W.I.T.C.H. of Lusteria
By Galistar07water
Disclaimer: W.I.T.C.H. is owned and copyrighted by the Walt Disney Company Italia and is in no way affiliated with the fictional works of Galistar07water.
Author's note: If you would like to see drawings of W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria, please visit my page and click the "W.I.T.C.H. Dreams of Lusteria" folder in the gallery section.
Chapter 03: To Have and to Hold Back pt. III
"YOU!" Kimi gasped in surprise once she recognized Kaishin's face. She grabbed for the closest thing in range, a tea cup from Orube's hand, and threw it at the monk's head.
Kaishin ducked as the tea cup shattered against the wall behind him, but not before being knocked off his feet by a blast of light sphere. Before he could get up, Kimi quickly constructed a flat panel of hard light and used it to pin Kaishin to the wall so that she could leap in for an attack.
Orube and Will quickly jumped in and pulled Kimi back, trying to get her to release her grip.
"Unhand me!" Kimi protested, trying to fight back but Orube's grip were too strong.
"Are you insane?!" Irma roared. "Why is it that every time we meet a friend, you always go crazy and try to kill them?"
"Kimi, let him go!" Hay Lin begged. "Kaishin was the one who saved us from the White Snake. If it wasn't for him, you and I would have been dead."
Kimi shot Hay Lin a venomous glare and pointed at the monk. "You know nothing! Nothing about this man at all! He's not who you think he is!"
"He saved us and he gave us shelter," Taranee tried to reason with her. "C'mon, stop being so pigheaded. You owe Kaishin your life."
"I owe him nothing!" Kimi spat. She let go of her hold on Kaishin and he quickly got back on his feet.
"Kaishin, are you alright?" Cornelia asked. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Kaishin rubbed his shoulders and shook his head. He gave Kimi a sad and guilty look and said, "No, I am fine. But perhaps I do deserve her wrath…"
Hay Lin crossed her arms. "No, you didn't deserve that," she insisted. Glaring at Kimi, she continued, "Kimi, I think you owe this man an apology—"
"Why should I?" Kimi challenged, glaring daggers at him. "After all he has done to my family, I would rather see him rot in a ditch!"
"Enough!" Orube spoke up, her tone firm and crossed. She slapped Kimi across her cheek and the other Guardians gasped. They had never seen Orube this crossed before, not even when she was disappointed at Cedric for betraying them to Ludmoore…it was almost frightening.
Kimi's cheek turned slightly red from the stinging slap, but she didn't place her hand against it. She simply didn't react.
"We are in the Siulahm Temples," Orube reminded her. "This is a place of sanctuary and harmony for those who wish to find peace and kindness. Men and women like Brother Kaishin have detached themselves from the rest of this world to come here and be at one with the spirituality around us." Orube pointed out the windows where thousands of villagers were lining up trying to get a bowl of congee from the monks. Others were trying to sleep after they had lost their homes.
"Look out there, Kimi," Orube continued. "Even now these monks have devoted their time to help others in need. You should be on your knees begging for Kaishin's forgiveness for he has given you so much today."
Kimi looked up at Orube with a determined gaze and for an instant, Orube realized that she had said something wrong, but she couldn't figure out what.
Turning her attention back at Kaishin, Kimi's expression remained hostile.
"You're wrong, he has given me nothing…he hasn't for the past sixteen years. Kyochi and I needed him then and he turned his back on us to come here. He's nothing more than a spineless coward!"
Kaishin's eyes widen in shock when he heard the names of the twins. If Will didn't know any better, he probably didn't recognized who Kimi is until now. The expression on his face changed to guilt that was too heavy to bear as he sank to his knees. Tears fell from his eyes and his knuckles clenched, turning white.
"Kimi-chan…I am sorry…" he sobbed in a broken voice.
Kimi was not swayed by his tears. "Sorry? You disappeared from our lives for sixteen years and now you're sorry just like that? If Nii-san was here, he might have been able to forgive you, but not me!"
"Kyochi?" Kaishin looked up. "Where is he? Where is your brother?"
"Why should you care? You didn't before," Kimi accused him.
"Kimi, that's enough," Will held her back. "Look at him. He's being sincere and all you've done was shown him hostility."
The others nodded. "He saved our lives and yours," Taranee reminded her.
"I wished he hadn't!" Kimi snapped. "I wished this lowlife scum hadn't saved me." She turned her poisonous glare back at him. "I wished you had left me out there to rot…just like you did to Kotone-san."
At the mention of the woman's name, Orube placed one hand on her mouth in surprised and gasped. Now she understood why Kimi hated this man so much…
Kimi kicked the wooden table aside and went for the door. Before she left, she turned her head back at Will and warned, "If you and your friends are wise, you would best stay away from him, especially if you value your magic and your life."
Once Kimi left the room, Hay Lin and Taranee quickly ran over to Kaishin's side and helped him to his feet. They guided him to a bed and motioned him to sit down. Cornelia quickly picked up a non-broken tea cup and poured the hot water into it, offering it to Kaishin. The monk took the cup but his expression was still guilty and his dark blue eyes seemed lost.
Orube was the first to speak. She folded her arms and glared at the man in front of her.
"Is it true?" she questioned. "Are you the man who I think you are?"
Kaishin didn't reply at first. Instead, he continued to stare down at his reflection in the tea. Giving a deep sigh, he nodded solemnly.
"Hai. Kimi-chan was right. I am not the man you think I am."
"What do you mean? Your name is Kaishin, isn't it?" Cornelia asked.
"Kaishin is just a name the previous abbot gave me when I was fully integrated into the Siulahm Temples," he explained. "All of the monks and nuns once had a different name and a different identity before they started their new lives here."
The monk got up to his feet and faced Orube and the Guardians and began to confess. "My real name is Kohaku Watsuki. I am the father of Kyochi and Kimi Watsuki."
The five Guardians couldn't help but stare at him in shock. Irma nearly chocked since a few hours earlier, she wondered who Kimi's parents were and how did they raised her to be so cold-hearted and twisted. After seeing this nice man, seeing him as Kimi's father was the last thing any of them expected. Will was the first to compose herself enough to speak what was on their minds.
"Y-you're their father?" Will asked. "But I don't understand…how is it possible?"
"Yeah, you don't look older than twenty-seven years of age," Irma pointed. Suddenly, she remembered what Orube said about people from Basilíade and Lusteria having longer lives than Earthlings. Kaishin seems to notice her expression, too, as he smiled sadly.
"I thank you for your compliment, Water Guardian," he said. "But I'm currently in my sixties."
"I don't understand," Taranee said. "If you're a member of the Watsuki clan, why are you living here in this monastery, away from your children?"
"More importantly, why does Kimi hate you, her own father, so much?" Cornelia asked, folding her arms.
Orube was the one who answered her. As words poured out, her tone was sad, as she pitied the man before them. "I have heard rumors of it years ago when I first came here to train. Komei told me that this man," she pointed at Kaishin, "committed an act so horrible that it scarred his children."
Will started to understand, but she was too afraid to hear the details.
"Does it have something to do with this Kotone person?" Will asked hesitantly.
They waited for his answer and Kaishin nodded sadly, tears trickled down his cheeks. Looking up at the six warriors, he sighed sadly.
"Kotone Kinomoto was my wife," he said. "And I was the one who killed her…"
The five Guardians looked on in horror.
"I killed my wife right in front of my children sixteen years ago."
Will didn't know what to think after what Kaishin had told them a few minutes ago. Will wasn't particularly fond of her biological father once she discovered him trying to extort money from her mother a few years ago. Thomas Vandom wasn't the wonderful father she remembered and Will was glad that he was out of their lives, but even he wouldn't commit a crime so horrible like Kohaku Watsuki.
The six of them left the dormitory and were out in the courtyard. They passed by several monks and nuns going about their chores. Some were sweeping while others were carrying baskets of vegetables into the kitchen. Kimi was standing on a wooden bridge and leaning over to watch the scene unfold below.
Without glancing over in their direction, Kimi asked in an icy tone. "What do you want?"
"Kimi, we need to talk," Orube stated.
"There is nothing to talk about," Kimi answered bitterly.
"We understand what you're feeling and—" Taranee started, but Kimi glared daggers at her.
"You understand nothing!" Kimi spat. "All five of you still have parents who care for you and of your wellbeing. My father only cared about the limitless potential of his dark magic and was seduced by its raw powers. My mother tried to stop him from going over the edge, but my father…" her lips trembled as she clenched her fists. Furiously, she slammed her fists onto the rail of the bridge, leaving small dents in them. "Because of him, my mother is dead!"
"But Kimi, Kaishin isn't dark and obsessed now," Hay Lin reasoned. "It seems like he has repented his sin and is a changed man."
Kimi scoffed. "Ha! If my father regrets his action, he should have returned to Edo years ago and accept his punishment rather than hid himself away in these mountains! He is a spineless coward!"
Will frowned. "Would a spineless coward risk his life to save you and Hay Lin from the White Snake? I hate my biological father, too, but at least yours tried to put your life before his own earlier today."
"Don't you dare compare your rotten father to mine, Vandom," Kimi lift a finger to warn her. "Your low-life father was an extortionist, not a murderer like Kohaku Watsuki. They are not in the same league."
"That's enough, all of you!" Orube cleared her voice, giving the six Guardians a disapproving look. Kimi doesn't look like she wants to listen to her old friend, so instead she coldly walked away.
"I guess the real ice queen here isn't you, Cornelia," Irma pointed out. Cornelia rolled her eyes as she didn't find Irma's snide remark amusing.
Suddenly, a familiar voice spoke from behind them. They turned around to see Brother Ma-tzu bowing respectfully.
"Guardians, the abbot is ready to receive you," he said, motioning them towards a large building a few hundred yards away. "Allow this humble one to guide you."
"Thank you, Brother Ma-tzu," Hay Lin bowed. "Lead the way, please."
"What about Kimi?" Taranee asked, looking over her shoulder.
"Oh, leave her alone to cool her head off," Irma replied.
They passed another courtyard which was full of refugees from the surrounding villages lining up for food. The monks and nuns tirelessly tried to fill up their meager bowls with rice porridge.
"Is this all of Byakko's doing?" Hay Lin wondered, looking on sadly.
Ma-tzu nodded. "Our temples are like sanctuaries for these poor refugees. They come from villages that were recently ransacked by corrupted officials and their army. We monks must do our best to help those in need by providing them with food, shelter, and medical attention."
"But there are so many," Taranee noted. "How is it that you were able to keep it up?"
"We don't, Fire Guardian," Ma-tzu shook his head. We are running low on food ourselves, and more peasants are pouring into our mountains every day.
"Brother Ma-tzu!" cried two young monks. They quickly bowed to Orube and the five Guardians before addressing Ma-tzu again. "We can't keep this up! We are running out of room for the villagers to sleep, and not to mention the depletion of our grains!"
"Then let them sleep in some of our quarters," Ma-tzu replied. "We'll sleep elsewhere instead. As for the grain, use the emergency stock piles in the granary."
The two monks nodded, although they seemed to be uncomfortable with the idea of giving up their warm dormitory for the outside cold.
"Don't you have monks who are earth-wielders?" Cornelia asked. "Surely, they can use their magic to provide more grain and vegetables?"
"Magic can only go so far," Ma-tzu noted. "Our earth-wielders are doing their best to provide extra produces and grains, but it seems Byakko's cruelty have slowly affected some of our soils. Come, let us worry about protecting the villagers. You need to see the abbot to seek guidance for your mission, correct?"
They walked past through an archway and realized that they were in another courtyard. This time, it was filled with younger-looking monks, some perhaps not even seven years of age (or at least they looked like they were seven years old) all of them practicing their martial art moves. They were divided into groups of four, each with a monk as their instructor. As they moved gracefully, the elements responded and danced to their movements.
Will and her friends were in awe. Although they have already seen their Lusterian opponents doing it, the Guardians had never realized just how beautiful and powerful martial art looked, especially when these monks are wielding the elements with their movements.
Irma whistled, watching one water-wielding monk moving swiftly, but softly as the stream of water bended around his limb before he turned them into frozen iced-spears. "I wonder how they do it," she said out loud.
Ma-tzu motioned the girls to follow him into a large shrine. "Martial art is the expression of the divine within an individual. It is our way of life."
"I wish we could learn how to bend the elements like them," Cornelia commented.
"I'm sure the Jade Dragon will teach us how to wield our elements like the Lusterians do in due time," Taranee smiled, making Irma scoff and rolled her eyes.
"All she does is make us run, beat giant jars of water, and spar with each other," Irma said. "The running and the sparring I get, but punching water is pointless!"
Ma-tzu smiled, finding Irma's story amusing. "Let me tell you a quick story, Water Guardian, for you have much to learn."
Nice going, Irma! Cornelia teased, using telepathy.
Ma-tzu ignored their giggles and said, "A wealthy family's home was robbed one night and the next day, they sent their son to our monastery to learn martial art. Naturally, the adolescent was excited at first, but was disappointed when our previous abbot had him beat urns of water instead. The abbot had him beat the water for a year, in rain or shine. Like you, the boy grew weary of his repetitive lesson. When he came home for the New Year, his family eagerly asked him what he had learned. The boy hung his head in shame and said he had learned nothing from the monks."
"Well, duh!" Irma shrugged. "I'm sorry, but your story doesn't really proved anything."
Hay Lin elbowed her in the ribs and hissed, "Let him finish the story!"
"The boy's family refused to believe him," Ma-tzu continued, "and his parents asked him what did the monks have him do instead? Thinking that his parents did not believe him, the boy angrily beat the palm of his hand onto the wooden table where they were having their New Year meal. The table broke in halves."
Orube smirked at Irma. "It seems the boy have unknowingly learned how to accumulate his chi and focus it into a single strike."
"Now tell me, Water Guardian. Do you think your mentor's lessons are pointless?"
Irma sheepishly blushed. Looking up, she didn't realized that they had arrived at their destination.
Ma-tzu opened the giant shrine doors and they stepped inside. What they saw before them was breath-taking. The shrine was a place for prayers, the floor filled with short-legged desks with pillows as seats where a few monks were sitting and chanting Buddhist sutras (it sounded more like singing). But what really captured their eyes was the giant statue of Buddha before them. The statue must have been about two-stories high and made of gold. The image of Buddha was peaceful, kind, and modest as he sat crossed-legged in a lotus position, both of his hands resting on his laps in a cupped position. Hay Lin was sure that if she would ask, Cornelia could create a giant lotus flower and place it in the statue's land, making the image perfect.
There was a man standing in front of the statue, wearing yellow and red robes. In one hand, he was wielding a staff with rings near the top and holding a japa mala in the other hand.
"Abbot, the Guardians and the warrior from Basilíade is here," Ma-tzu bowed.
The abbot turned around and gave them a smile before he bowed. To their amazement, the abbot's face was none other than…
"Oracle Himerish!" Orube gasped, kowtowing respectfully.
Himerish laughed kindly and bent down to help her up. "Alas, I am no longer the Oracle of Kandrakar, Orube. However, I am very pleased to see you are doing well since your last mission with the Guardians." He turned to face Will and her friends." "In fact, I am very happy to see all of you again."
"I don't believe it!" Irma gapped, her mouth wide opened. "What's a bigwig like you doing here of all places?"
"We knew you left Kandrakar since you've passed the roll to my grandmother," Hay Lin clasped her hand. Apparently, she couldn't hold her excitement in. None of them can.
"We…we didn't expect to see you here of all places!" Will smiled, shaking Himerish's hands. "What happened to you after you left?"
Himerish thought for a moment before winking at Irma. "It's a long story, Will. One I would love to tell you all, but I believe we are pressed for other important matters. Come with me, and we'll discuss more and if we have extra time, I'll tell you my story."
"Well, we have a few things to tell you," Taranee grinned.
Kimi seethed her teeth in anger. Of all the people she had known years before, the last person she ever wanted to see again was Kohaku Watsuki. Why did she have to run into him today and in these mountains? Kimi hated her father. The way the other monks referred to him as "Brother Kaishin" or "Monk Kaishin" as if he deserved it was a joke! Even if they had forgiven him for his past crime, Kimi would never forget it. No one in the Kinomoto family could.
Before she and her twin brother were born, the two clans founded by the first Twin Guardians became deadly rivals as the centuries past. Not wanting any future bloodshed between them, both houses agreed to an arrange marriage proposal. Chancellor Komei's sister, Kotone Kinomoto, was to marry Kohaku Watsuki. Kimi and her brother barely remembered their mother, but from what Komei told them, she was described to be kind and gentle and very loyal to her family, even to her cold husband as he was often indifferent towards her and her children.
Kimi remembered that her mother was a healer whose power was well known while her father's power was frightening. He was a shadow-wielder, one of the few who could control the power of darkness. Despite the love he had from his wife, Kohaku was seduced by the dark arts and tried to pursue it, hoping to make himself more powerful enough to even challenge the mysterious Prince of Darkness himself. Soon, he developed the ability to suppress other people's magic and abilities. It wasn't enough. Kohaku wanted to have the power to take away a person's magic, but doing so with his level of dark magic could kill his victims, especially if they were mere mortals.
Fearing that his growing power could put all of them in danger, Chancellor Komei and the previous Twin Guardians tried to stop him and a fight ensure in their house. Kimi remembered trembling in the corner with her brother and mother as their father tried to take on their uncle and the Guardians of Light and Darkness. Komei used his feathered fan to blow Kohaku back but to his surprise, Kohaku eluded his wind and lightning magic.
Furious that his brother-in-law would try to stop his growing potential, Kohaku tried to take away the Chancellor's magic. Without thinking, Kotone abandoned her frightened children and jumped in to protect her brother. The next thing Kimi remembered was crying in anguish over her mother's dead body. Her father was nowhere in sight.
After his sister's death, Chancellor Komei took Kimi and Kyochi in. She and her brother were only a few years old when they lost their mother. Both the Kinomoto and the Watsuki clans declared Kohaku a traitor and a disgrace.
After sixteen years without a word of her father's whereabouts, everyone assumed he had died. Kimi had thought good riddance but her brother…he never show how he felt about his own father and to this day, Kimi assumed that Kyochi was trying to forget him as well. She began to wonder how her older brother would react if he found out that their father is still alive.
Kimi shook her head. No, forget that man! Even if Kaishin is currently living here in these mountains as a repented monk, her father is still dead to her. Her only real family is Kyochi, the twin who had been by her side since the beginning. If anything, she should concentrate on finishing this mission and finding her missing brother.
After her little spat with the others, Kimi wanted to be alone and sat on the edge of a hundred-foot pagoda roof. She wasn't afraid of height since she can fly by riding light waves. From up here, she could see everything going about beneath her, including her six comrades meeting up with a person, whom she could tell was the abbot. Not only that, but she had a great view of the forest and rivers at the base of the Song Mountains. She could see the lake where the Great White Snake Spirit resides and the villages they've been to earlier. As the sun began to set in the horizon, the Guardian of Light could see dimmed lights of a city. She squinted her eyes and saw that those lights were part of the city of Chang'an, the capital!
But something felt off. Usually, it was supposed to be a lot brighter like Edo, her home. With Chang'an it was as if it was being swallowed by darkness.
"Byakko," Kimi seethed her teeth.
The Jade Dragon said that he was behind all the madness in Zhong-guo and the source of their current problem must be in Chang'an. Suddenly, a thought popped into Kimi's head. She was quite certain that she could sneak into the Imperial City. If Ngọc Long was right about the emperor being coerced by Byakko, then perhaps Kimi could try and free him with the Jewel of Life the same way she did with Elyon on Metamoor.
Kimi got up, careful not to slip off the roof tiles. She was about to go join the other Guardians but then thought better. No, they had been through enough today, especially Hay Lin after she was nearly poisoned. Besides, this was a simple reconnaissance mission. Kimi could do this by herself without endangering the others. Add to the fact that Kimi is Lusterian and can continue to endure a little more hardship than her Earthling allies.
"I don't need their help," Kimi said to herself. "The faster I get this mission done the closer I find my brother."
Kimi jumped off of the roof and instantly transformed into her Guardian form, flying swiftly into the twilight rays.
After their quick catching up stories, Orube and the Guardians recount to Abbot Himerish about their new mission. Thanks to Irma, the most talkative of the bunch, the story actually got summarized in record timing: from the Gemini Council to their new roles on Lusteria, Irma left almost nothing out.
Much to their annoyances (save for Orube who still highly respects Himerish), the abbot had known about the existences of the Twin Guardians and had never bothered to tell them before.
"Rarely both teams meet up," Himerish explained, a reason they had heard a million times before from Yan Lin and Lord Araël. "So there was no reason for you to know about each other." Himerish's expression turned grim as he stroked his white goatee. "But from what you've told me so far about Kyochi's disappearance is…disturbing."
"Do you know where he is? Or even where the Prince of Darkness is?" Orube asked. "You were once our Oracle. Surely, you must have an idea about their whereabouts."
Himerish shook his head. "I'm sorry, Orube, but I know nothing. It seems that the Celestial Warriors or whoever is working for them have managed to cloak Kyochi's presence. This is probably why Kandrakar, Kimi, and I can't pinpoint his current location. And the Prince of Darkness had always been a mystery for thousands of years. Even I don't know who or where he is, much less know why he is hiding."
"Isn't there anything you can do to help us, Oracle—I mean, Abbot Himerish?" Hay Lin asked, putting down her bowl of rice.
The former Oracle thought for a moment, his eyebrows focused a little bit too hard. At last he said, "I am afraid our hands are tied. We cannot abandon those who need our help and protection to fight someone like Byakko. I'm afraid that job is yours, however, I may have a way to help you."
"How?" Will asked.
Before Himerish could answer her, Kaishin burst through the door, his face was full of anxiety and fear.
"Brother Kaishin," Himerish gasped. "What is troubling you?"
"It's Kimi!" Kaishin replied. "My daughter…she's gone!"
Orube and Will got to their feet at this news.
"She couldn't have left without a word, would she?" Will asked.
"Of course she would!" Orube retorted. "Don't you know her by now?"
"Then where could she have gone?" Hay Lin asked.
"Sister Sui said she saw her from the North Pagoda," Kaishin explained. "She saw Kimi flying towards the city in the horizon."
Abbot Himerish nodded and realized something. "She's headed towards the Imperial City. I take it that she has decided to carry on your reconnaissance mission alone."
There were several grunts, Cornelia replying, "Typical! She ditched us!"
Irma nodded, folding her arms. "That condescending chick will never learn to work with us ever, I swear!"
"Kaishin, what's wrong?" Taranee asked. She was the only one who noticed that their savior seemed distracted. Not that she was reading his mind or anything.
"I fear that the reason Kimi has left was because of me," Kaishin sighed sadly. "I saw the anger in her eyes. They are full of hatred for me because of what I have done. I cannot blame her for leaving so abruptly."
Abbot Himerish stood and went over to Kaishin. Calmly, he said in a soft tone, "As the clouds are able to blind our eyes in an instant, so do human hearts change. Kaishin, you know this better than before for you have changed since you've joined our monastery."
"But Abbot Himerish, it was my fault that my children are motherless!" Kaishin insisted. "Even if I am no longer the man I once was, my daughter still hates me with all of her heart."
Himerish nodded solemnly. "The things we do and the things we say can influence others around us, Kaishin. That is how evil and cruelty are born in people's heart. Because of your past mistake, many members of the Kinomoto clan detested you and they raised your own daughter to loathe you. Bitterness has been accumulated since long before, and is bound to keep coming unless you put a stop to this."
Kaishin looked up at Himerish in surprise and confusion. "I don't understand."
"Kohaku," Himerish said firmly, using the monk's real name. "I sense a lot of hatred and bitterness in Kimi's heart. You are the source of it. Therefore, you must be the one to empty it and fill it with something more meaningful."
"I don't know if I can," Kaishin shook his head. "What can I do to change her?"
"You're her father," Orube frowned. "What do you think fathers do when their children are in danger? If you're really changed as you've claimed, then you should know the answer."
"Go with them, Kaishin," Himerish encouraged his friend. "Go with Will and the others and take them into the Imperial City. Find Kimi and help her."
"Yeah, whether she likes it or not, we're stuck with her until this whole thing blows over," Irma rolled her eyes sarcastically.
The former Oracle smiled and turned his attention back towards the Guardians. "Ma-tzu can teleport you as far as the outside of the city's border. Kaishin can help you sneak past the guards and into the palace. This is our way of helping you on your mission."
Himerish gestured to Ma-tzu who handed him a scroll. In it contained a map of the Imperial City of Zhong-guo along with the surrounding mountains and villages.
"This place looked too complicated and too heavily guarded," Taranee noted after she finished scrutinizing the map. "How are we going to get into the palace?"
"There is a complicated system of underground tunnels," Kaishin replied. "I can help guide you through them and get you into the palace."
Will smiled and clenched her fist in determination. "Great! We can catch up to Kimi and find out Byakko's plan."
"And if we can find a way to lessen Byakko's hold on Emperor Sheng-tsu, we can but a dent to his plan!" Taranee agreed.
Chang'an, the capital city of the Western Earth Kingdom of Zhong-guo had never looked so bleak. Ever since Byakko unleashed the Deadly Sin of Gluttony, the people of the upper class, most notably the nobles and the royals, have been over-indulging themselves with food and wealth. They demanded the peasants to pay higher taxes in food and money, leaving the lower class citizens nearly nothing left but the clothes on their backs. The new taxes and the sudden demand for tributes were so high that no peasants could pay them. It wasn't enough and the corrupted noblemen sent guards and soldiers to punish the villagers by pillaging their farms and towns.
Chaos reigned as thousands upon thousands of peasants tried to flee for the safety of the Song Mountains where the monks of the Siulahm Temples would provide them with sanctuary. Other groups, such as the resistances, would provide protection as they struggled to organize and raise an army to counter the attack.
From the start, their ruler, the wise and benevolent Emperor Shung-tsu, knew that what his court is doing is wrong, yet he couldn't bring himself to stop them. He should have been able to speak out against these atrocious plans, but darkness have clouded his thoughts. The only saving grace he has right now was being able to resist Byakko's Deadly Sin.
For the past several days, Byakko's Deadly Sin slowly began to cloud the thoughts of the noblemen and the emperor's family. Soon, his wife and children began to harbor thoughts that they, as the ruling monarch, should never go hungry. Therefore, most of the rice grain goes to them. Later on, other thoughts include his sons hoarding all of the treasures for themselves.
After several court meetings, the emperor allowed his chancellors and war generals to dispatch more soldiers to pillage the villages near the Song Mountains. The emperor tried not to show it, but he was worried. He knew that he was the only one in his court who still objects to any of these ideas still, and should he try to oppose the chaos, he would be a prime target for assassination. He couldn't even trust his own family members. He must allow his soldiers to attack his own subjects until he could find a solution.
"It's difficult being ruler, isn't it?" said a low voice behind him.
The emperor turned around to face the source of the voice and saw a shadowy figure standing in the darkness. He almost summoned his guards but for some reason thought better not to.
The dark figure laughed. "A wise choice, Your Majesty."
"Who are you?" Sheng-tsu declared. "Show yourself!"
Byakko smirked as he stepped into the candlelight, his stature did not fail to show his power. "You will refer to me as Lord Byakko."
If the emperor was surprised, he was doing a very good job of hiding it. "You are the Celestial Warrior of Earth. To what honor do I have of meeting the son of the Celestial Sovereign Bai Hu?"
"Rest assured, Your Majesty," Byakko smirked. "I am not here to kill you. I'm here to offer you a deal."
"What sort of deal do you have to offer me?" the emperor asked.
"One that even you couldn't resist," Byakko claimed as a sly smile curled on his lips.
"I have no idea what you're—"
"I believe you do, Your Majesty," Byakko interrupted him. "Everyone knows that I have lay siege to your kingdom and soon my dark powers will engulf everything. While you and your court hide in your palace, your kingdom will continue to burn." Byakko walked up to the emperor as he towered over the mortal human. "As powerful and influential as you are, even you cannot stop your court from issuing these countless verdicts to attack the peasants. Your reign will not last forever. Hunger and craving makes people desperate, Emperor. Soon, even your most loyal subjects will turn on you and you will die a disgraceful death unless..."
"Unless what?" Sheng-tsu asked.
"Unless you abdicate and hand over your throne," Byakko smirked.
"That's not an option!" Sheng-tsu protested.
"I'm afraid it is, Your Majesty," Byakko shrugged. "If you do as I say and hand over your throne, I will stop the spreading of my Deadly Sin. I will also give you the key to the Garden of Overbearing Fruits. You will be a savior to your people if you'll allow them to eat the heavenly fruit of this sacred garden."
"I can't…" the emperor hesitated. "No mortal has ever set foot in that sacred garden for thousands of years."
Byakko frowned and decided to play another card. "In that garden, there is a tree that bears a special type of leaves. Brew it into tea and one sip will make you immortal."
The emperor shook his head. "No…the price is too high."
Byakko seethed his teeth. Curse Sheng-tsu and his enlightened ideals and pure heart. "You don't have a choice! If you refuse my demands, I will induce more of my Deadly Sins into your people's heart and I will make them destroy each other! You can either shut yourself in this palace or watch your entire kingdom burns before your own children kill you, or you can put a stop to it by handing me your throne. I'll await your final verdict in two days. Face reality, human! You can't stop me!"
"Others will!" The emperor insisted. "I may be alone in this city, but there will always be those who can stand up to you and your tyranny!"
Sheng-tsu's defiance and determination made Byakko laughed. "Are you referring to the resistances? Last I heard they were running away from your army with their tails between their legs. Or where you referring to those spineless monks in the Song Mountains? Those pacifists are too kind-hearted to step into the battlefield."
"Kandrakar will stop you," the emperor reminded him. "They who watched over us and countless other worlds will not turn a blind eye on you and your cruelty."
Byakko chuckled. "Forgive me, but if you were referring to the Guardians of Kandrakar, I cannot do anything but laugh. Those little girls are weak. But since you have so much confidence in the Guardians, why don't we ask one of them in person?"
Suddenly, Byakko stomped one foot on the ground, tearing the stone floor beneath his feet. He aimed the attack towards a giant pillar. A figure jumped out of the way as the earth swallowed up her hiding place and destroying it. Kimi looked up as she tried to gasp for breath. The emperor gave her a surprise look since she was able to sneak past his guards undetected.
"Well, well, well," Byakko cracked his knuckles and smiled sadistically. "If it isn't the little Guardian of Light! I've known about your little hiding place since I first came in here. Just became I'm wearing a blindfold, it doesn't mean that I cannot see, little girl."
Kimi glared daggers at him. "I should have just dropped in from the roof," she reminded herself quietly.
"I'm surprised that you've survived the White Snake's poisonous bite," Byakko noted.
"Where's my brother?!" Kimi demanded. "What have you done to my twin?"
Byakko laughed. "Still gnawing away at that bone, are we? I'm afraid I don't know where the Guardian of Darkness is."
At that moment, Kimi jumped in to attack him. The emperor quickly left the room and tried to find an escape. Now that he is out of harm's way, Kimi doesn't have to worry about dead weight. She fired several more light spheres at him. Byakko, however, simple stepped to one side to avoid Kimi's attack.
"You're lying!" Kimi cried. She quickly materialized small daggers made of hard light between her fingers and threw them at her opponent.
Byakko didn't move this time. Instead, he let the photon-daggers bounce off his chest as if they were toys. "You'll have to do better than that, little girl," he mocked. "My hide is as thick as diamonds. You'll hardly put a dent on me."
"Then I'll just have to hit you harder," Kimi replied. She raised her hands and covered a few of the furniture with her glowing auras, causing them to lift off the ground as if she was telekinetic and flung them at Byakko. He smashed his way through them and came at her, his fists ready.
Kimi instantly erected a shield around herself but the impact she got from the Celestial Warrior of Earth was like being hit by truck, sending her smashing to the ground below. Kimi quickly sat up and tried to clear her head but Byakko wasn't finished when he came at her, bringing down his fists. Quickly, Kimi got out of the way as Byakko's incredible strength left a huge crater where she was a few seconds ago.
However, the impact created a small shockwave, knocking Kimi against another pillar.
"I'm not through with you yet!" Byakko sneered and manifested his special weapon, the guan dao. Before Kimi could fly away, Byakko mentally summoned roots and vines to sprout beneath her, tying her down. He aimed his guan dao at her heart and flung it. "Let's see if you can avoid this!"
Sure enough, Kimi quickly summoned another shield around her. She winced when the guan dao hit the surface of her light shield construct, leaving a crack on its surface. With one finger free, she concentrated enough light into a finer point and used it as a laser, cutting herself free.
"What's the matter? I would have thought you would replace yourself with another one of your holographic specters," Byakko smirked as his guan dao flew back into his hand.
"Never play the same trick on your enemies twice," Kimi declared. "Unlike you, I don't have rocks in my head."
"Your snide remarks will hardly put a dent on my pride," Byakko said.
"Don't try to change the subject," Kimi warned. "I heard your entire conversation with the emperor."
"It'll hardly make a difference whether you know it or not!" Byakko cried, bringing down the blade of his weapon to tear the ground beneath Kimi's feet. She flew into the air to avoid his attack. The hard part about fighting an earth-wielding demi-god is the fact that he can fire a flurry of rocks and boulders at you at top speed as if they were bullets. Kimi barely had time to summon another shield. The constant impact of earth against light created a few clouds of dust, making it difficult to see. Before she knew it, a giant hand made out of granite grabbed her from the bottom and flung her against the wall again. She hit her head, causing her vision to distort and waver.
"That's for your little dirty trick in the Dark Forest," Byakko growled. He casually walked up to her and brandished his weapon, bringing it over her head. "Your head would go nicely on my wall."
He brought the blade down but before it could even touch her hair, a pair of pink bolas wrapped themselves around his legs and a gust of strong wind blasted him off his feet.
Kaishin quickly went over to his daughter and picked her up. Although her head was still spinning, the skin contact with him revealed Kimi his individual aura.
"What are you doing?" she demanded.
"Saving my daughter's life," Kaishin replied.
"I'm fine!" Kimi insisted. "Now put me down! I hate it when people touch me!"
"You're welcome!" Irma said for Kaishin as he put her back on her feet. "So what do we have?"
"A very pissed off Celestial Warrior of Earth on our hand I take it," Cornelia noted.
"How did you lily-livers get here?" Kimi asked.
Taranee gestured to a hole in the wall behind her that wasn't there before. "Secret tunnels and a secret entrance."
"Plus, it wasn't that hard to find you, since we followed the sound of the battlefield," Will added, readied herself for another one of Byakko's attacks.
"My, you children are a glutton for punishment, aren't you?" Byakko smirked. He took noticed of Kaishin and laughed even harder in a mocking way. "And who do we have here? An ally? You couldn't pick someone who's more of a pacifist? This would be an interesting battle."
Not wanting to give him the upper hand, Irma decided to dictate the playing field by firing a powerful stream of water at him first. Byakko quickly ducked out of the way and in response, he caused a few flowery vines and wood to burst beneath their feet. Most of them ducked out of the way while others blasted their way through with laser, lightning, fire, and air slices.
"The Oracle must be scraping the barrels if this is all her Guardians can do!" Byakko mocked. "After hearing so much about the Guardian of Darkness, I'd expected more of a challenge from his fellow comrades! But it seems none of you have what it takes to defeat me!"
At the mention of Kyochi, Kaishin involuntary emitted a shockwave of darkness, vaporizing all of the vegetation. To protect themselves, Kimi and Orube quickly conjured up a light and chi shield around themselves and their friends. The next thing they say was Kaishin slamming Byakko into the wall and holding him by the collar.
"Where is my son?!" Kaishin demanded in a dangerous tone. "What have you done to my little boy?"
Byakko blinked in confusion at first, but then he seemed amused. "So you're the father of the Twin Guardians? I now see where your son inherited his dark powers and how your daughter is so cold-hearted."
Kaishin's free hand emitted dark mist as he slammed it next to Byakko's head as warning. "Where. Is. My. Son?" he repeated.
"My, my, my," Byakko mused, not affected by the man's threat. "Aren't we a little violent this evening? I don't know where your son is. All Hwang-Ryong told me is that he has been incapacitated. What an obedient little boy to lie down so still and unmoving...just like his mother!"
Kaishin snapped as his once dormant fatherly instinct kicked in. He slammed the Celestial Warrior into the wall before throwing him violently across the room. Before Byakko could compose himself, Kaishin came at him again and with one fist emitted in darkness, punched a hole through his stomach.
The girls gasped in terror, too astounded by the sheer brutality of this shadow-wielder. Will gulped and began to reconsider Kimi's warning.
Perhaps this man really is that dangerous, she thought.
To all of their surprised, Byakko's body turned into stone upon impact. Instead of grimacing in pain, the Lord of Gluttony simply smiled sadistically before he crumbled away into a pile of sand.
"What the…?" the other Guardians gasped in confusion before a haunting laughter echoed around them.
"You can't kill me so easily," Byakko said, rising out of the pile of sand like a newborn phoenix. "No matter how powerful you may be, it'll take more than that to destroy a Celestial Warrior." Turning to face a shock Kaishin, he smirked and said, "I never would have expected a pacifist Siulahm monk to still have his killer instinct. I supposed even you cannot hold back your rage and fury."
"And you'll never guess what's under our sleeves!" Irma said, punching the ground and caused several ice shards to erupt before launch them at Byakko from behind.
Without looking, Byakko tilted his head and a wall of earth burst out of the ground, shielding him from her attack. "If you wished to surprise me, don't open your mouth in the first place."
Girls, I have an idea, Taranee thought, using her telepathic channel to communicate with the others. She told them her plan, but Orube seemed unsure and Kimi scoffed at it.
It'll never work! Kimi said.
But we have to try! Hay Lin insisted. Let's give him all that we have in one combined attack.
It did work on the Tengu and Miranda before, remember? Taranee reminded her.
Byakko isn't a spirit or a monster, girls, Orube tried to reason. He's a Celestial Warrior.
Who must have a weakness! Will said, taking on her role as leader. We do better when we work as a team. Let's combine our powers and hold nothing back! Cornelia, you start!
Nodding, Cornelia's vines burst from beneath Byakko, tying him in place before Irma froze them solid to prevent him from using the Earth Guardian's vines against herself.
Will gave Kimi the order to materialize both of their magical pendants at the same time. With the Heart of Kandrakar and the Jewel of Life shining brightly, they and the others held nothing back as all of their attacks aimed at one point.
The combined force made contact with Byakko and exploded, threatening to take down nearly half the emperor's palace. As luck would have had it, it only blew a giant hole in the wall, revealing the royal garden below.
"Did we do it?" Hay Lin asked. Without waiting for an answer, she used her air magic to blow away the cloud of dust. The others stared at her in shock and gave a look of horror. Hay Lin quickly turned around to see Byakko grinning like a maniac behind her. What really made her gasp in horror was the state he's in. Byakko was missing both arms and practically half of his scull as if it's been carved out. Like before, there was a giant hole in his chest…however, there wasn't any blood. Where flesh, organs, and bones should have been, there's nothing but stone, dirt, and twigs throughout his entire body.
Not wanting to get attack again like before, Hay Lin quickly jumped into the air to avoid him. Luckily, he didn't attack her just yet. (How could he since he's missing both arms?) Byakko gave them all a sickening grin. Like a doll that could move its head in a horror movie, Byakko bend his head from side to side, causing several bone-chilling cracking sounds.
"That was pitiful," he said, slowly taking a step forward. The Guardians stepped back cautiously.
"How is it that you're still alive?!" Taranee shook her head in disbelief.
"She's right! You're missing half of your head and you're still talking!" She pointed out.
Byakko laughed maniacally and the Guardians watched in horror as the stone from his limbs seemed to expand. Crystals, sand, dirt, and trees came out, too, as if they were organs and blood veins, replacing all that was once gone. One moment, he was like a cheese filled with holes, as was whole the next.
"That's all you Guardians have and yet you still can't take me," Byakko said. Cracking his knuckles, he rematerialized his guan dao and readied himself. "Let me show you what real power is! And this time, I'm not holding back!"
Any warning that came after would have come too late. Byakko's weapon shone bright green that was blinding to the eyes before he brought it down into the ground and the energy within the weapon detonated upon contact with earth.
They should have all been dead since they were the closest in range to Byakko. Instead, they simply blacked out for a few minutes. At least that's what Will assumed it was since she can't see anything but darkness around her. The next thing they knew, the darkness faded as it receded back into the body of Kaishin. Orube got up and quickly ran over to help support him as he nearly collapsed to his knees.
Will got to her feet and looked around, and when she saw that they're all standing on a grassy hill, she realized that they are no longer in the capital.
"Will, look!" Cornelia pointed.
The others looked up to see the capital city below, and nearly one-fourth of the emperor's palace was destroyed in the blast. Whatever was left of the private chambers was on fire as water wielders immediately tried to put it out. Byakko was nowhere in sight but at least the emperor and his family seemed to have escaped long before the explosion. The same could not be said for some of the nobles and servants who remained in the now destroyed quarters.
"Kaishin, are you alright?" Orube asked.
The man seemed tired but nodded as Orube gently lowered him on a boulder where he could sit.
"I am well," he said, "but I was a fool. I couldn't hold back my rage and have nearly lost myself to my dark powers again."
Orube wanted to say something to assure the man that it wasn't his entire fault for Byakko had goaded him. Before she could say anything, an argument from the other girls erupted.
"I told you that your stupid plan wouldn't work!" Kimi said.
"At least she had a plan that consisted of teamwork!" Cornelia objected. "You on the other hand, seemed to like to play things alone!"
"What were you trying to prove by going in all by yourself?" Irma added. "You just had to show off, didn't you?"
"I never needed any of you with me before on any of my missions and it made no difference now!" Kimi said, pointing at her father accusingly. "I didn't even need that man to save me from our enemy. Why did you have to drag him into this?"
"Without him, you would have been killed!" Will objected. "What were you thinking? You're a part of this team now so you have to stick together with us!"
"You may be their leader, Vandom, but you're NOT mine!" Kimi retorted. "Just because you have the Heart of Kandrakar doesn't make you my sempai!"
"And I supposed having the Jewel of Life makes you a leader?" Irma argued. "Will knows how to unite us, but all you want to do is tear this team apart."
"What did you even accomplished by yourself?" Taranee demanded. "You barely got away from a fight with Byakko—"
"For your information, my reconnaissance mission was not a total debacle," Kimi interrupted. "I've heard Byakko's conversation with Emperor Sheng-tsu and I know his plan to seize this entire kingdom for his own."
"Well, good for you! Why don't you give yourself a pat on the back?" Irma snapped rudely.
"Stop it! All of you!" Hay Lin pleaded, but no one seemed to pay her any attention.
"ENOUGH!" Orube roared, startling the other girls. "THE SIX OF YOU NEED TO SHUT YOUR MOUTHS OR SO HELP ME I WILL BIND THEM MYSELF! DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!"
No one needed to say anything else because they all recognized an angry Orube when they see one. Breathing in and calming herself down, Orube continued, "We have lost another battle, but at least we are all still alive and in one piece. It's late so let's all go back to Earth and report back to the Jade Dragon."
A part of Kimi didn't want to go back yet. She was still compelled to continue her search for her twin brother. Despite the presences of her extended family members, Kyochi is her only family and all she has left. She turned her back against her father, refusing to meet his eyes. She didn't care if he had saved her life again this evening. He still cannot make up for what he has done sixteen years ago. Not wanting to be around her father for any longer than necessary, Kimi nodded and agreed to go back to Heatherfield with the others.
Insisting that he was fine, Kaishin left Orube's side and walked over to Kimi.
"Kimi, I know you missed your brother, but—"
"I said don't touch me!" Kimi snapped, causing Kaishin to back away. He didn't realize that he had placed a hand on her shoulder. The physical contact with him gave Kimi access to her father's aura. She gasped and quickly tried to rein in her reaction. What she saw and felt from his latest aura glow suddenly made her confuse about him and that made her angry. Rather than yelling at him again, she backed away from him and stoically asked him to leave.
"Just go," she said. "Go back to the temples. I don't want to see you right now."
Kaishin sighed sadly and nodded. He bowed to them respectfully before the darkness beneath his feet engulfed him, teleporting himself back to the Song Mountains.
"What was that about?" Irma questioned.
Kimi didn't answer her. The sudden change in Kaishin's dark aura reminded her of her brother's dark aura as well as the one belonging to that Kishimoto boy on Earth. Kimi shook her and decided to hold back this information.
"Let's just go," she said.
Will opened a portal that will take them back to their headquarters, leaving the Imperial Palace of Chang'an to burn away in the night.
To be continued…
Cultural references:
Chang'an was an actual capital city of ancient China, lasting through at least ten dynasties. Today, it is known as Xi'an.
Some of the things the abbot says are based on real Buddhist teachings.
I wanted to bring back Himerish, the previous Oracle before Yan Lin and I thought having him as an abbot would be kinda cool.
Now we know one of the reasons why Kimi is so twisted and cold-hearted. She detests her biological father, Kohaku Watsuki, and doesn't believe that he is a changed man. Ironically, she inherited some of his more cynical traits when he was younger.
The title "To Have and to Hold Back" have several meanings. While it does what our heroes have and to not hold back in their attacks, it also means what we have and what we want to hold back on, namely what is still precious to us. For Kimi, it's her brother and for Kaishin, it's what left of his humanity as he nearly lost himself again when Byakko goaded him about his son.