With her mind, she pictured the music with a visual form that could be seen. As she did so, multiple music notes appeared in the air around the two of them.
"I can see it… I can see the music, or rather the notes of the music." Jackie said with a smile.
"And since this is part of a dream that we can control…" Hay Lin smiled as she mentally directed all the musical notes to one specific spot in front of them. They all took the form of a wall, or rather a semi-transparent curtain. And behind said curtain was the massive form of an elderly woman.
"I think I found the bad guy." Hay Lin noted.
"Great job, Hay Lin." Jackie congratulated. "Help the others keep Drago busy. I'll handle this."
"You got it." Hay Lin smiled as she turned back into her elemental form and resumed the godly clash against Drago. Jackie then flew his astral form forward and through the curtain of notes.
Nerissa gave a sinister laugh as she saw the clash between her son and the Guardians, honestly enjoying the show. However, she looked in surprise to see something that wasn't supposed to be here appear before her.
Jackie noticed the enemy's glance at him. "Oh… hello." He waved, feeling slightly intimidated by his enemy towering over him.
"You must be Jackie Chan. I don't know how you came to be here, but you soon won't be." Nerissa aimed her hands at him to blast a bolt of Quintessence lightning at him, which Jackie braced himself against…
Only for the bolt to phase right through him like he wasn't even there.
"What?!" Nerissa exclaimed in surprise.
Jackie seemed just as surprised as her, but then remembered once he saw the green energy around his wrist. "Astral projection, right." He commented before smirking and flying straight up at Nerissa, who continued to blast Quintessence at him, and just like before, it went right through him as he was already at her shocked face. He then grabbed at his wrist to pull out a thread made entirely out of Chi Magic and flew around Nerissa's head in a circle before pulling on the thread to tighten the magical thread around her throat. Just touching the green magic caused her a great deal of pain.
"I don't know who you are, or what you are planning, but you've tormented my girls enough!" Jackie stated. "Uncle! Now!"
Back in reality, Uncle felt a tug on the glowing thread that was still tied around Jackie's wrist. "Jackie has found psychic invader! Cast spell, now Tohru!"
Sitting in a meditative state, Tohru was surrounded by Yan Lin, Alchemy, and Captain Black, each holding up a Chinese lantern as Tohru recited the chant.
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao." As Tohru chanted, holding a dried lizard in his hands, green Chi magic connected each of the lanterns like a triangle and then directed all their energy into Tohru's lizard. "Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao." Tohru continued to chant as he aimed the lizard and channeled the spell into Jackie, which in turn, spread to all six of the sleeping girls.
Back in the dream world, J-WITCH's clash against Drago was briefly halted as the entire realm began to glow a bright green and they all heard Tohru's chanting through the air, which seemed to overpower the melody that had been sounding throughout this entire dream, the very same one that was the source of Nerissa's spell.
"Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao. Yu Mo Gui Gwai Fai Di Zao."
All looked in shock as bolts of green energy shot from the sky and shattered through the invisible barrier that kept Nerissa hidden, revealing her presence to all, before striking Nerissa herself. The second the spell made contact, she screamed in agony…
Right before everything exploded in a burst of green energy.
Nerissa was thrown against the wall by the force of the repulsion from the opposing spell, as Drago himself shot awake from the ground in front of her.
"Mom!" He quickly rushed to help her to her feet, right as a scowl formed on her face. She recognized that type of magic.
"Jin…!"
Section 13
All the girls, and Jackie, shot up awake from their beds with startled exclamations, their friends looking in surprise.
"We did it!" Cornelia exclaimed with a wide smile shared by all her friends. "We beat them!"
"Yeah, Junior and his buddy!" Irma agreed with just as much enthusiasm.
"You found who was getting in all your heads?" Alchemy asked.
"It was an elderly woman." Jackie revealed. "I didn't get her name or anything, but she seemed incredibly powerful, as well as smart. She was able to hide herself quite well."
"I think it was that same woman back on International Island Challenge." Will recalled. "She's the one pulling all the strings."
"All the trouble in Meridian, Drago going after the Demon Chi, the Knights of Vengeance, that old hag is behind it all." Jade stated.
"But after Tohru's little counter-spell, she'll think twice before getting in our heads again." Taranee said with confidence.
"Thanks for your help, T." Hay Lin smiled as she climbed out of her bed to hug the sumo. "You're going to make an amazing wizard!"
Tohru smiled and blushed. "I certainly hope so."
Uncle thought for a moment. "Jackie, was there anything particular about this woman?"
"I didn't notice anything about her appearance-wise…" Jackie tried to recall. "Although, she seemed to be using a form of music of sorts."
"Music?" Captain Black asked.
"Yeah, I heard a melody back there, as well as in my dreams." Hay Lin put in.
"It's possible she was using this music as a type of spell to enter their dreams, or perhaps hide herself within it." Jackie assumed. "Though that's only a guess. Does that sound familiar to you, Miss Lin?"
"I'm afraid not." Yan Lin shook her head. "We may need more information." However, while neither had a concrete answer to give, both Uncle and Yan Lin felt an unsettling feeling in their stomachs. They couldn't explain it, but they suspected something very bad regarding this mysterious enemy of theirs.
"Well, with that all settled, let's get you girls home." Captain Black told them. "It's a school night, after all."
"Don't remind us." Irma groaned as they all got up.
"I'm so exhausted…" Cornelia yawned.
"Yeah, I'm gonna sleep for a week after all that." Taranee added
As everyone got up to leave the room, only Will remained as Jade turned back toward her. "Hey, something wrong?" She asked.
"No, nothing just… thinking." Will said as she looked at the Heart of Kandrakar. "What you and I did back there… I get it was all a dream and we total control over it… but you and me working together, combining our powers… I just felt…"
"Stronger?" Jade finished. "Yeah, I felt that way too. But it just wasn't with my powers. It was more than that. I can't explain it either but…"
"You don't have to." Will smiled. "I already know."
Jade smiled back. "Guess we are Spirit Sisters after all."
"Seems that way." The redhead agreed. "Hey Jade… I just wanted to say… I'm really glad I have you in my life."
"Yeah, I'm glad you're part of my life too." Jade said wholeheartedly as she and Will shared a hug. "Asleep or awake, you're the best friend any girl could ask for."
"Ditto."
And just like that, their bond only grew. From friends to teammates to best friends to Spirit Sisters, they were a pair that was unstoppable together, especially so with the rest of their fellow Guardians in J-WITCH. Whatever challenges they faced in the future, whether it be it the Forces of Darkness or trouble in school, they would face them together, and nothing would break the bond that they had.
Drago roared in fury as he blasted a hole in the nearest wall with his fire breath. "We we're so close! So close, but we tripped at the finish line!" He sliced an old piece of equipment apart with his claws.
"No, the fault is mine." Nerissa said with a scowl. "I was focused solely on Jade, I lost sight of the rest of her family that has proven to be just as troublesome. Her uncle, Jin's nephew, who has no magic powers of his own, and yet is able to best even the strongest of magic users and Demon Sorcerers with nothing but his wits, body, and will. Jin's apprentice, who is probably among the strongest humans currently living, and is becoming quite the powerful Chi Wizard in his own right. And of course… Jin himself." A complicated expression formed on Nerissa's face, one that mixed anger and sorrow. "Oh how he's changed… and yet… remains the same. His skills have only grown…" A reminiscent smile formed on her face. "Like a fine wine, I suppose he got better with age."
Taking a minute to calm down as he blew some smoke from his nostrils, Drago addressed his mother. "So, what now?"
"What now…? You speak as if we've lost." Nerissa said. "Granted, things didn't quite go as expected… but you seem to have forgotten Drago, our goal wasn't to kill or even hurt the Guardians… but to learn more about young Jade. And on that note…" Nerissa looked to her crystal ball again to see various memories of Jade's life. "We succeeded."
"What did you get?" Drago asked.
"Everything." Nerissa's grin only grew. "Jade's whole life, among which is when she entered the world of magic, even before meeting this new generation of Guardians. Through these memories, I can not only learn exactly how a sixth Auramere was created, but I can also find out exactly what it is that makes her so special. By the time I'm finished… I'll now Jade better than she knows herself."
Nerissa chuckled evilly and triumphantly as she continued to watch more of Jade's life and adventures play through her crystal ball. At the end of it all, she got exactly what she needed.
Done.
Wow, this chapter turned out to be a lot bigger than I thought, but I still had a lot of fun writing it, mostly that epic dream battle with the Guardians in their elemental forms against Drago's mutated Demon Chi form (note, I gave him four arms unlike his canon form since it was weird he didn't get any as Tso Lan had four arms, and Drago did absorb his chi in the canon).
And it wasn't just the Guardians as everyone had a chance to shine. Jackie has, once again, demonstrated that he doesn't need any kind of special magical powers or transformations to take down the bad guys. Granted, he used the Sheep Talisman for this, but he really didn't have any other choice. Even a mastermind like Nerissa knows not to underestimate him. And Tohru also got his moment as he was the one who created the spell to repel Nerissa, all on his own!
One of my favorite moments was establishing Will and Jade as Spiritual Sisters. They practically embody Yin and Yang, not just with their opposing powers, but their respective personalities in how they not only balance each other out, but also bring out the best in one another. Their bond is going to have a major impact on this story going forward and while it is a positive development for them and all their friends, there will be outside parties who won't take kindly to it (and they're not all bad guys).
But at the end of it, Nerissa still won. The entire point of her invading the Guardians' dreams was to copy Jade's memories so that she can study them while Drago and the Knights continue their hunt for the Demon Chi. Nerissa wants to learn everything she can about Jade, and when she sets her mind to something, there is no stopping her.
What's next for our heroes? A battle in the sky perhaps? A different set of wings? (hint, hint). Find out next time, on J-WITCH!